Collection: Cornell Dubilier | Guitar Parts Available at ToneShapers

Cornell Dubilier’s roots can be traced back to 1909 when founder William Dubilier first used a glassy mineral called mica to help form a condenser (now called a capacitor). While the mica capacitor saw limited success for its intended application, it went on to revolutionize radio broadcast communications allowing for better transmission over longer distances.

The Dubilier Company (New York) was the earliest commercial manufacturer of capacitors, and in 1933, merged with Cornell Radio to form Cornell Dubilier Electronics (CDE).

Meanwhile, in 1926, Robert Sprague invented a tone control that greatly improved the sound of radios. Sprague Electric went on to become a major manufacturer of capacitors, and began manufacturing the Orange Drop line of capacitors in 1959. In 1985, an employee buyout resulted in the formation of a new company: SB Electronics (SBE), which acquired the Orange Drop line and continued its manufacture in the same factory in Barre, VT where Orange Drops had been made since 1959.

SBE sold the Orange Drop line to CDE at the end of 2012, and transferred all manufacturing of the line to CDE by 2013. While the stewards of the brand have changed through the years, the quality has not. Orange Drop is still synonymous with capacitors of the highest quality and stability.