Filter Cap Replacement and A/B comparison (JCM 900 With Clips!!)

[riloot]

Hey guys, just today I got around to replacing the filter caps in the amp. the old LCRs were replaced with new F&T's.
I dont think I could tell a huge difference when playing the amp after swapping em, but side to side shootout you may or may not hear a difference. at the very least the hum has vanished.

here is an A/B I made...



a lot of people when I was shopping for caps said the F&Ts sounded grainy... i wonder how the ARS caps would compare... anyone have experiences with em?

Also sorry if this is not the right place to post this I am still figuring this whole forum thing out...

 

[hsb]

To me, listening only through my phone the F&Ts sound a touch darker than the LCRs.

 

[PentodeLicious]

I could not tell the difference in a blind test.
But when showing which is which it seems with the F&T the attack is faster and as a consquences it sound like there is a little less low end with the F&T.
Basically the same with all new electronic components.
They are simply better and more reliable.
But in the world of guitar, better components does not necessarily means better guitar sound.

 

[mickeydg5]

I only heard the volume go up a smidge at one point around the middle of the video lasting until the end of the video.
Now if you were comparing the two sets of HT capacitors one after the other, per chord progression, following the waving 1990 LCR and NEW F&T flags then I heard no difference.

 

[riloot]

I only heard the volume go up a smidge at one point around the middle of the video lasting until the end of the video.
Now if you were comparing the two sets of HT capacitors one after the other, per chord progression, following the waving 1990 LCR and NEW F&T flags then I heard no difference.

Yeah I switched the caps every 2 bars in the clip, and half way through the video I went to the B Channel with the master higher to see if the difference would be more apparent with the master up. I would say its very subtle but the older ones were ever so slightly more bassy. It could be that the capacitance of the old caps is lower due to aging and that caused the difference. I watched this video

where he compared filter cap values and it had a similar result. so maybe the brand doesnt matter at all...

 

[riloot]

I could not tell the difference in a blind test.
But when showing which is which it seems with the F&T the attack is faster and as a consquences it sound like there is a little less low end with the F&T.
Basically the same with all new electronic components.
They are simply better and more reliable.
But in the world of guitar, better components does not necessarily means better guitar sound.

yeah the F&Ts did seem a bit tighter maybe, as well as being a little less full. perhaps in 30 years they will sound like the LCR's...

 

[Gutch220]

at 0:22 you could hear the volume increase for both types and it is here you can tell a little difference in the 60-cycle hum a bit in the background

 

[PelliX]

It could be that the capacitance of the old caps is lower due to aging and that caused the difference.

That would be the interesting factor; an ESR and capacitance reading of the old vs new. If there's component drift, it could alter the amp's behavior a little.

Though, brand A vs brand B doesn't really make much sense. This is more a case of replacing a worn component with a new one, I'd say.

 

[ReWind James]

Capacitance readings of both would be extremely useful. Tolerance stacking across all the filters can be a big difference. Even without stacking, it can be more obvious in some stages than others.

fwiw - I thought the originals may have sounded a little fuller in the bottom but only by a hair and I'd accept it was in my head, if you disagree. Nothing I would care about live or recording, certainly.

 

[mickeydg5]

I am sure the environment, placement, connections, switching over and everything else involved while playing and recording each set can have nuances.
I listened again and the guitar sound is practically the same or not enough difference in all sets.

I agree with @ReWind James in that it would be nice to know capacitance test readings and all voltages affiliated when operating.

Eh, I would keep the LCR and save the F&T for another day.