This may be the wrong section to post this topic - but, I am interested in fine tuning a vintage tone on my guitar for studio use. The best sounding capacitors from the 50's for the tone potentiometers, were I am told, made from paper and oil.
I have an old mono tube audio amp from the 50's (5watt, but very loud). Could a tone capacitor from this unit be extracted and installed in my Strat to give me that pure clear tone?
Has anyone done this before?
I, personally, would not spoil a working amp by trying an experiment that may bring me absolutely nothing.
Before doing that, I'd go to a good electrical store and buy a selection of current manufacture capacitors and see what they do for the amp.
I started with nothing - and I've still got most of it left.
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I typed in "vintage capacitors" without the quotes in Yahoo Search and got many hits. Here is the 1st one.
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The trouble with those capacitors is that they deteriorate with age. First thing many experienced electronics restorers do when they get any equipment that has those caps in them is to pull them all out and replace them, because that saves a lot of trouble. The only worse ones are electrolytics, which have a very limited lifespan.
Personally, I would deeply discount anything else said by the proponents of the "golden tone" of the paper-and-oil capacitors from now on.
"A cheerful heart is good medicine."
I agree with not taking another amp apart for parts. There are plenty of shops you can get the ones you need to create any tone your looking for.
Joe
