Vitamin Q 0.022

[Myaccount876]

Re: Vitamin Q 0.022

NOS is different. I had a 1966 ceramic disc cap from a Strat that worked just fine. It's the cheap new ones that suck.

I've actually been able to crumble a few Radioshack ceramic capacitors with just my fingers. Those capacitors really do suck, and they have the audacity to charge you $3 for a mere two POS capacitors that aren't worth more than a few cents.

 

[jon the art guy]

Re: Vitamin Q 0.022

Smallbear, Mammoth, GuitarPCB...even Tayda.
If you're going to do electronic work on your guitar/amp/pedal, just suck it up and order from a trusted online site and wait for shipping. Radio Shack has been trying to separate themselves from their nerd past of being useful and helpful for the hobbyist community. Arduino boards aside, I haven't found a reason to walk in one anymore.

 

[Myaccount876]

Re: Vitamin Q 0.022

Smallbear, Mammoth, GuitarPCB...even Tayda.
If you're going to do electronic work on your guitar/amp/pedal, just suck it up and order from a trusted online site and wait for shipping. Radio Shack has been trying to separate themselves from their nerd past of being useful and helpful for the hobbyist community. Arduino boards aside, I haven't found a reason to walk in one anymore.

Or find an electronic component store. The one I'm getting a job at is awesome.

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: Vitamin Q 0.022

I've actually been able to crumble a few Radioshack ceramic capacitors with just my fingers. Those capacitors really do suck, and they have the audacity to charge you $3 for a mere two POS capacitors that aren't worth more than a few cents.

OK. So suck is an equal opportunity vender. All the more reason - for me - to just stay away from ceramics. Not because of any sonic reasons, but because of quality issues.

 

[Agileguy_101]

Re: Vitamin Q 0.022

Smallbear, Mammoth, GuitarPCB...even Tayda.
If you're going to do electronic work on your guitar/amp/pedal, just suck it up and order from a trusted online site and wait for shipping. Radio Shack has been trying to separate themselves from their nerd past of being useful and helpful for the hobbyist community. Arduino boards aside, I haven't found a reason to walk in one anymore.

They have Fulltone Supa Trem knobs for a couple bucks a pair.

That's about it.

 

[Big Flannel]

Re: Vitamin Q 0.022

As a former Radioshack store manager, I can confirm that the company doesn't give a damn about DIY'ers.

I got written up by my DM for ordering a bunch of parts and expanding my project section. Th customers loved it. Corporate? Not so much.

 

[jon the art guy]

Re: Vitamin Q 0.022

(Shiver) ugh the death of can-do attitude for corporate whoresmanship.

 

[dr. ad]

Re: Vitamin Q 0.022

Drex, read Crusty's build thread, then read some of his amp threads, then consider that he's most likely been doing this longer than you've been alive, and then have a think about trying to tell him about "completeness and authenticity".

 

[Ayrton]

Re: Vitamin Q 0.022

As a former Radioshack store manager, I can confirm that the company doesn't give a damn about DIY'ers.

I got written up by my DM for ordering a bunch of parts and expanding my project section. Th customers loved it. Corporate? Not so much.

...and another example of why Radio Shack will be gone soon.

 

[jon the art guy]

Re: Vitamin Q 0.022

Drex, read Crusty's build thread, then read some of his amp threads, then consider that he's most likely been doing this longer than you've been alive, and then have a think about trying to tell him about "completeness and authenticity".

From previous threads DreX has said that life experience doesn't matter. Its anecdotal and beneath his contempt. No, I'm not quoting. That would mean unignoring him.
He's bulletproof around here, so no sense barking up that tree and getting an infraction.

 

[Big Flannel]

Re: Vitamin Q 0.022

Yep, Unfortunately he's well on his way to an endorsement deal while the rest of us are still living in mediocrity, left to toil forever in darkness, chasing after our ignorant ideas of tone.

 

[DreX]

Re: Vitamin Q 0.022

Drex, read Crusty's build thread, then read some of his amp threads, then consider that he's most likely been doing this longer than you've been alive, and then have a think about trying to tell him about "completeness and authenticity".

