Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Does anyone know who the manufacturer was of the small 0.0047 turquoise capacitors used in the 60s like the one in the photo below? Furthermore, were those used throughout the 60s or did early 60s ricks have a different one?

A '58 360 capri is looking inside like this:

They were used from 62 or 63 until the late 60s (I have seen '69 harnesses without these).

That said - those little capacitors are the worst! I'm not sure what that capacitor aimed to accomplish, but the single biggest improvement anybody can make in the tone of a 60s era Rick is to cut one end of that capacitor off (or unsolder it). Doing this completely opens up the tonal spectrum, better bass and treble response etc.

I probably have a few of those sitting in my parts drawers.

If you do have one in your parts drawer, does it say anything on the side opposite of the one that says 4.7 nF 400v?

Marn99 wrote:If you do have one in your parts drawer, does it say anything on the side opposite of the one that says 4.7 nF 400v?

No, they're blank on the other side.

The big blue caps are made by AJAX but that doesn't necessarily mean the small turquoise one is too.

collin wrote:... those little capacitors are the worst! I'm not sure what that capacitor aimed to accomplish, but the single biggest improvement anybody can make in the tone of a 60s era Rick is to cut one end of that capacitor off (or unsolder it). Doing this completely opens up the tonal spectrum, better bass and treble response etc.

Wouldn't doing so just render the bridge pickup out of circuit, altogether?

If I am seeing the photo correctly, shunting it or replacing it with a piece of wire would be the way to do this, right?

Okay so I did some reading, and it appears that the identity of the original manufacturer of the little turquoise caps is a bit of a mystery. However, I also learned that RIC occasionally used radial blue molded Ajax caps, which are much more readily available. As for whether or not you want it in your guitar, isn't there a mod that involves putting a push/pull pot on the 5th knob where you can bring that .0047 cap in or out of the picture whenever you want it?

I have several of these NOS .0047 caps in stock. These were used in all 4001's till about 1985, and guitars up untill the early 70's.

I should clarify that the turquois caps were made by Seacor, and used up until around 1970. After that, RIC used yellow Cornell-Dubillier caps in the .0047uF value. I have NOS stock of both caps.

jps wrote: Wouldn't doing so just render the bridge pickup out of circuit, altogether?

If I am seeing the photo correctly, shunting it or replacing it with a piece of wire would be the way to do this, right?

Correct.

aceonbass wrote:I should clarify that the turquois caps were made by Seacor, and used up until around 1970. After that, RIC used yellow Cornell-Dubillier caps in the .0047uF value. I have NOS stock of both caps.

Well there we go! Not so much of a mystery anymore, thanks!