Matched BC108 Silicon transistors for FF?

[Craig V]

I found this on ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2579140826&category=41418

Are these going to sound better in a FF?  I know there is a process of matching Germaniums; is this needed for Si's?

[phillip]

I wouldn't pay $7 for them....maybe $1 at the most.  When I made Silicon Fuzz Faces, I never really took the time to measure the hfe of the transistors...and you also don't have to worry about the leakage nearly as much, but some DO sound better than others.  People have said that the BC108 and BC109 transistors sound better, and I would have to agree with them.

I would recommend getting a batch of new BC108 and BC109 transistors, which are both still in production.  You can get them for about $0.30 each from suppliers in Europe, and they sound pretty much like those "NOS" ones.

Phillip

[brett]

Yeah.  There's plenty of new silicon that sounds fine in a fuzzface.  Though I think that Hfe IS important.  At around 100, maybe up to 150 I think the sound is much better than up over 200 (where most modern small signal trannies are!).  For that reason, I especially like medium power transistors, especially the BD139, which is often in the Hfe = 120 to 160 range (but others like the MJE340 are cool, too).  It's especially sweet-sounding if you add some charge capacity (which cuts the bandwidth) by putting a small cap (100pF is cool) across the base-collector junction.  Especially of Q2.  With 220pF or more of capacitance you can even get into dirty pseudo-germanium sounds.

Have fun!

[Ammscray]

Actually the current BC108C's and 109's are all made in asia somewhere and IMO don't sound anything like the old original TeleFunKen BC's that came in the FF's from 68-69...

The gains are way up there sometimes over 7-800! whereas the originals I've measured have always been around 3-400 at the most...it makes me wonder if the "new" ones are really even the same specs... :shock:

Next in line in cool tone if you can find 'em are BC183L's...and unfortunately no, the fairchild knock-offs don't do it...

[ErikMiller]

They call them "NOS," but they don't say what manufacturer, how old, etc.

BC108's and 109's are still available, and I LOVE the way the currently-available 109's sound in a Fuzz Face.

You can get them from Small Bear and Futurlec just fine.

[AL]

Futurlec also has BC183L's and a bunch of other cool stuff - like a proximity sensor chip and a Touch Sensor IC - unlimited amounts of fun for the entire family.  But, there have been some complaints on this forum about their shipping.  My order wasn't lightning fast but I did get it in a reasonable amount of time.  Apparently others weren't so fortunate.  And to repeat what Erik stated - Small Bear has them and just about everything else you could need.

http://www.futurlec.com/index.shtml

AL

[petemoore]

High gainer in Q1 can be wooly and 'oversaturarey'?
 I like the lower gainer like 2n2222a type gains for Q1, cuz the note defintions seem to improve.
 Q2 seems a little more flexible in the gain range of transistors that sound good...3904-5088 type gains...Ge Fet etc.
 High gainer can be cool for Q1, specially for leads...can get 'spongy' or mushy for chords...
 I haven't seen this reflected in schematics [many use say Jfets or 5088 in Q1], and this [if I'm off base here] hopefully will generate some corrective feedback or confirmation of my opinion...
 I'ts obviously true for Ge FF's, that Q1 be lower gain than Q2, I think it;s true for Si FF's also, but maybe to a lesser degree.