Tranny substitution question

[ildar]

Is there any instance when it's not kosher to replace 5088s with 5089s? I've got a DOD Super Metal or something, and I'm wondering if replacing all the 5088s will give me more output overall.

[petemoore]

Is there any instance when it's not kosher to replace 5088s with 5089s? I've got a DOD Super Metal or something, and I'm wondering if replacing all the 5088s will give me more putput overall.

5089's are low noise high gain, good stuff when you can use them.
 5088's are similar but lower gain, may seem noisier in high gain circuits.

[ildar]

So, the 5089 can be used at any time in place of the 5088? Since I'm considering the changes in a distortion unit, will the result be higher output?

[petemoore]

Yes, and most times just as good or better.
 I like 5088's...for certain builds, low gainer may be preferred.
 Many circuits, like LPB1, set gain with resistors, in cases like this, a high gain low noise transistor works well.

[jmusser]

I did find out recently, that more is not necessesarily better. I built RDVs version of the SI Tone Bender, and the last stage called for either or. I used a 5088 in there to start with, and man did it sound good. Well, if that's sounds good, then higher gain has to sound better, right? Not in this case. The 5089 turned what had been an awesome fuzz into crap in a hurry. It was sort of like cranking an old tube radio up until it started to distort the voices. Anymore, I socket all transistors and chips, and see what's going to sound the best for my set up, since there are such varieties of transistors and opamps that will work, but at varying degrees in a circuit.

[petemoore]

FF Q1, and even Q2 [depending on what one wants to do] are good examples of the transistor gain being in the pocket being important.
 The circuit will 'work' [amplify] with many transitor types and gains, but the differences between them may be very noticable.
 The Rocket tho, which has a FF derivitave in it, does well with 5088's.