CE MFG Can Caps

[Bruciep07]

Anyone had any experience with CE MFG caps? Says they are made in the US on the old Mallory tooling. They have a 20x20x20 @ 525V and a 40x40x40 @ 525V, I was gonna do another express with Dana's VVR on the front panel, I originally was going to try to squeeze it in there with the normal cap stack but these would make it quite a bit easier...

[andrew_k]

Yes, I have one in my '78 vibrochamp. They're the only current production cap I could find that are a perfect fit for the existing hole. All sections measured correctly with my Fluke and it's been fine for about 3 years now.
Wouldn't hesitate to use them again.

[M Fowler]

They are good caps and make a large variety of twist lock caps for older amps.

[Firestorm]

I've used a lot of them in small Fenders, Supros, Guilds ... Solid product, but a little pricey. All the caps in the can share the same ground, so they have to be grounded in the same place: not always what you want to do.

[UR12]

Anyone had any experience with CE MFG caps? Says they are made in the US on the old Mallory tooling. They have a 20x20x20 @ 525V and a 40x40x40 @ 525V, I was gonna do another express with Dana's VVR on the front panel, I originally was going to try to squeeze it in there with the normal cap stack but these would make it quite a bit easier...

Those caps are great but like firestorm said, a little pricey. I use a dual 50 JJ cap from tubesandmore.com

CAPACITOR, ELECTROLYTIC, 50/50 µF @ 500 VDC, JJ ELECTRONIC

C-EC50-50-500

Same diameter as LCR. Great for use in Marshall amplifiers.
1-3/8" diameter. x 2" tall.

S-H122 is a good mounting clamp for this can.

RoHS Compliant

and a 40/20/20/20 JJ


CAPACITOR, ELECTROLYTIC, 40/20/20/20 µF @ 500 VDC, JJ ELECTRONIC

C-EC40-20X3-500

2" length x 1 5/8" diameter. Similar to LCR.


RoHS Compliant



You can get both for about the same price as one of the others (if not less) . Just remember to order the mounting clamps to go with them. I have built quite a few amps using these and never had any trouble. They work great.

Here is a couple of pics of an Expres I built with VVR and cap cans

[ampdan]

Excellent, high quality caps. Perfect, exact replacements for vintage Fenders. I've used probably a couple dozen with excellent results.

[Bruciep07]

Thanks for the replies guys, I know they are a bit pricey, that's why I wanted some opinions first before dropping $70 plus on caps.

Dana, I originally wanted to use the JJ's but was a little weary with all the fake cap nonsense lately. Figured something that was made here in the US had less of a chance of being faked. I think I'll try the JJ's first, if I'm not happy I'll try the CE's...

Thanks again...

[ampgeek]

FWIW, I have used CE's in four McIntosh MC-30 re-habs over the last year with absolutely no problems whatsoever. Those are GREAT sounding old tube amps BTW. The workmanship is a marvel to behold!

Cheers,
Dave O.

[David Root]

I have used them, they are pricey but good.

I'm thinking of using them in a 50W '70s ODS I am trying to cram into a BF Princeton reverb chassis to get some space below deck. Could do it with two cans I think.

[Cliff Schecht]

FWIW, I have used CE's in four McIntosh MC-30 re-habs over the last year with absolutely no problems whatsoever. Those are GREAT sounding old tube amps BTW. The workmanship is a marvel to behold!

Cheers,
Dave O.

I'm sure they sound good, it's one of the best hifi amplifiers ever made (at least in that price range)!

[M Fowler]

I use a lot of JJ caps as well and just order the 32/32uf and 50/50uf for an upcoming build the JJs are good too.

[FYL]

I use a lot of JJ caps as well and just order the 32/32uf and 50/50uf for an upcoming build the JJs are good too.

JJ TC and TE can caps are excellent, even if I'm not a big fan of multisection caps sharing a common ground (mo' noise) .

Axials from the ANH series are also excellent but I've seen a couple fail mechanically: external connections are thru short steel leads with the actual leads welded to them. This spot is quite weak, it suffers a lot on the road as well as on stage, potentially leading to failure.

No experience with their MNH snap-in caps.

(Edit: added missing ])

[David Root]

I have not had a problem with can caps noisewise so long as you don't mix the power tube cap grounds with the preamp cap grounds. Complexity of preamp is a qualifier.

The PI can be problematical with GNFB because the OT common should ground with or close to the PI cap ground in that case. Talking about galactic star grounding system here, and non-star systems including Fender, Dumble etc does not necessarily apply, especially Dumble who really knows this stuff cold.

However in general keep the high current cap grounds physically separated from the lower current cap grounds and don't cross a low current ground path with a high current path, simple common sense. If you do that you can use can caps OK IMHO.

[UR12]

I have not had a problem with can caps noisewise so long as you don't mix the power tube cap grounds with the preamp cap grounds. Complexity of preamp is a qualifier.

The PI can be problematical with GNFB because the OT common should ground with or close to the PI cap ground in that case. Talking about galactic star grounding system here, and non-star systems including Fender, Dumble etc does not necessarily apply, especially Dumble who really knows this stuff cold.

However in general keep the high current cap grounds physically separated from the lower current cap grounds and don't cross a low current ground path with a high current path, simple common sense. If you do that you can use can caps OK IMHO.

I also don't think they are any noisier than anything else if used right. I guess that is why all those Fender, Gibson, Silvertone, Marshall, etc, etc amps made over the last 1/2 century or so have always sucked.

[Bruciep07]

I went ahead and ordered the JJ's, got (5) 50+50's and (2) 40+20+20+20's, that should satisfy my JCM, Express w/VVR and Rocket w/ VVR... If I ever finish them
Thanks again for the suggestions...
Bruce