Comments on: Death Cap? That sounds delicious!

By: Dilapidus

Dilapidus — Sat, 02 May 2009 06:38:50 +0000

@cobbo

In place of the death cap? That is correct. When it shorts, that cap causes a straight line from high voltage to you to ground.

Build a little IEC + 2 prong socket box and run a heavy gauge wire from the earth ground (middle) post on the IEC to the PT ground lug. Solder that wire in and you are good to go. At least you are safe. If it’s mint, save everything and keep the cap leads as long as you can when you clip them, in case you have to put it back.

Of course, if it’s mint.. you’ll be replacing power supply caps very soon.

By: cobbo

cobbo — Fri, 01 May 2009 21:32:59 +0000

i just purchased a mint epiphone ea 50 do you just remove the cap and add the 3prong thats it? nothing in its place?

By: Dilapidus

Dilapidus — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 04:22:21 +0000

Well.. they are usually pretty good sized. You don’t need a 400 or 600v cap in a guitar. I don’t know about the .022s you are seeing but mine was nearly the size of an M80.

By: Last

Last — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 23:27:34 +0000

Any reason that this “Death CAP” could not be used in a guitar? Is this not the same as the .022 PIO CAPS you see on eBay all the time? The Black Beauties?

By: Dilapidus

Dilapidus — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 15:02:51 +0000

Outstanding. I actually ended up having to dress a few connections after removing the death cap.

While it is true that you can reuse that cap, it’s a 40 year old cap and they have a definite expected lifetime. Back then, they overbuilt, but still.. that thing will go.

By: Ignacio Langarica

Ignacio Langarica — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 20:32:49 +0000

By the way, if you have a capacitor tester, you can check and save the “black beauty” death cap and use it for replacements in other amps.

The 0.02 mfd “death cap” in the skylark , if still in healthy condition, can be a perfect coupling cap for the kalamazoo´s, and other amps (I think, in Fender Champs, also).

By: Ignacio Langarica

Ignacio Langarica — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 20:26:01 +0000

Hello from Madrid, Spain!

I did it in my 2 skylarks and 2 kalamazoos, and no problems. The amp is quieter than before the mod. Very easy to do and works fine!

This is a beautiful useful site ! Thank you !

Ignacio

By: Dilapidus

Dilapidus — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 04:58:36 +0000

I should point out that I have now done the same mod (and the three prong mod that is coming soon) to my daily player GA-5 and I got some noise. Popping when I touch the strings mostly.

Those are ground loops likely, and you’ll have to go checking your grounds (star grounding etc) if this happens to you. I’ll write about that eventually.