The "Good" Kind of Capacitor

[Beebe]

I'm coming at this a little bit differently and side stepping the tone debate. I'm looking for the most ethical capacitor.

Dose anyone know of a manufacturer producing all natural capacitors? A piece of mica between two pieces of metal dipped in shellac, or paper in vegetable oil ... or something like that.

It seems like most of the ceramic manufacturers leave a pretty large environmental and probably human suffering footprint. AVX is kinda local being from South Carolina, but has been found guilty of pollution. Kemet was bought out by a Taiwanese company. Nothing against Taiwan (just against the distance). I kinda like TDK because of their history with tape and German production (where ethical standards are currently higher)... But I'm thinking that if I want to do the most good with my money I might want to support small local manufacturers. This is pointing me to something like Emerson paper in oil caps. Though I imagine the oil is probably a petroleum byproduct, and I don't know how they source them.

Any advice? Maybe some nut on Etsy making guitar caps out of wood from the yard and found soda cans??

[kdanie]

Interesting way to look at caps, I don't have any input but I think you're on a better track than the "tone freaks".

ken

[Nudger]

Potato!!

Its been proven that a potato can be used as a battery..
Maybe a Spud Cap!
Mite be bit clumbersome tho..
Prob need another hard case for gigs..

[DrQuasar]

I bought a Vitamin T paper in oil cap from mojotone. Not sure where they got them exactly but I see now they are sourcing them from a handmade dealer called Luxe. https://www.mojotone.com/support/knowle ... -Capacitor

Not everybody wants to pay $10 plus shipping for a capacitor, but I wanted to go all out on the electronics for a particular build. Best tone cap I've ever experienced in that it actually works for usable sounds instead of just being clear vs. muddy. Every other guitar I've played had cheap ceramic caps.

[Beebe]

Potato!!

Done!

[AcrylicSuperman]

I think this goal is admirable, but I'm not sure that what you are searching for exists. It might come down to choosing whichever is the lesser of evils to you and just going with it.

[Beebe]

sourcing them from a handmade dealer called Luxe.

"Luxe" Capacitor. Nice!

Looks like the same ones Emerson sells. I'll definitely be looking into them. And I've been really happy with the Mojotone pickups and cabinet I have. And being in NC, they around the corner from me here in Atlanta.

[jvin248]

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Guitar voltages are so low that you can make your own. Aluminum foil and waxed paper strips layered and rolled up.

This video will show the basics. Then tweak from there. You want to target between 0.022uf and 0.068uF, good to have a meter that can measure capacitance (most common multimeters do not).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GveI9gXIsHw

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[Beebe]

.

Guitar voltages are so low that you can make your own. Aluminum foil and waxed paper strips layered and rolled up.

This video will show the basics. Then tweak from there. You want to target between 0.022uf and 0.068uF, good to have a meter that can measure capacitance (most common multimeters do not).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GveI9gXIsHw

.

The part in the video where he pushed on the foil and watched the cap value change made me wonder if having a cap that changes value with pressure could result in an interesting effect. One where electrical resonances or cut off frequencies modulate in response to vibrations as the wood and air resonates.