Best place to get NOS resistors/caps/transistors etc?

[Saturnine10]

Just wondering where you folks get the cool old looking stuff.. I realize that there *probably* isnt much sound difference, but i really dig the older looking components etc.. What about those yellow tube shaped/wax caps?

Stuff like this:



Am I being dumb?

[Scruffie]

If your after the appearence, i'd suggest Malloray 150 series capacitors for the yellow looking type, just to save effort and get something good.

Old electrolytic Capacitors should not really be used as they will probably have dried up so finding an modern equivalent appearence is also suggested.

Old Carbon Comp style resistors will have no effects on Tone for effects pedals (amps is a different thing) and will just add noise, plus there drift in resistance due to age may affect the tone and bias of pedals.

Transistors, most people either find them in old shops, ebay, military, some internet suppliers still stock them, there are also some modern germaniums made in Russia and Japan etc.

[Saturnine10]

Yea, thats what i thought.

Thanks for the info kind sir

[metalmariachi]

What Scruffie said.
Carbon film resisters are more stable, have less noise than carbon comps, and don’t catch fire.
I like them in amps in place of the old comps.

Mallory 150s are very nice sounding caps so are modern Cornel Doublier.
Great sounding at less than a $1 opposed to NOS Black Cats etc for $15 or more each.

If you’re building an amp for Robin Ford or Eric Johnson, go NOS, but for a stomp box it’s a bit overkill. Although those wax paper tin foil, dipped in bees wax caps that are all nice and gooey might sound great in a vintage fuzz clone. They do catch fire so I wouldn’t put them in an amp and the value printed on them is just an approximation now, even the unused ones I’ve come across are no where near the original value.

But if you do happen to come across any Blue tubular, Paxtrons, Bumble Bee, Black Cats etc caps cheap grab them and let me know.

MM

[Scruffie]

But if you do happen to come across any Blue tubular, Paxtrons, Bumble Bee, Black Cats etc caps cheap grab them and let me know.

Yeah that's not to say if you come across some cheap old parts to not snap them up, just don't go out actively looking for them for sale, salvaging from old electronics can be an great way to get vintage components and recycle something otherwise useless to others, although they do come with the risk that they will be faulty and hence the electronic device was being thrown away or sold or however you come accross it, all part of the game.

But even NOS parts may be broken, and the problem with buying Germanium Transistors online unless it's somewhere like smallbearelec where they've been tested in an effects pedal and matched, you have no guarantee what you get will be anywhere near what you need ratings wise.

Mallory are nice though and are audio grade capacitors so makes good sense to use them if you want added mojo (personally I just use the parts to hand in the right value for effects, my ears clearly can't tell the difference enough, if it sounds good though...)

I don't think the paper and oils would set fire under 9V too easily.. i've never heard of it/ had that problem with my salvaged parts (only used to not waste them and cause I tested they hadn't drifted too much)

Carbon can have there benefits in an amp, here's an good article by the infamous (that still means famous) R.G Keen http://www.geofex.com/article_folders/c ... oncomp.htm