Product Overview
Sprague 225 Orange Drop Tone Capacitor, 0.0033 uF at 100V
Condition
New, unused stock. Both photos show a single piece pulled from the shelf: the orange epoxy-dipped body is clean and unchipped, and the printing is sharp and fully legible - a circled 2 beside .0033, 100V on the line below it, and 225 running vertically at one end next to a black printed band. The two radial leads are full length, unclipped, and formed slightly outward as supplied; they read dull gray in these photos, with some darker mottling near the body. One small additional mark sits above the 225 and does not resolve in these photos, so it is not transcribed here. No ruler appears in either shot, so no dimensions are stated. Sold by the piece; the photos show one representative unit from current stock.
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Product Overview
The Sprague 225 series is the original Orange Drop, a dipped radial-lead film capacitor whose orange epoxy coating made it one of the most recognizable passives ever to sit on a bench. This one is 0.0033 uF, which is 3.3 nanofarads and 3300 picofarads written three different ways, with 100V printed on the body directly under the value. That puts it in small-value signal territory: coupling at an input or output, blocking in a passive tone control, and bypass duty in audio circuits. The 225 designation is printed vertically beside the band, so the part keeps identifying itself long after whatever bag it arrived in is gone. Tolerance and dielectric type are not printed on this piece and are not confirmed here - verify against the datasheet before use.
Key Features
- Capacitance: 0.0033 uF, printed on the body as .0033
- Equivalent values: 3.3 nF and 3300 pF
- Voltage marking: 100V, printed on the body under the value
- Series: Sprague 225 Orange Drop, printed vertically as 225
- Style: dipped radial-lead film capacitor in orange epoxy
- Leads: two radial leads, full length and unclipped, dull gray in these photos, formed slightly outward as supplied
- Additional body markings: circled 2 beside the value, black printed band at one end
- Condition: New, unused
- Tolerance and dielectric: Not confirmed - verify against the datasheet before use
- Body dimensions: not stated, no ruler appears in these photos
Applications
- Guitar tech wiring a passive tone control and wanting the Orange Drop players ask for by name
- Pedal builder setting a high-pass corner in a low-voltage effects circuit
- Bench technician replacing a cracked signal coupling capacitor in solid-state audio gear
- Kit builder stocking a few common small values for a breadboard-to-board audio project
Frequently Asked Questions
What is actually printed on this capacitor?
Reading across the body: a circled 2, then .0033, with 100V on the line beneath, and 225 running vertically at the right-hand end beside a black band. There is one more small mark above the 225 that does not resolve in these photos, so we are not going to guess at it.
Is 0.0033 uF the same as 3.3 nF?
Yes. 0.0033 microfarads, 3.3 nanofarads, and 3300 picofarads are one value written three ways. Schematics from different eras and countries use different conventions, which is why the same part turns up under all three in a parts list.
My circuit runs at a few hundred volts - can I use this there?
The body is marked 100V, so treat that as the ceiling and keep the working voltage comfortably under it. For a tube stage or anything else sitting on a high rail, this is not the right piece; use a capacitor rated for that circuit and verify against the datasheet before use.
What is the tolerance and which dielectric is inside?
Neither is printed on the body and we do not hold documentation for this specific lot, so we are not going to state them. If your circuit is tolerance-sensitive, a filter corner or a tone stack you are matching to a reference, measure the piece on a capacitance meter or verify against the datasheet before use.
Why buy the three or four I actually need here instead of a bag of 100?
Because a tone control takes one capacitor and a pedal build might take two. We keep these in depth on the shelf and sell them by the piece, so you buy the count your project calls for instead of a forced lot of 10 or 50 that leaves 96 pieces rattling in a drawer. Shipping is $8 flat rate and free once your order passes $28, and orders leave our Idaho warehouse the same or next business day.
Sprague dipped this one in orange epoxy decades ago, and the color has done nearly as much for its reputation as the film inside it. Solder it into a tone control, roll the knob back, and decide for yourself whether your ear agrees with the legend.
