BC239 instead of 2N5088 in BazzFuzz?

[cedric]

i tried it and the output wasn't even what i'd consider normal!?

why is that?

[B Tremblay]

Either the BC239 doesn't have enough gain or the pins are not correctly oriented.

However, I've tried lower gain parts in the Bazz Fuss and the main difference note decay is shorter.  I suppose that if the transistor was very low gain, it could have that gated, mis-biased sound.  Does the output change in that manner depending on how hard you hit the strings?

Also, are you using the v1 schematic or the v3?  v3 needs a darlington, so if you're using that version, connect two BC239 in the arrangement shown on the RunoffGroove Bazz Fuss page.  That should work fine.

[bettycat]

You can use the BC239 as a substitute for the 2N5088, the pinout is the same but the BC239 is a low gain transistor with MUCH less agin than the 5088. By the way, the BC239 sound very close to the original FS36999 transistors often found in the early Big Muff´s.

[cedric]

cool thanks.


any substitues for the bc239 then? when i can't have the 2n5088.

(i used the v1) all i need is a simple fuzz that growls to a friend of mine.

- ced

[cedric]

never mind me asking that.
i'll try a 2n5089 instead.
is the output on that one "huge" enough?

[B Tremblay]

i'll try a 2n5089 instead.  is the output on that one "huge" enough?

Yes.  A 2N5089 will work perfectly in the Bazz Fuss v1.

[Stuart]

I'm fairly sure the pinout of a BC239 is the opposite of the 2N5088, so that could be your problem.  If you need a high gain transistor, a BCxxxC will usually suffice.

[cedric]

ok - hmm.. i'll try that out.

[Tim Escobedo]

I've never been fond of using single transistors in the Bazz Fuss. I much prefer a Darlington pair. Singles sound decidedly lo-fi (or broken, depending how your tastes run). Two BC239s would probably do (or a pre-made Darlington like the MPSA13), but you must observe the pinouts. (BCxxx series are not common here int the US).

[B Tremblay]

When using single transistors in the Bazz Fuss v1, it is necessary to use a large input cap.  Values that are too low can result in the lousy sound that Tim mentioned.  4.7uF sounds really good to me.

However, I would recommend building the version that uses the darlington since, unlike the v1, it doesn't limit your choices for diode and cap sizes.

[cedric]

thanks i'll try out a 4.7uF input cap tomorrow then.
and i'll wire up a pair of 2n5088's to be a darlington.
that would work right?

- ced

[B Tremblay]

Yes.