Vintage Asylum

Classic gear from yesteryear; vintage audio standing the test of time.

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Re: What's wrong with Ceracap?

Posted by Ryan Inman on March 23, 2006 at 14:35:20:
They generally fail. If they haven't failed, they will fail. I too very much enjoy their sound, but sooner or later any 40+ year old component is going to fail.
The Ceracap was manufactured by American Radionic, a large capacitor manufacturer in the 50's and 60's. They are metallized mylar in construction. Mylar degrades under heat (over a prolonged period of time). This weakens the dielectric, and forms a leakage path.
Out of 403 Scott repairs I've done to date, 1 in every 10 Ceracaps leaked. It is difficult to judge their lifespan (not knowing the past history of the unit, how long it was used, how it was stored, etc)
If yours test good, use them. If at any time you hear popping, crackling, distortion or sizzling sounds (or see a 7591 or 7189 glowing red), you may consider checking them. They tend to fail abruptly. Usually, you have some warning signals.
My 222-C is all original (but was used quite sparingly in the past). But this is not typical.
You can replicate the sound of a Ceracap by using the Cornell-Dubilier MET series polyester capacitors. Near identical performance.
Best,
Ryan