bumble bee capacitors

[Jcricket]

Hey Folks,
Just a heads up. I recently acquired an older Stromberg Carlson tube console. I am going through it now, replacing caps and resistors and so on. I happen to look up the bumble bee cap color code(I wasn't sure about them) and I found out these old used pulled caps actually are worth something on ebay.

They seem to average from a few dollars to maybe ten dollars per cap. I was a bit shocked and then also a little hesitant to consider selling them, but then I noticed there have been over 300 sold auctions for these in the last 30 days. There is a definitely market for them. I figure I have enough of these little buggers to pay for the console and all of its servicing too.

What bugs me is that I have probably thrown away 500 of these guys over the years.:tears:

Just thought you folks might want to know if you didn't already.

 

[sony6060]

Musicians like the bumblebee coupling capacitor in guitar amps and even in the guitar itself.

 

[roberttx]

Yep, also Black Beauties.

 

[mibag6]

You can even get new ones from Gibson for obscene money.

 

[EastPoint]

Many vintage capacitors are worth money, actually. When in doubt, look it up on eBay. The best bumblebees go for $40+.

 

[gadget73]

You can even get new ones from Gibson for obscene money.

I saw a dissection of one of those new caps. They took a cheap yellow cap and put it inside the old style plastic body. It was nothing special at all.



I've also tossed a pile of those things. Maybe I should have sold them. I don't know if there is a market for used ones, or if they only buy tested good or what. Most of the ones I've pulled were well shot. The ones out of the Philco TV had cracks splitting a lot of the cases open. The ones out of the National shortwave were PIO types. I knew that because of the oil leaking out of them. I'd have a very hard time selling something I knew was useless crap. It would feel too much like I was taking advantage of someone, and that bothers me.

 

[roberttx]

Yes, I saw that dissection too - what a con!

I've sold some NOS Black Beauties that tested within tolerance on my LCR meter. I didn't gouge - $50 to $60 for a box of five.

 

[EastPoint]

I'd have a very hard time selling something I knew was useless crap. It would feel too much like I was taking advantage of someone, and that bothers me.

That's the same reasoning behind all those people who throw out old tube equipment or records. If people appreciate these old caps, by all means, help them out.

 

[Olorin67]

These caps have a good following in the guitar community. But I think the real reason for it is that they are usually leaky, and throw off the voltages in the amplifier stages, causing lots of distortion. So its not like these things are magical sound wise, but thats the reputation they get. Of course in a guitar amp you are looking for a cool distorted sound, unlike a Hifi amp. But they could probably get the same effect with any old cap bridged with a 1 meg resistor...
I will be recapping a lot of stuff, so I do plan to put some on eBay and see what I get..