What type of capacitors did 1950 broadcasters use?

[Morpeli]

I was combing reverb for a tele when I came across this relic nitro tele. Couldn’t resist! It sounds good with Italian Flame Tone broadcaster style pickups and it’s super light at 6.7lbs with a 30 year old one piece Balkan Swamp Ash body. Made by hand by Italian builder Marcello Buttarini. I didn’t know of Buttarini or Flame Tone before this but I am glad I took the chance. Very pleased!

Now I want to change the capacitor to an NOS vintage cap for fun.

What did 1950s Broadcasters use as capacitors?

0.047uF or o.01uF?
Bookstyle?
Or Sprague wax style?

Thanks!

 

[Milspec]

Beautiful find right there...I would of had a hard time resisting that as well.

As for the caps? Maybe Chicago branded paper cap like this one?

 

[Billy3]

Doesn't really matter. A cap is a cap. Measure the resistance with a meter and Try them all. Gator clips. Remember, Voltage doesn't matter in passive wiring for a guitar. Decide what you want. .022,.047,.033.? It's your guitar. What sounds good to your ears is all that matters. That is a sick looking Tele. She is very nice. Play the crap out of it. Enjoy

 

[Boreas]

I thought they used cheap wafer caps, but I have never seen an original.

 

[66tele]

To answer the OP's question, according to Nacho Banos' recent Pinecaster book-set (Volume IV Details), Fender used a Cornell Dubilier .05 MFD 150VDC waxed paper-foil tubular capacitor until 1953 when they switched to a "phone book" style .1 MFD capacitor. Fender used different wiring schemes over the years too. One can likely find such vintage capacitors on eBay or Reverb if you wish. But, as Billy3 said, vintage capacitors wouldn't really make an audible difference, certainly at this position in the signal chain. It's really about the value of the capacitor, not the age or construction type. Yeah, try different values and see what you like sound-wise. Vintage mojo is just guitar folklore. You might try a Jupiter capacitor (new manufacture old-style capacitors) if you like. Leo was notoriously cost-conscious and bought commonly available parts at the best price he could ....no mojo-factor involved!

 

[Morpeli]

To answer the OP's question, according to Nacho Banos' recent Pinecaster book-set (Volume IV Details), Fender used a Cornell Dubilier .05 MFD 150VDC waxed paper-foil tubular capacitor until 1953 when they switched to a "phone book" style .1 MFD capacitor. Fender used different wiring schemes over the years too. One can likely find such vintage capacitors on eBay or Reverb if you wish. But, as Billy3 said, vintage capacitors wouldn't really make an audible difference, certainly at this position in the signal chain. It's really about the value of the capacitor, not the age or construction type. Yeah, try different values and see what you like sound-wise. Vintage mojo is just guitar folklore. You might try a Jupiter capacitor (new manufacture old-style capacitors) if you like. Leo was notoriously cost-conscious and bought commonly available parts at the best price he could ....no mojo-factor involved!

It’s for fun. Just to complete the “look” even though you can’t see it as it would be in the control cavity…I’ll see if if I can get one on eBay.

 

[Rasher]

I bought one of these for my CS Nocaster. https://shop.sonnywalton.com/Reproduction-05-MFD-150-VDC-ZYW1S5-Capacitor-1940.htm

As it was pointed out to me, these are constructed of modern ceramic components and then wrapped up, which is for a very good reason as the description will explain. Old capacitors will have wildly varying values by now as they degrade, and there really is no sonic difference between this and the one that came out as far as I can detect, but it does look the part, and is therefore the best of both worlds as far as I am concerned. I know it is nonsense and totally unnecessary, but it is fun and cheap enough to not be an issue, and I've done dafter things in my life than this.

 

[Chuckmick]

It’s for fun. Just to complete the “look” even though you can’t see it as it would be in the control cavity…I’ll see if if I can get one on eBay.

For this, you may also want to have a look at the reproduction capacitors from Luxe Radio

They have specifically a 1950-1952 Blackguard/Broadcaster Paper & Foil Capacitor Kit, that includes one 0.05uF Wax Paper Capacitor, and one 15k Carbon Comp Resistor, in case that you want to go all the way and wire the guitar with the vintage "Broadcaster Blend Wiring"

 

[Cjteleforum]

It’s for fun. Just to complete the “look” even though you can’t see it as it would be in the control cavity…I’ll see if if I can get one on eBay.

Nice looking guitar! For Broadcaster "looks" the screws should be slot heads.

 

[Morpeli]

Nice looking guitar! For Broadcaster "looks" the screws should be slot heads.

Cool! I’ll look into that!

 

[Morpeli]

For this, you may also want to have a look at the reproduction capacitors from Luxe Radio

They have specifically a 1950-1952 Blackguard/Broadcaster Paper & Foil Capacitor Kit, that includes one 0.05uF Wax Paper Capacitor, and one 15k Carbon Comp Resistor, in case that you want to go all the way and wire the guitar with the vintage "Broadcaster Blend Wiring"

What does the carbon resister do? Where do you put? Never heard of broadcaster blend wiring… my strat has a blend pot… but never heard this for a tele

 

[Wobbles]

HNGD

 

[headly21]

Cool! I’ll look into that!

I got these from a seller on Reverb. They're definitely nice, a moderate relic, and all I needed for that complete Broadcaster look:

https://reverb.com/item/46093693-fender-telecaster-complete-vintage-slot-screw-kit-aged-relic-nickel

 

[lasrup]

This is my ‘58 Telecaster.