Have you seen this: New Sozo silver mica cap

[rooster]

I ordered a few of these, they are not cheap at $7 @ but the hype is something that calls my name. I'll test them in my Keefer Twin, the Rocket/AC30TB, and the Express. They are available in two values: 250pf and 500pf.

https://www.sozocapacitors.com/sozo-mic ... apacitors/

[Colossal]

I'll look forward to your report Rooster. I kind of wish they had a few more values, but maybe they will offer them in the future.

[mojotom]

Looking forward to your feedback too, I've seen them but refrain myself to buy some considering the price.

They look like Charcroft silver mica with another color coating :

http://www.charcroft.com/charcroft_manu ... capacitor/

[M Fowler]

The Sozo mica's are larger then what I expected very nice but haven't used them yet but will be in two different Marshall circuits.

Mark

[rooster]

I installed two of the 500PF caps, one in my AC30TB/Rocket, and the other in one of my Keefer Twins. $7 may seem like a lot but this is a pretty sweet change, I highly recommend these caps. What they do sonically is pretty much what the description of the part from the manufacturer describes. There is still clarity but there's an edginess that is gone, something they refer to as 'ringing'. I'm on the hook for 5 more and then I've got things covered. They are big, as Mark confirms, but I can't argue with the results.

Oh, as to those blue colored caps that were linked, ha, I don't think so.

[RockinRocket]

I said it over on the metro forum but these look deceptive IMO. Lots of marketing and nothing to back it up.

First, these are much larger than original flat Lemco caps. Is it just the coating? The old ones had a (ceramic?) coating on them I believe.
Second, these are 1000v rated while originals were 500v typically for vintage Marshalls.
Third, the leads are way to big and they wernt originally round, flat rather.

So yep im sckeptial just as Sozo Mustards were all that great to jusify a 5x the cost.
My .02 of course

Rooster you care to open one up?
I have one of the elusive 560p flat RS mica as seen in the 65-69 plexis with the top ceramic portion pealed off for a comparison if your interested.

[geetarpicker]

I'll have to try these in my two Express clones! If they smooth the high end just a bit, these amps will be dead on. That said, I like their caps in general and have some in my '68 Marshall Superbass 100 that had been modded to lead spec before I got it.

[rooster]

I'm not prepared to open one up, sorry. However I don't think the epoxy coating is exaggerated. Yes, they are 1000VDC but here's a thought, maybe the material and the manufacturing process is not Vishay or Cornell Dubler production capable? Maybe the voltage rating just reflects the old school materials, old school production process, and the 1000VDC rating just came with the territory?

You need to try one I think. When all is said and done, you spend $12 for a tube that sounds like crap or fails within a year. Why not spend $7 for something that might improve your tone and will certainly last a lifetime? A no brainer for me.

Also someone at the Marshall forum was commenting on the lack of information on the part. Sozo posted this there. (see attachment)

[Mark]

The silver mica caps that I've seen in real Trainwreck amps look like the silver mica caps that are currently available.

Let me know how other users get on.

[RockinRocket]

Ok Ill buy one, open it up and do a comparison.

Like Mark said these wouldn't be Wreck type Micas.
Thought these were for the Marshall Plexi era amps.

[Mark]

The silver mica caps on old Marshall's are huge. I'm not sure of the brand name, I thought Lemco was mentioned. I do have some similar caps with RS stamped on them.

I do know that the silver mica caps used in Vox amps sound the same as the current crop of silver mica caps, I did the taste test years ago.

I believe the styro coupling caps sound different though, I heard this from a friend who built two AC-30's one with the original styro caps and the other with Sozo caps, the friend preferred the Sozo caps.

[rooster]

RockinRocket I would be curious to see and hear your report on this. However I have to point out that the real test is the sound, right? To me, if a component looked 'wrong' but sounded 'right' I wouldn't have a problem using it. It's all about the sound in the end.

Also note, I have two Keefer Twins (Fender 5F8-A) that I built and the schematic calls for a 250pf treble cap. I put 500pf silver mica caps here, a value that mimics the Marshall Plexi, based on the sound and my tastes rather than the 250pf. So, having received the Sozo caps, 250pf and 500pf, I put a 250pf in one and a 500pf in the other. I was thinking that this would be a short lived experiment with the 250pf but this was not the case. The 250pf Sozo left me with a completely different experience than the silver mica I had originally tried when I first built the amps. Because the top end is so much better, I have come to consider that the original circuit design was quite good after all. It's a different amp. I'm an advocate for these caps at this point. Like someone else said, I also wish they came in different values, notable 50pf and 100pf.

[Colossal]

Also note, I have two Keefer Twins (Fender 5F8-A) that I built and the schematic calls for a 250pf treble cap. I put 500pf silver mica caps here, a value that mimics the Marshall Plexi, based on the sound and my tastes rather than the 250pf. So, having received the Sozo caps, 250pf and 500pf, I put a 250pf in one and a 500pf in the other. I was thinking that this would be a short lived experiment with the 250pf but this was not the case. The 250pf Sozo left me with a completely different experience than the silver mica I had originally tried when I first built the amps. Because the top end is so much better, I have come to consider that the original circuit design was quite good after all. It's a different amp. I'm an advocate for these caps at this point. Like someone else said, I also wish they came in different values, notable 50pf and 100pf.

Rooster, thanks for following up to all this with your discussion and comments. Very helpful.

Best,
Dave

[rooster]

I had one last 250pf Sozo to try so I chose a Fender SR that I built years ago with the 250pf in it's tone stack. I've been playing it for the past 2 hours at a pretty good volume (12 o'clock) and it was hard to stop. This is what an amp is supposed to do, excite the player. Again I will say that the Sozo cap has quickly and easily changed this amp for the better.

And let me add that this is coming from a guy that spent weeks (maybe months?) sourcing a vintage 250K Fender Treble pot because I think that this particular pot (with a quality solid carbon trace/path) and where it sits at the top of the tone stack is crucial to the circuit. It's just a fact that your guitar tone is going through this 250pf cap and this pot - the two are unavoidable. Too, I will also replace the 500pf cap to the reverb circuit because at this point I think it will impact the reverb tone as well.

.....OK, somebody else needs to chime in here with their experience at this point because I am officially a broken record.

[Mark]

I think the taper of the Fender treble pots is important. I like the treble pot to have a 30% taper, in fact I used such a pot on my Rocket build as I like the rate of change with the 30% taper and how it interacts with the 10% taper bass pot.