Spraque Vitamin Q vs Bumblebee. Any difference

[Bo-Hawk]

I am working on a DIY Les Paul Copy with some Parsons Street PAF spec reissues from Steward Macdonald. I want to be close to vintage spec.

What is (If any) differences between the Vitamin Qs and Bumblebee Paper in Oil Caps

I believe they are similar enough, but I would like some input from others who may know more than I do.

[jeremy]

Re: Spraque Vitamin Q vs Bumblebee. Any difference

oh here we go again... the value of the cap matters much more than the type. most people wont notice a difference between a ceramic disk, orange drop, or pio cap even in the studio. others will be along shortly to tell you im wrong

[Chistopher]

Re: Spraque Vitamin Q vs Bumblebee. Any difference

The biggest difference is the price.

[zizyphus]

Re: Spraque Vitamin Q vs Bumblebee. Any difference

I definitely agree with the above – its the capacitance of the capacitor, not the material that is creating the capacitance, that matters.

If you want to make everything perfectly vintage spec because that's part of your hobby and doing so interests you, then go ahead. If you're concerned about your tone, rather than the "accuracy" of your specs, then don't worry about the material

There are probably others here who know more physics than I do who can explain the details (I have a bachelor's in it, but my grad degrees are in other stuff), but I would bet that if they exist, the audible tonal differences between materials would hardly be noticeable, would wash out when you factor in the tolerances for each type of capacitor anyway, and / or would be primarily psychological.

I bought one of these big ol' boxes of caps from Amazon a while ago, and it has opened up many different tonal options by letting me explore various values for both treble and bass cutting: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I'm in no way affiliated with the above, and there are probably tons of other boxes 'o caps that you an buy with values that are roughly where you want your guitars caps

MC

[AlexR]

Re: Spraque Vitamin Q vs Bumblebee. Any difference

I doubt there'd even be a single difference even an oscilloscope could pick out between one PIO and another.
There certainly is a slight measurable 'scope graphed difference between some caps of differing construction.....but even then its something that generally would fall into the 'most likely not audible' category - unless all the stars aligned in your setup.

If you really want PIO, the K40Y-9 russian ones are cheap and plentiful.
Lets face it.....the Parsons St pickups are not very vintage spec anyhow. If you were putting in Wizz vintage wire PAF clones or Throbaks - that actually do dot 'I's' and cross "T's in their construction, then maybe the caps might be worth making more vintage accurate visually.

[GuitarStv]

Re: Spraque Vitamin Q vs Bumblebee. Any difference

Value is all that matters in a guitar tone circuit as far as sound is concerned. If you're into capacitor aesthetics, all bets are off though.

[Mincer]

Re: Spraque Vitamin Q vs Bumblebee. Any difference

I cannot hear a difference between 2 caps of the same value. At all.

[ItsaBass]

Re: Spraque Vitamin Q vs Bumblebee. Any difference

"Vintage spec" is +/- 20- percent of what the marked capacitance was. Just spend $2.00 on a 10 pack of cheap 20 percent tolerance ceramic disc caps of the originally marked value, pick one at random, and you'll be doing what Gibson electronics techs were doing back then. It's how you play the thing that will make it have "that tone," not some nearly insignificant part that nobody can see. You're not building a fake, so what does it matter?

[Wattage]

Re: Spraque Vitamin Q vs Bumblebee. Any difference

if you're getting parts from StewMac check these out

https://www.stewmac.com/Pickups_and_Electronics/Components_and_Parts/Capacitors_and_Resistors/SoZo_NexGen_Yellow_Mustard_Caps.html

[beaubrummels]

Re: Spraque Vitamin Q vs Bumblebee. Any difference

Be sure to install a clear plastic wiring cavity cover so you can see the difference.

[ehdwuld]

Re: Spraque Vitamin Q vs Bumblebee. Any difference

there was once a blog
where someone opened a bumblebee and it was a ceramic inside
or mylar
I can't remember its been a while

[Clint 55]

Re: Spraque Vitamin Q vs Bumblebee. Any difference

Value is all that matters in a guitar tone circuit as far as sound is concerned. If you're into capacitor aesthetics, all bets are off though.

That's like saying diameter of a guitar string is all that matters in the sound.

[Jacew]

Re: Spraque Vitamin Q vs Bumblebee. Any difference

if you're getting parts from StewMac check these out

https://www.stewmac.com/Pickups_and_...tard_Caps.html

I use these too. They inexpensive, neat and easy to work with.

EDIT: Actually no. Not these, Stewmac dropped a window on top of page, so I only saw the picture.

I meant these:

https://www.tubesandmore.com/products/capacitor-mallory-630v-150s-axial-lead

[uOpt]

Re: Spraque Vitamin Q vs Bumblebee. Any difference

I'm in the camp of saying that there is a small difference, even when a capacitance meter shows same value. I think it is rooted in the fact old style capacitors also have a slight inductance.

To my ears the small ceramic capacitors are in the middle, not one end, of capacitor type sound. They aren't worse in any way.

[beaubrummels]

Re: Spraque Vitamin Q vs Bumblebee. Any difference

When I tested this problem, the cheap ceramics were the only ones I could detect a difference. When measured, they never gave a solid reading. Don’t know if it was a failure to discharge consistently or some kind of leak internally? When listened to, the note definition was murky when the tone was rolled off. Other caps sounded dark but the notes were clear, eg when playing chords.