Sky Blue Lou
Well-known member
Good info OMG. Thanx.
TalismanRich
Well-known member
The power of suggestion is very strong. A certain guitar company knew this when they encased a standard polypropylene cap in a black body and put some bumblebee stripes on it, then proceeded to sell it for $$$$$! It must sound better, it was only 200x more expensive!
I also remember people complaining because the originals were rated 600v and the reproductions were merely 400v. Surely 600 gives you more headroom that 400, right? Considering that the tone circuit in a guitar is dealing with a fraction of a volt, it seems a bit like overkill, doesn't it?
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Old Music Guy
Well-known member
That spec is for "working voltage". i.e. not to exceed. If you've never seen an electrolytic capacitor blow up, you are definitely missing out on one of life's little pleasures.
It's a prank that every rookie tech goes through.
Track Rat
Just Your Average Sized Member
I did it again. I had one just like this 20 years agao and gave it to a friend who was having a bad time in his life. For some reason bells went off when I saw it. More sentimental than sexy. And it IS a fucking Dandy.
60's guy
Well-known member
An electrical engineer I worked with years ago rigged a cap in one of my desk drawers to blow up when I opened the drawer. Nearly shat myself when it blew.
Old Music Guy
Well-known member
I bought this guy, sight unseen.
Put on La Bella flats, set it up. It's a dream.
Put on La Bella flats, set it up. It's a dream.
Old Music Guy
Well-known member
We pranked a kid one day. "Henri". Nice kid, but full of himself. White lab coat, white shirt and tie, knew everything, blah, blah.
I had a 8X8 cubical, We took a 2200uF electrolytic, and rigged it to a 12V supply. BACKWARDS.
"Hey! Henri! Got a minute?
He came in, (poor guy) and turned on the power supply. Henri was sitting there in his white lab coat, my buddy Dave was standing next to me with our backs to the cube. Both of us were looking at the current meter on the supply, pegged @ 5 amps. Henri was checking out this unit, (that we had rigged not to work).
Dave and I were watching the cap get bigger, and bigger and BIGGER. We were like, "this thing should have blown 3 minutes ago! "We gotta get outta here!" BIGGER AND BIGGER AND BIGGER ! BAM! It sounded like a bomb went off. There was smoke, paper, aluminum shards 100 feet away! OMG. And the smell? God awful.
First thing Henri said, "It wasn't my fault!". Dave and I damn near sh*t ourselves and couldn't get out of that cubicle fast enough. .
I WILL have to explain that to my maker on Judgment day. There will be a laugh, but I WILL go to Hell
60's guy
Well-known member
I hate electricity and electricians.
TalismanRich
Well-known member
Been there.... done that! They do make a nice "pop".
Slouching Raymond
Well-known member
Guilty. They don't half make a bang.
As a young technician I stayed for 6 months in an employees hostel, when I worked in the scientific civil service.
The window of my shared bedroom was directly above that of the foreign mature lady cook.
So I dangled a... Well, you can guess the rest.
I'll just point out that I could never condone any immature behaviour.
FrankD77
Member
Almost all my guitars are bought because I love how they look. And I often use them in photoshoots 
so always a good excuse.
so always a good excuse.