Sprague 'Orange Drop' Capacitor
$9.00
Sprague (Cornell Dubilier) 'Orange Drop' tone capacitor for guitar and bass circuits.
These are a great upgrade over standard caps found in many guitars. Sprague-made capacitors are known for having great tone and have a long history in proven reliability. They are made from polypropylene and aluminium foil and coated in the signature orange flame-retardant epoxy.
The History of the Orange Drop Cap:
The mid-20th Century was an incredibly time for innovation, particularly in the way of electronic components! The transistor was invented in 1947, and in the coming decades, capacitors were getting a bit of a makeover and getting made using more modern and durable materials. Then in the 1960s, Sprague Electric first developed the 'Orange Drop' capacitor, which was quickly adopted by many industries due to its durability and high-quality performance.
1960s: The 'Orange Drop' capacitor was developed by Sprague Electric.
1992: Vishay, a leading manufacturer of components used in electronics for industrial and military/space application, acquires 'Orange Drops' from Sprague. SBE Inc takes over production of Orange Drops as Vishay/Sprague.
2012-present: Cornell Dubilier Capacitor (CDE) acquires 'Orange Drops' from SBE and all current Orange Drops are made by Cornell Dubilier (however we still often refer to them as 'Sprague Orange Drops').
Which capacitor should I choose?
As for capacitance, the higher the value, the more high-frequencies get rolled off. As a rule of thumb, we usually recommend .047uf in single coil guitars like Fenders, and .022uf for Gibsons and other humbucking guitars, but feel free to experiment!
