4.7uF or 10uF in Colorsound Overdriver?

[mordechai]

On the Fuzz Central site, the Overdriver has 4.7uF electrolytic caps on either side of the tone section:

http://www.fuzzcentral.ssguitar.com/schematics/overdriverschem.gif

However, I have been working on building this circuit from a schematic where these caps are listed as 10uF.

What is the benefit of having one vs. the other? 

[Electric Warrior]

No idea. I guess the fuzz central schematic is based on a later pedal. I've the same combination of electrolytics in a unit from ca. 1976. By then Overdrivers usually had a 2k2 drive pot - but not this particular unit it seems.



The 12k (10k in some units) should connect between the drive pot and the 10µF, btw. The way it's wired up in the fuzz central schematic is like the did it with the (18V) Power Boost. Not sure why they moved that resistor.
And the schematic is missing the 0.1µF in parallel with the bass pot.

[Paul Marossy]

What is the benefit of having one vs. the other? 

I don't think one is any better than the other. All I can think of is that the 10uF would maybe have a little higher impedance, but I don't think it really matters much in this case. In these old pedals sometimes they changed parts depending on availability and/or cost. Usually these are minor changes to the circuit that don't amount to much.

[PRR]

> 4.7uF .... However ... 10uF.

They don't even have to be a half uFd.

But 5 and 10 uFd caps are cheaper than 0.5uFd caps.

Which to use is mostly about which you have more of.

Like a tailor and his pins. If he needs a 1" pin, but there's a pile of 2" pins at his feet, he'll use the 2" pins.