The different types of Orange Drop capacitors...

[dehughes]

Hello there,

I know that I've read somewhere on some forum a fairly comprehensive comparison of the different types of Sprague/SBE "Orange Drop" capacitors (715, 716, 225, etc...), and was hoping that someone would be so kind as to point me in that direction, or, let me know what the major differences are. I'm fairly familiar with the Mallory 150/Sozo, etc.. type of cap, but I'm going to do a Fendery build for my next amp and would like to use Orange Drops, as I've always liked them in Fendery circuits.

Thanks so much!

[dartanion]

I just replied to your thread on the 18watt, but here is the info again:

http://www.sbelectronics.com/productlines.htm

The 715P are my favorites of this type.

[dehughes]

I just replied to your thread on the 18watt, but here is the info again:

http://www.sbelectronics.com/productlines.htm

The 715P are my favorites of this type.

Thanks man! I just replied to you on that thread, too! I'm curious about where one would get some of the 6PS caps, or some of the non-715-716 type OD caps, as the usual places for me (turretboards.com, S2amps.com, Hoffmanamps.com, etc...) don't carry those. You can find the 715/716 way easily, but the others are kinda harder to locate.

Edit: I've found some Xicon Metalized Polypropylene caps along with some 715 and 225 OD caps at Mouser. From what Bob-I posted a while back in the Dumble section, both the Xicon MPP and the SBE 6PS OD caps were preferred. Are these the Xicon caps he was referring to:

http://www.mouser.com/catalog/629/671.pdf

Also, www.tubesandmore.com has the PS caps, so that's killer that I've found a supply of both...

However, which SBE PS cap was the one mentioned to be preferred, the polyester or the polypropylene? SBE makes the PS in both types...and I'm wondering, if I'm going to build a Fendery amp and use polyester, then why not just use a Mallory 150-esque polyester cap, or is a polypropylene worthwhile?

Thanks all!

[rhinson]

the ps series of caps is polyester up to 1000v --------then the higher voltage ratings are polypropylene. you see this in quite a few caps series where the higher voltages are polyproplyene. the 715, 716, etc are polyproplyene types. there is also the 225 series which is polyester.
the 410p series is very nice----similar to the mallory 150 series roll caps.
the mallory pvc series is similar to the sprague ps series. rh

[dehughes]

the ps series of caps is polyester up to 1000v --------then the higher voltage ratings are polypropylene. you see this in quite a few caps series where the higher voltages are polyproplyene. the 715, 716, etc are polyproplyene types. there is also the 225 series which is polyester.
the 410p series is very nice----similar to the mallory 150 series roll caps.
the mallory pvc series is similar to the sprague ps series. rh

Thanks man...do you have any tonal preferences between the various types, in a Fender Deluxe circuit?

[rhinson]

the ps series of caps is polyester up to 1000v --------then the higher voltage ratings are polypropylene. you see this in quite a few caps series where the higher voltages are polyproplyene. the 715, 716, etc are polyproplyene types. there is also the 225 series which is polyester.
the 410p series is very nice----similar to the mallory 150 series roll caps.
the mallory pvc series is similar to the sprague ps series. rh

Thanks man...do you have any tonal preferences between the various types, in a Fender Deluxe circuit?

i personally like the ps series and mallory pvc's the best. however, bruno amps, which are considered to be some of the best blackface fender clones, use 715's. the blue mallory axial caps in the blackface amps and the blue radial mallory and paktron caps in the silverface amps were all mylar/polyester it believe. i think from a historical perspective, people back in the day considered it an "upgrade" to have their amp modded from those "crappy" stock caps to those "orange drops" so that's where a lot of the traditional mojo comes from. many techs have have swapped out the old ones for a "tonal improvement". a matter of opinion as always. rh

[dartanion]

I've built a couple of AB763 type amps using 150s and there is still plenty of Fender chime. Although the 715P adds a little brightness/clarity over the 150s. Both very good and would work fine.

[dehughes]

Very nice...thanks so much!

[dartanion]

Important point that I should have stated. The Mallory 150s are a bit darker in general and work really well if you think the standard Fender circuit is too bright...ice pick ring a bell?

[dartanion]

Are you doing a straight single channel deluxe or are you doing a second channel? A plexi style channel would compliment the Fender normal channel quite well. Or how about a Wreck channel or a dumble channel?

[dehughes]

Are you doing a straight single channel deluxe or are you doing a second channel? A plexi style channel would compliment the Fender normal channel quite well. Or how about a Wreck channel or a dumble channel?

My thoughts are this: I'm being given a couple of free chassis....one lends itself to a very nice '65 Amps London clone, and another is a direct copy of an Orange Retro 50. The latter is the one I'm thinking of using for a single channel, non-verbandvibrato Deluxe, as I have no interest in building a Retro 50. The only hiccup is that I'd have to convert one of the three can cap holes to become an octal hole for the recto....and cutout a hole for the PT. Other than that, it is pretty much golden...

SO, I went through the various schematics I've been interested in, and came across the non-verb Blackface Deluxe AB763 schematic. Perfect.....two preamp, two octals, and a recto....easy enough (maybe...). That's what got me thinking of using that circuit....I'm trying to match the circuit to the chassis. I'd thought of building an EF86 front end into an AC50 power amp, but I don't think I'll be needing a 50w amp anytime soon, and I JUST finished building an AC30-ish amp anyway. The Deluxe seemed to be an easier fit, and I don't have any "American" voiced amps anyway...

I'd also thought of building a Dr. Z KT-45-ish amp, but again, I don't think I'd need that power and would like a different tonal color, being as I now have an AC30-ish creation, and a Top Hat Club Royale (18w Marshall meets AC30). Fendery thoughts flew through my head and stuck, so I'll head in that direction until I run into something immoveable.

[lastwinj]

i highly recommend my polypropylene STK caps for fender builds. im probably biased, though.

germ

[dehughes]

i highly recommend my polypropylene STK caps for fender builds. im probably biased, though.

germ

Cool. Why those over the SBE PS caps?

[lastwinj]

i highly recommend my polypropylene STK caps for fender builds. im probably biased, though.

germ

Cool. Why those over the SBE PS caps?

axial, and lower cost. plus, they are made in the USA, 1994 date code.

the OD PS under 1000v are polyester. zero comparison.

germ

[dehughes]

i highly recommend my polypropylene STK caps for fender builds. im probably biased, though.

germ

Cool. Why those over the SBE PS caps?

axial, and lower cost. plus, they are made in the USA, 1994 date code.

the OD PS under 1000v are polyester. zero comparison.

germ

Okay. So the PS under 1000v are all polyester...I didn't know that. Interesting. Thanks. Do you have the values in stock for a Fender Deluxe build?