KVR Audio

pinkjimiphoton · Post by **pinkjimiphoton** » Thu Apr 28, 2011 8:24 pm

this layout is VERIFIED... have fun!!

Hink · Post by **Hink** » Thu Apr 28, 2011 10:27 pm

thanx jimi

When I go to general guitar gadgets your name is on the page with mine saying we like them on facebook

pinkjimiphoton · Post by **pinkjimiphoton** » Fri Apr 29, 2011 8:48 pm

my pleasure, hink...before ya build this, breadboard it if you can so you can be sure that ya get the trannys that work best for you...i discovered once again last nite what a pia germanium is...it was cold enough that this thing suddenly sounded like a big muff with no clipping at all...kinda a weird compressor/booster...it sounded fuzzy as hell at home!! ya may wanna skip the diode and just use a jumper, too...i hear the diode smooths the fuzz some. i guess just play with it, and see what works for you! i may go to silicon for q1 just so i don't have to play the ge heat games...gonna try a mod with a ge in34a from the c of q1 to ground...supposed to make the ge tranny more stable to temp changes.
cuz man...ge stuff sounds great...until it gets too hot, or too cold...and doesn't work either way!! lol!!

Hink · Post by **Hink** » Fri Apr 29, 2011 9:08 pm

one of the mods suggested on the ts kit on GGG is to use a breadboard and a five way switch and put in a bunch of different diodes. I went with the DPDT on/off/on switch so I could switch between Germanium and leds and the middle lifts the diodes making it more of a booster

Cordelia · Post by **Cordelia** » Fri Apr 29, 2011 9:10 pm

pinkjimiphoton wrote:my pleasure, hink...before ya build this, breadboard it if you can so you can be sure that ya get the trannys that work best for you...i discovered once again last nite what a pia germanium is...it was cold enough that this thing suddenly sounded like a big muff with no clipping at all...kinda a weird compressor/booster...it sounded fuzzy as hell at home!! ya may wanna skip the diode and just use a jumper, too...i hear the diode smooths the fuzz some. i guess just play with it, and see what works for you! i may go to silicon for q1 just so i don't have to play the ge heat games...gonna try a mod with a ge in34a from the c of q1 to ground...supposed to make the ge tranny more stable to temp changes.
cuz man...ge stuff sounds great...until it gets too hot, or too cold...and doesn't work either way!! lol!!

Hey I didn't know this!
Is this a known problem with germanium transistors?
Does the tone change with any amount of fluctuation?
Can temperature fluctuation cause permanent "damage" to germanium transistors?
How much temperature fluctuation is OK?

pinkjimiphoton · Post by **pinkjimiphoton** » Sat Apr 30, 2011 5:39 pm

Cordelia wrote:
pinkjimiphoton wrote:my pleasure, hink...before ya build this, breadboard it if you can so you can be sure that ya get the trannys that work best for you...i discovered once again last nite what a pia germanium is...it was cold enough that this thing suddenly sounded like a big muff with no clipping at all...kinda a weird compressor/booster...it sounded fuzzy as hell at home!! ya may wanna skip the diode and just use a jumper, too...i hear the diode smooths the fuzz some. i guess just play with it, and see what works for you! i may go to silicon for q1 just so i don't have to play the ge heat games...gonna try a mod with a ge in34a from the c of q1 to ground...supposed to make the ge tranny more stable to temp changes.
cuz man...ge stuff sounds great...until it gets too hot, or too cold...and doesn't work either way!! lol!!
Hey I didn't know this!
Is this a known problem with germanium transistors?
Does the tone change with any amount of fluctuation?
Can temperature fluctuation cause permanent "damage" to germanium transistors?
How much temperature fluctuation is OK?

yah, it's a major problem...when cold, ge trannys get very blatty sounding with poor sustain, and when hot, tend to get real fuzzy or quit all together. there's ways around it...google is your friend. hit the diystompboxes forum for a lot of useful info.

high temp from soldering can kill the transistors, so use sockets when dealing with ge stuff, or a heat sink when soldering...a roach clip will work fine.

read this...it tells how to help stabilize the transistors with a ge diode to help combat thermal issues..

http://www.reocities.com/SunsetStrip/St ... tface.html

pinkjimiphoton · Post by **pinkjimiphoton** » Sat Apr 30, 2011 5:40 pm

Hink wrote:one of the mods suggested on the ts kit on GGG is to use a breadboard and a five way switch and put in a bunch of different diodes. I went with the DPDT on/off/on switch so I could switch between Germanium and leds and the middle lifts the diodes making it more of a booster

nice trick. i've done that on a few pedals now. try this out...you can switch transistors, too...i'm off to radio shack shortly to do just this:

http://www.beavisaudio.com/Projects/Fuz ... ods_V2.gif

thank god for uncle beavis!!

Cordelia · Post by **Cordelia** » Sat Apr 30, 2011 9:49 pm

pinkjimiphoton wrote: yah, it's a major problem...when cold, ge trannys get very blatty sounding with poor sustain, and when hot, tend to get real fuzzy or quit all together. there's ways around it...google is your friend. hit the diystompboxes forum for a lot of useful info.

high temp from soldering can kill the transistors, so use sockets when dealing with ge stuff, or a heat sink when soldering...a roach clip will work fine.

read this...it tells how to help stabilize the transistors with a ge diode to help combat thermal issues..

http://www.reocities.com/SunsetStrip/St ... tface.html

Thanks, jimi. I have a germanium bass fuzz pedal that seems to have a different tone every day. I think the pedal is getting pretty cold at night.
I'm going to go surfing around for more information. I appreciate the reply.

pinkjimiphoton · Post by **pinkjimiphoton** » Sat Apr 30, 2011 10:09 pm

try the temp mod i posted bro, it may help. i'm doing it to my fuzzface tonite, and my tonebender as well. hope it helps...they're awesome...when they work!!

pinkjimiphoton · Post by **pinkjimiphoton** » Sun May 01, 2011 4:23 am

a couple mods...

first, there's just enough room to the left of q1 to add a component...

you want to put a 1n34a germanium diode between the emitter and the base of the transistor, with the band facing the emitter. that would be holes g6 and h6. that will help cure the temperature stability somewhat.

also, you don't need the 4.7k resistor across the attack pot. seems to work a little bit better without it.

anyways...onwards and upwards...

germanium/silicon hybrid tonebender, the "toneblaster"