I mean no disrespect to Crusty, or anyone else for that matter, and I regret if my choice of words comes out as such.

If all it took to settle the debate over whether the dielectric of a cap makes an audible difference in passive guitar wiring was experience building amps, the debate would have been over years ago. But still to this day, people post things like the OP of this thread posted, promising that there is a difference:

I'm not so sure anymore, sure i think it's fair to say that the change in materials used will effect the tone! I have a polyester film cap sprague 0.22 a ceramic disk cap (RadioShack) 0.022 and a Russian NOS PIO 0.022 and a Vitamin Q nos pio and I can almost promise you everyone here will pick the Vitamin Q

We're all working with guesses and opinions over something which is ultimately, objectively true or false, not something which is a matter of personal preference.

Until we see specifics and details as to how one dielectric results in different tone than another in a passive guitar circuit, spending more than the cheapest amount possible on a cap of a given value is, to some degree, a small gamble.

 

[Big Flannel]

Re: Vitamin Q 0.022

Ok.

 

[jimijames]

Re: Vitamin Q 0.022

The news about radio shack saddens me... I rummage around through the parts bins when I can but they don't have a lot. Last thing I still use that I got from them is a big box of resistors that are all pretty good tolerance... Says like 10 or 20% on the package but all the ones I've used measure within 5. Could also be that my multimeter is garbage though lol.

 

[Edgecrusher]

Re: Vitamin Q 0.022

We're all working with guesses and opinions over something which is ultimately, objectively true or false, not something which is a matter of personal preference.

Until we see specifics and details as to how one dielectric results in different tone than another in a passive guitar circuit, spending more than the cheapest amount possible on a cap of a given value is, to some degree, a small gamble.

Crusty understands this and he doesnt care. Its his choice for his own self. He isnt trying to settle the debate hes just saying how HE approaches the matter. Capisci?

 

[DreX]

Re: Vitamin Q 0.022

Crusty understands this and he doesnt care. Its his choice for his own self. He isnt trying to settle the debate hes just saying how HE approaches the matter. Capisci?

Crusty can respond for himself.

People seem to be a little over-sensitive/over-passionate about this, and a lot of other things. I haven't insulted anyone's mother, I haven't disparaged anyone behind their backs, but these things have been done to me in turn... a lot. There is no question that these are all huge overreactions.

 

[Edgecrusher]

Re: Vitamin Q 0.022

Crusty can respond for himself.

People seem to be a little over-sensitive/over-passionate about this, and a lot of other things. I haven't insulted anyone's mother, I haven't disparaged anyone behind their backs, but these things have been done to me in turn... a lot. There is no question that these are all huge overreactions.

He did respond for himself its written in his original post but it seemed to go over your head so i was trying to shed a little light on it for you. You have no room to talk at all about over reactions.

 

[DreX]

Re: Vitamin Q 0.022

He did respond for himself its written in his original post but it seemed to go over your head so i was trying to shed a little light on it for you.

Of course, you have nothing but the most benevolent of intentions.

You have no room to talk at all about over reactions.

Like I said, I'm not insulting anyone's mom's, or misquoting them to make them look bad, so I have that going for me.

 

[DreX]

Re: Vitamin Q 0.022

The gist of Crusty's post is very easy to understand: he's certain that spending money on Sprague Vitamin Q caps caps is not a waste of money, but he also admits to not being certain that he can hear a difference, which is to say, certain of an uncertainty. When you invest any amount of money in an uncertain outcome, you're taking a risk, a gamble. It doesn't matter if we're talking about a $4 cap or a $60,000 Dumble amp, it just means you like to play the penny slots rather than bet the farm.

This isn't just about caps, this is about snake oil in the guitar world in general. Nice caps are just one thing in a long list of premium priced guitar related products and components with dubious, or overstated value.

 

[Edgecrusher]

Re: Vitamin Q 0.022

or misquoting them to make them look bad

I'm gonna vehemently disagree with you here champ, You've done this to me and many others many many times. I dont see anyone insulting your mom in this thread so no idea why you keep bringing it up.