Which brand for coupling caps for DR?

[Rick1114]

I recently made some capacitor tweaks to my Fender DR Reissue. I was very happy with the results. I used Orange Drops 715's which a local shop had readily available. I have to go back in the amp to at some point to fix the PCB (lifted solder pad) and am thinking maybe replacing the coupling caps with Mallorys or Sozos. I'm really happy with the sound but I think I can take this amp one step further with "warmer" coupling caps.

What do ya'll think Mallorys or Sozo's?

I see most are happy with Mallorys but I'm not afraid to try something new if someong thinks there is a slight benefit. I don't mind paying a few extra dollars since a just a few caps we're talikng about.

Thanks,

Rick

[hasserl]

I don't think you'll hear much of a difference between them, but this is subjective I suppose and probably the best thing to do is buy some of both and try them yourself and see which YOU prefer, not what somebody else thinks is better.

[Bruce / Mission Amps]

I recently made some capacitor tweaks to my Fender DR Reissue. I was very happy with the results. I used Orange Drops 715's which a local shop had readily available. I have to go back in the amp to at some point to fix the PCB (lifted solder pad) and am thinking maybe replacing the coupling caps with Mallorys or Sozos. I'm really happy with the sound but I think I can take this amp one step further with "warmer" coupling caps.

What do ya'll think Mallorys or Sozo's?

I see most are happy with Mallorys but I'm not afraid to try something new if someong thinks there is a slight benefit. I don't mind paying a few extra dollars since a just a few caps we're talikng about.

Thanks,

Rick

Personally, I think the O'Drops are excellent but the actual amp is kinda bright/harsh to me in the first place... so, I would not have used them or any polypropylene caps.
I'd consider some polyester caps like the Mallory M150s, rebias the power tubes to around 10 watts each, some JJ ECC83s preamp tubes and use a warmer G12H30 type speaker.

[Rick1114]

I'll admit I'm just splitting hairs at this point. I'm already happy with the speaker, tubes and capcitor values I've put in the amp. I think if I can add just bit more warmth to the "soul" of the amp, without throwing anything else off, my obsessive, compulsive desire to mod my DRRI will be relinquished (or more likely be focused on some other gear).

The OD's do have a nice singing quality about them though, I wonder if I kept them and tried a new Transformer if I could get there that way. I know many people have said the MM transformer helped their DRRI...

Thanks,

Rick

[Enzo]

The trouble is that your new caps are not only orange Drops, they are also new values. I suspect the change in cap value made more difference on your tone than the brand of cap. Not saying anything against ODs, nor that side by side they might not sound better than ordinary caps. Just saying keep in focus just what you are hearing.

[Rick1114]

The trouble is that your new caps are not only orange Drops, they are also new values. I suspect the change in cap value made more difference on your tone than the brand of cap. Not saying anything against ODs, nor that side by side they might not sound better than ordinary caps. Just saying keep in focus just what you are hearing.

The new cap values aren't really the issue IMO, because the amp sounds better than it ever did right now! Bruces suggestion to change the PI Coupling caps made the biggest improvenment as well as a small slope resisitor change. The Amp origianally had a quite a bit of high end hash, and now the amp sounds like a very good amp to my ears and I love to play it.

Now I'd like to take things another step and just add a touch of warmth. Some boutique amps I've been listening to sound pretty similar to what I've accomplished with this amp, just warmer! I think I can take the amp a little further. I guess my my options would be trying a Sy3 rectifyier (softer tone than GZ34), new OT, or Mallory coupling caps as opposed to the OD's.

I guess I'm just trying to figure out what to try first!

Thanks,

Rick

[ajeffcote]

I just replaced all the transformers in my DRRI with Mercury Magnetics.Big difference in the tone.The reverb is much smoother and the amp sounds warmer,bigger and more spacious(airy?),and it sustains the notes better.I'm really pleased with the results.Also used all JJ's.I also clipped the bright cap,C10,and had to adjust the load resister value to set the bias with the new power tranny.I ended up gaining about 14V on the plates after the rebias.Now thinking about the caps,also.
I'm reading Gerald Webers latest book on tube amps.He says that the electrolytic caps that come stock in Fender amps now are junk.That replacing them with Sprague Atoms will make a big difference in the tone.Think I'm going to give it a try.
Aubrey

[scole]

i tried a drri in the store, it had a nice jazz tone but the overdrive sucked. i turned the amp all the way up and it had no balls what so ever. im glad to see that they can be fixed. dissapointed that fender would trash a classic design. they should be better today not worse.

