Metropoulos Forum

Anyone replace the BF Bassman board Chocolate Drop caps with Sozos instead of Orange Drops?

I re-did my 66 and 67 Bassman heads with the Orange Drops; but, I see on the Marshall forums that they all try to use NOS (Mustard caps) or the Sozos.

Anyone use these? See any differences? I'm thinking about replacing one of my Bassman board caps with the Sozos if these's a benefit.

Thanks,
Hazy

Personally I use Sozos in Fender builds at this point. I would take care of the farty low end in Fenders by changing a few specific values which smooth it out nicely but not by using caps that are supposed to emphasize trebles.

I had my '68 Bassman wired as an AA864 circuit with SoZo's for a while, it was very nice, smooth and warm. I'm also using them as much as possible in the McIntyre Bluesmaker circuit that the '68 is getting.
Orange Drops are OK in Fenders, but still a little to "hi-fi" in the high end for my tastes. Definitely a no-no for Marshall builds.

Guys, what about the Mallory non-polar caps vs. OD vs. Sozo? Right now I'm just talking about my Bassman heads.

Thanks,
Hazy

Mallory is what most people used before Sozos. Since the mustard cap thing was mostly big in Marshall circles, and Sozos are big on the mustard repro marketing, the Tweed Fender crowd hasnt really caught on yet or tryed them out let alone the AB and AA Fender crown. They still seem to prefer Mallorys though many do use ODs. Theres many more types of films out there. ODs are the traditionaly hi-fi and audiophile caps. Other then Musicaps and Hovlands that is but they cost 10% as much as those caps. They all seem to improve most frequencies compared with other cheap caps but the ODs seem to be a little more present in the high end.

BB,

Would you recommend the Mallory's over the ODs? This would be for my Bassman...it's currently populated with ODs from far left to far right.

I just got my Marshall and this forum has been an education.

Thanks,
Hazy

I'd go with the Mallories over the Orange Drops for an amp, Fender or otherwise.
In a guitar on the other hand, I find the Mallories a little dark and the extended high end of the Drops more suitable.
I just got some Auricaps to try in my Gibsons, I'm anxious to hear them.

I have a 68 bandmaster with the blackface circuit. I disconnected the vibrato on that channel and replaced the molded caps in the tone stack w/.022 sozo's. I also changed the coupling cap on the vibrato channel to a .022 sozo to take a little low end out. They sound just as good as the blue caps. i haven't heard em in a bassman but I love in my bandmaster.

daniel wrote:I have a 68 bandmaster with the blackface circuit. I disconnected the vibrato on that channel and replaced the molded caps in the tone stack w/.022 sozo's. I also changed the coupling cap on the vibrato channel to a .022 sozo to take a little low end out. They sound just as good as the blue caps. i haven't heard em in a bassman but I love in my bandmaster.

Thanks, guys. Hey, I still have the molded blue caps...maybe, I should put them back in? See, I thought the ODs were an upgrade when I got into the Bassman amps. Obviously, they aren't.

Re-install blue caps?

If you've still got the molded blue caps, USE THEM. They're classics, I sent some to Derrick at PP cause he was having trouble finding some for his BF Twin Reverb.
But no one seems to want the original "brown turd" caps outta my '68, I can't give them away......

Between my two Bassman amps, I have 6 molded blue caps: 2 each @ .1, .047 and .022. I might put them all in one amp (except 1 .047).

Thanks for the tip. I did save EVERYTHING that I removed.

Tony Bruno and Mitch Colby use them in all their tweed circuits. Mitch has SoZo's in his 59 Bassman that was built for his personal use.

Tony Bruno and Mitch Colby use them in all their tweed circuits. Mitch has SoZo's in his 59 Bassman that was built for his personal use.


SoZo

I ordered SoZos this morning so that I can re-do my MKII and my '66 Bassman head. I'll leave my other Bassman (67) as is and see if I can tell a difference.