Vintage clone bumblebee caps - what's the deal?

[Nick Rundall]

I've bought everything but the tone capacitor on my new build S-S-H Strat. I was looking at sprague orange drop caps in Allparts and noticed 'vintage clone bumblebee' caps. What's the deal with these? I'm about to hook my new swamp ash / maple strat up with some Tyler 5 Hot Lauras and a Shark humbucker, connected to Callaham 500k CTS pots and 5 way. I've even gone so far as to get some Mundorf 99% silver 1% gold hook up wire. I want to go as good as I can get, to see what difference it makes. What type and also what value cap do you guys recommend with this set up? cheers!

[Mike9]

Here is a wonderful diagram for SSH Strats. Get Russian PIO caps they are cheap and sound just as good as any PIO cap. I have a bunch of them - if you need some PM me.

http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s311/sundaypunch_pics/hss.jpg

[Bob V]

Are those vintage clone bumblebee caps actually paper-in-oil? I think they're made as reproductions so they look like vintage Les Paul caps and are used on the Historic repros from Gibson. Can't comment on the sound difference you get with unobtanium alloy (okay maybe that's a comment), it's really another issue entirely, although I believe there are web blogs with personal tasting results from various caps.