[ajeffcote]

Fender is more worried about the bottom line than the quality of their products it seems.I think it is called "resting on ones laurels".I bought mine online thinking that I would get an amp like I had when I was a kid.I sure was wrong.

[Enzo]

We nowdays like the sound of old Fenders from the good old days, we like the way they break up and distort and stuff. I am not so sure this was what Leo had in mind back then. I am not so sure resting on the laurels is on the mark. After all back when Leo used the cheap 20% resistors instead of 5% or even 10%. He used smaller caps than he might have. I love the old amps, don't get me wrong, but when I look at them I see plenty examples of "good enough" where a few extra cents here and there would have made it a lot "better."

The amp in the old days were made to sell as many as possible and price made a difference. Making it first rate was not the main consideration then, nor is it now. Good enough is king.

[Enzo]

The new cap values aren't really the issue IMO, because the amp sounds better than it ever did right now!

I am sure it does. Just to be on the same page, what I meant was that when you upgraded, it was the new values rather than the new brand which made most of hte difference.

I wasn't suggesting anything needed to be changed.

[Rick1114]

I am sure it does. Just to be on the same page, what I meant was that when you upgraded, it was the new values rather than the new brand which made most of hte difference.

I wasn't suggesting anything needed to be changed.

I tinkered last night and realized the slope resisitor change I made to the tone stack took too much of that 'ol deluxe reverb bass out of the circut, especially after I lowered my PI cap .0022 (I had a silverface value .01 in there before). I may keep the original slope resisitor and just compensate by adjusting the mids. One thing I'm realizing is when you change one thing, how it affects everything else you might have changed in the circut.

[Bruce / Mission Amps]

I tinkered last night and realized the slope resisitor change I made to the tone stack took too much of that 'ol deluxe reverb bass out of the circut, especially after I lowered my PI cap .0022 (I had a silverface value .01 in there before). I may keep the original slope resisitor and just compensate by adjusting the mids. One thing I'm realizing is when you change one thing, how it affects everything else you might have changed in the circut.

BF vs SF Fender phase inverter circuitry.... I never use anything larger then .0047uF if the phase inverter grid load resistors are anything more then and including 470K to 1M. 2200pF is my choice about 90% of the time.
Also don't fall into the Marshall 33K-56K slope resistor crap.
Try not to use any slope resistor less then 75K.
A slope resistor value of 82K to 91K is a decent compromise if you feel like tweaking little.
I don't know if your Reissue DR has Chinese transformers or if they were made in Michigan... but I can tell you that it was built with a very low price point in mind and changing the OT to a high quality one probably will sound a little better as will using a different speaker... which in my mind, along with using some JJ ECC83s preamp tubes, is the biggest bang for the buck in tuning them up.

[Rick1114]

A slope resistor value of 82K to 91K is a decent compromise if you feel like tweaking little.

I had 90k in there - It reduces the treble (and the high end hash), but you lose all that mellow deluxe reverb low end too. I went back to the stock 100k for the vibrato channel.

don't know if your Reissue DR has Chinese transformers or if they were made in Michigan... but I can tell you that it was built with a very low price point in mind and changing the OT to a high quality one probably will sound a little better as will using a different speaker

I will probably change the OT at some point, do you have one you recommend?

as will using a different speaker

I have an Eminance Red, White & Blues, great speaker for my needs in this amp!

JJ ECC83s preamp tubes, is the biggest bang for the buck in tuning them up.

I bought this amp used it had JJ ECC83's in the preamp section. After I changed the PI cap & speaker, I like the Groove Tubes Chinese 12AX7's the best, a little more clarity and touch sensitivity.

Thanks for your help,

Rick

[ajeffcote]

After reading these posts I decided to try a few cap changes myself.For C7 I used a 390pf silver mica.I like that one.
R18,an 82K(actally tested at 84.5K),R21 a 10K carbon comp resistor.
Replaced C12 with an Orange Drop same value.
C27 + C28 .047 Orange Drops.Left C10 empty.
I was going to replace the tone stack caps,C8 + C9 but there is not much room there for the OD caps that I have.Also have some Kimber caps that I use for the tone controls in my guitars,but again ,not enough room.
So I guess I need to change C25 according to what I have read so far.Didn't have the right value to put in there.
What is suggested for the tone stack?
I like the changes that I hear so far,although some of the bass did disappear.Is that from the slope resistor change?I am new at this,so this is all experimentation and advice is always welcome.Thanks,Aubrey