So I am starting my ODS 50 and am ordering parts. As I search for electrolytic caps for the power supply I see like a gazillion options, some less than a dollar, some 10 bucks. I was wondering, does anybody have any reccomendations for a certain brand or brands that I should look for? I tend to think that you get what you pay for, and I see filter caps over at Torres engineering for 4-12 bucks, so I really dont know what to think. I appreciate any advice.
Thanks in advance!
-Ryan
Getting Capacitors
Moderators: pompeiisneaks, Colossal
Re: Getting Capacitors
I just found a new source for caps at www.justradios.com
They're in Canada, but the prices are in US dollars. They also have a huge selection of NOS styrene caps, which are absolute tone magic!
They're in Canada, but the prices are in US dollars. They also have a huge selection of NOS styrene caps, which are absolute tone magic!
Rich Gordon
www.myspace.com/bigboyamplifiers
"The takers get the honey, the givers get the blues." --Robin Trower
www.myspace.com/bigboyamplifiers
"The takers get the honey, the givers get the blues." --Robin Trower
Re: Getting Capacitors
www.solen.ca also great service and fine products 
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oldhousescott
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Re: Getting Capacitors
I generally get stuff from Doug Hoffman at www.hoffmanamps.com. He sells good quality parts at reasonable prices and ships faster than anyone in the biz. Closed now for the holidays, but you can still put together your order and he'll get right on it as soon as he reopens.
"We put a little quality in everything we build..."
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Re: Getting Capacitors
+1 Fantastic service, and IMO one of the best in the Biz!oldhousescott wrote:I generally get stuff from Doug Hoffman at www.hoffmanamps.com. He sells good quality parts at reasonable prices and ships faster than anyone in the biz. Closed now for the holidays, but you can still put together your order and he'll get right on it as soon as he reopens.
Re: Getting Capacitors
IMO, modern manufacturing makes today's electrolytic caps far better then anything of yesteryear. I buy the cheap ones from Weber. They work fine. I've yet to see a scientific justification I like for the expensive ones. One exception is when you need an upright can cap due to space limits inside the chassis, you need a can cap, and those always cost more.
Of course, if you need to replace the ones in the Fender doghouse, you probably want the blue ones with the thick axial leads. You make a pigtail curl for stress relief before tying them in and this technique is iffy on the cheap caps with thinner leads.
Of course, if you need to replace the ones in the Fender doghouse, you probably want the blue ones with the thick axial leads. You make a pigtail curl for stress relief before tying them in and this technique is iffy on the cheap caps with thinner leads.
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David Root
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- Location: Chilliwack BC
Coupling caps or filter caps? Big difference.
Again it depends on the circuit.
Coupling Caps: For old Fender type builds you can't beat Mallory 150Ms, the yellow ones, IMHO, or NOS Sprague Vitamin Q/similar paper in oil caps. There are "unbranded" yellow M150 look alikes at half the price but the M150s are not expensive, so I never wandered from the M150s.
For Marshally tone I like SOZO caps. Regular grade, haven't tried the premium priced "handwound" types, I can only handle so much mojo I guess.
Black Gate N/NX for cathode bypass, not expensive like the late lamented 500V filter caps.
Oh and +1 on polystyrenes in the 47- 500pF range and maybe up to .005 uF or so.
Filter caps: I said my piece in a separate current thread.
Coupling Caps: For old Fender type builds you can't beat Mallory 150Ms, the yellow ones, IMHO, or NOS Sprague Vitamin Q/similar paper in oil caps. There are "unbranded" yellow M150 look alikes at half the price but the M150s are not expensive, so I never wandered from the M150s.
For Marshally tone I like SOZO caps. Regular grade, haven't tried the premium priced "handwound" types, I can only handle so much mojo I guess.
Black Gate N/NX for cathode bypass, not expensive like the late lamented 500V filter caps.
Oh and +1 on polystyrenes in the 47- 500pF range and maybe up to .005 uF or so.
Filter caps: I said my piece in a separate current thread.