Orange drops, are they even worth it?

[big_black]

I was talking with someone today about caps. He was saying orange drops are overrated, that guitars don't really produce enough voltage and these caps don't make much of a dynamic change in tone. An amp yes, but not a guitar. What's your take, is it all just "vintage" hype or can you REALLY hear a difference?

 

[TheGZeus]

Re: Orange drops, are they even worth it?

www.tonelizard.com

 

[big_black]

Re: Orange drops, are they even worth it?

www.tonelizard.com

I'm not sure what that means, did I miss something?

 

[XSSIVE]

Re: Orange drops, are they even worth it?

i look at it this simple way...the things are under $1...can it hurt in any way to use a better cap like that? nope...so why not?

-Mike

 

[big_black]

Re: Orange drops, are they even worth it?

If it dosen't really do anything, I've just wasted $1. :laugh2:

 

[John Wymore]

Re: Orange drops, are they even worth it?

At less than a buck a piece Orange Drops are a good investment in your tone. Compared to a stock ceramic cap they make your tone control much more usable. I have had many customers who rarely ever used thier tone controls start using them a lot more after installing better quality caps.

 

[Edgecrusher]

Re: Orange drops, are they even worth it?

www.tonelizard.com

:wrf:

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Orange drops, are they even worth it?

The difference between Orange Drops and ceramics is somewhat akin to the difference between a high quality cable and a Radio Shack cable. Of course, a guitar doesn't make enough voltage to fry a Radioshack cable, but I think we can all agree that a Spectraflex sounds better.

 

[Curly]

Re: Orange drops, are they even worth it?

my ears tell me that Orange Drops are well worth the $1 investment

 

[BlueGuitar]

Re: Orange drops, are they even worth it?

While capacitors are primarily rated for capacitance and voltage, there are other factors which can influence their affect on sound (like ESR- the Equivalent Series Resistance). I wouldn't recommend paying hundreds of dollars on ebay for a vintage 50's bumblebee tone cap but why not spend a few bucks on some decent modern caps and see how you like them?

Supposedly the Eric Clapton Woman Tone cap is a 0.015uF/630v polyester cap- the composition and rating supposedly affect the sound as well as the value.

Speaking of Orange Drop caps they make them in polyester and polypropylene versions- I prefer the latter for guitar amps but often skip them in guitars because they are larger than many modern poly caps. The only caps I would recommend that you NOT use in a guitar (or an amp) is the Little Greenie mylar cap sold in bulk at many local electronics parts houses. I think if you stick with quality parts you are a lot better off.

If you use a cap across the ungrounded terminals of your volume control(s) you might want to compare the sound of a cheap ceramic cap with that of a more expensive silver mica cap. Funny thing about mica caps is that while they usually work great in older Fender amps they usually don't work well in Marshall amps... the Marshalls seem to respond better to the grainy sound of a ceramic cap.

 

[Johtosotku]

Re: Orange drops, are they even worth it?

IIRC, Orange themselves say that there is no difference between different manufacturer's caps in tone whatsoever.

I think it may be that their caps are more consistent and durable.

 

[Simon_F]

Re: Orange drops, are they even worth it?

I changed to Orange Drops in my LP Standard when I changed the pots. Since they're so cheap and I had to unsolder the old caps anyway I figured I had nothing to lose. The tone controls are much more useful since the change, but I can't say for certain how much is down to the pots and how much the caps.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Orange drops, are they even worth it?

my ears tell me that Orange Drops are well worth the $1 investment

+1

IMO things like good caps (Orange Drops), good pots (CTS), quality switches and jacks (Switchcraft) are often over looked, in the case of the caps...I belive it does make a difference...maybe not a night and day difference, but a difference that is worth a dollar.

 

[Artie]

Re: Orange drops, are they even worth it?

This is one of those things where the "electronics" side of me would poo-poo this idea. But I know that theory doesn't always equate to audio, and guitar apps.

If Curly, Simon, and John say it makes a difference . . . I think I'd believe them.

The next question is - what value of tone pot, (linear or audio), and cap do you guys use for your best tone control?

 

[Luke Duke]

Re: Orange drops, are they even worth it?

When I had my LP Custom I did this crazy pot/wiring nonsense. I started with the Gibson .047uF then went to .1uF mylar after reading that that's what the old LP's had. I put in treble bleed circuits, tried numerous other caps and came back to a .05uF cap. I never had a chance to compare orange drops, but I could hear that the mylar had a different feel to the roll off.

I don't think you can hurt anything by puting in quality components. I put 2 CTS 500K pots in my Godin (making it slightly brighter) and a Orange drop cap. It (to me) made the roll-off feel alot more consistent.

I know a Guy who bought a 56 CTS and bumblebee to put in his R8. Compared to his other R8 it sounds just a little different through the rolloff.

LUke

 

[Simon_F]

Re: Orange drops, are they even worth it?

The next question is - what value of tone pot, (linear or audio), and cap do you guys use for your best tone control?

In my LP Standard it's a CTS 500K audio with a .022 Orange Drop. Works great for me.

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Orange drops, are they even worth it?

In my LP Standard it's a CTS 500K audio with a .022 Orange Drop. Works great for me.

I use all CTS 500k pots in my Lester as well, but I stagger my cap values. I use a .022 for the neck and a .047 for the bridge. :burnout:

 

[matrixman_397]

Re: Orange drops, are they even worth it?

I'v got a Epiphone Les Paul Custom. Which would be more suitable and what is the difference between putting a .022 & 0.47 cap?

 

[MikeS]

Re: Orange drops, are they even worth it?

I think they are worth. Even installing a set of the same value as the stock ones in my LP I noticed that they seemed to open up the tone control a little more. There was definatly a difference in the way the tone reacted to the turn of the dial.

I do NOT think that installing them changed the overall tone of the guitar. Similar to using a "better" wire - there's probably a measurable difference, but I challenge anyone to hear it.

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Orange drops, are they even worth it?

The .022 will give you less treble roll off and the .047 will give you more treble roll off resulting in a warmer, smoother tone. I'd start off with .022's all around and then switch to .047 for the bridge if you find the bridge pos. to be too bright. :burnout: