Orange Drop Capacitors

[lgehrig4]

Hi!

I'm about to order the orange drops for my build and none of these are still available at Mouser. I was wondering if you could take a look at the screenshot and let me know what the best replacement would be? Or perhaps none of these? Disregard the value, I'm just referring to the type.

Orange Drop PS Series, 0.001 µF @ 600 V Bass cap 6PSS10-100K600V
Orange Drop PS Series, 0.005 µF @ 600 V OD2 plate coupler 6PSD50-502K600V
Orange Drop PS Series, 0.01 µF @ 600 V Mid tone circuit, OD1 plate coupler 6PSS10-103K600V
Orange Drop PS Series, 0.02 µF @ 600 V PI 6PSS20-203K600V
Orange Drop PS Series, 0.05 µF @ 600 V V1b Coupling, V1b plate to OD relay + ground lift 6PSS50-503K600V
Orange Drop PS Series, 0.1 µF @ 600 V Mid, PI & PI out & NFB 6PSP10-104K600V

[GAStan]

I get my 6PS from AES

https://www.tubesandmore.com/products/c ... -polyester

[martin manning]

Can someone move this thread to the discussion section? Thx.

**Mod Edit: Moved. Thank you**

[Stevem]

Yup, hit up tubes and more for these and don't go buying 600 volt caps for where you don't need then , like preamp tube plates other then the PI output coupling caps.

It's good to have the high AC rating of a 600 volt cap there.

[Raja_Kentut]

just use any polypropylene capacitor with sufficient voltage rating. It will work and sound good.
… unless you can hear the grass grow or you value the pretty appearance of the orange drops.

[WhopperPlate]

just use any polypropylene capacitor with sufficient voltage rating. It will work and sound good.
… unless you can hear the grass grow or you value the pretty appearance of the orange drops.

Not sure I can hear the grass grow… but I can definitely hear the difference between a polypropylene and a polyester type cap…so can my non musician wife…and any player that I have demonstrated a comparison with…and it’s usually a hard yes or no for one or the other …

Alligator clips. F around and find out

[Raja_Kentut]

some people hear differences some not. That depends on the listener...
As you wrote, "its a hard yes or no for one or the other". But that does not mean good or bad over all.
To finish the build lgehrig4 can use any suuitable capacitor and it will sound fine.
When the types he really like to use are available again he can change. And the best thing : Then he can decide what is best for his ears.

[bepone]

it is easy to spoil sound quality with wrong capacitor.. in the other direction..also it is very hard to pick capacitors for top of the top quality sound

[WhopperPlate]

some people hear differences some not. That depends on the listener...
As you wrote, "its a hard yes or no for one or the other". But that does not mean good or bad over all.
To finish the build lgehrig4 can use any suuitable capacitor and it will sound fine.
When the types he really like to use are available again he can change. And the best thing : Then he can decide what is best for his ears.

Absolutely, not better or worse , but different . They don’t always pick polyester. Different strokes for different folks.

[JD0x0]

Yup, hit up tubes and more for these and don't go buying 600 volt caps for where you don't need then , like preamp tube plates other then the PI output coupling caps.

It's good to have the high AC rating of a 600 volt cap there.

I'd go 600/630 all around unless the plates run particularly low. We also have to account for higher voltages when the tubes aren't drawing current on power up. I've seen enough 400VDC OD's fail in Mesas that I'd not use them even in preamp stages. The PI couplers are most famous for failing in those amps, but I've been dealing with a lot of 400VDC preamp coupling caps failing in old Boogies, as well. 30+VDC on the volume control. Personally, I'd just 'overbuild' it with the higher rated caps unless space was a severe issue, in which case I'd use 630VDC rated panasonics, which have a much smaller footprint than OD's.

[JD0x0]

some people hear differences some not. That depends on the listener...
As you wrote, "its a hard yes or no for one or the other". But that does not mean good or bad over all.
To finish the build lgehrig4 can use any suuitable capacitor and it will sound fine.
When the types he really like to use are available again he can change. And the best thing : Then he can decide what is best for his ears.

Absolutely, not better or worse , but different . They don’t always pick polyester. Different strokes for different folks.

There's also no hard rule you have to use the same composition throughout the amp. For example, you could use Polyester in the preamp or purely in the OD channel, for a bit more 'Treble smear' and Polypropylenes for the power section, for a clear, 'transparent' response in the output stages.

[WhopperPlate]

some people hear differences some not. That depends on the listener...
As you wrote, "its a hard yes or no for one or the other". But that does not mean good or bad over all.
To finish the build lgehrig4 can use any suuitable capacitor and it will sound fine.
When the types he really like to use are available again he can change. And the best thing : Then he can decide what is best for his ears.

Absolutely, not better or worse , but different . They don’t always pick polyester. Different strokes for different folks.

There's also no hard rule you have to use the same composition throughout the amp. For example, you could use Polyester in the preamp or purely in the OD channel, for a bit more 'Treble smear' and Polypropylenes for the power section, for a clear, 'transparent' response in the output stages.

Agreed. I rarely remain consistent with brand and composition within an amplifier . I like a poly in the presence circuit. I like 716p for PI , it is crystal clear and musical , if you can take the front end . Carbon film throughout the LTPI works well , but this also brand dependent . Similar to your example, I find Koa Speer CF in the output a bit to pingy and bright , and I often reserve them for early in the circuit to allow some more upper harmonic content , and then coloring them with some more thuddy and smooth parts down the line .

[WhopperPlate]

Yup, hit up tubes and more for these and don't go buying 600 volt caps for where you don't need then , like preamp tube plates other then the PI output coupling caps.

It's good to have the high AC rating of a 600 volt cap there.

I'd go 600/630 all around unless the plates run particularly low. We also have to account for higher voltages when the tubes aren't drawing current on power up. I've seen enough 400VDC OD's fail in Mesas that I'd not use them even in preamp stages. The PI couplers are most famous for failing in those amps, but I've been dealing with a lot of 400VDC preamp coupling caps failing in old Boogies, as well. 30+VDC on the volume control. Personally, I'd just 'overbuild' it with the higher rated caps unless space was a severe issue, in which case I'd use 630VDC rated panasonics, which have a much smaller footprint than OD's.

+100

Those 400v caps have a different tone as well; ime I felt they were midrange dominant , not as broadband. If you like it then consideration of the above is a good call.