PNP & NPN in one Fuzz

[dosmun]

There is a Fuzz called the Gypsy Fuzz that uses both NPN and PNP Silicone Tranny's.  How and why is this done?  

http://www.krmusicalproducts.com/productsmorepedals.htm

[brian wenz]

Hello Hello--
    Yeah, looks like somebody else was around this forum about a year ago when we were discussing Hendrix's use of the Mayer Axis Fuzz  on Band of Gypsies  [and Isle of Wight, Woodstock, etc.....] !!    Almost makes you NOT want to discuss some things on a public forum, doesn't it!!
   Anyway,  it's the Mayer Axis Fuzz circuit that uses PNP and NPN trannys.
[The Jordan Bosstone also uses both but is a very different sounding circuit.]
Brian.

[nightingale]

Yep,
I think the Jordan Bosstone is in that boat too. Pretty neat circuit, but not nearly as interesting a s the Axis. The Axis is one of my all time favs!

[spudulike]

[Doug_H]

Yeah, the gypsy fuzz soundclip sounds like an axis fuzz.

Doug

[Paul Perry (Frostwave)]

A standard fuzz is a two stage transistor amp, with feedback from the output to the emitter of the first transistor.

Now there are a bunch of ways to make a two transistor amp...
and a common one (way back when) was the pnp/npn or npn/pnp way.
the advanytage being, if you were direct coupling them, you could get maximum swing on each transistor, without bias problems. There used to be a lot of tricky pnp/npn stuff in old transistor hi-fi (and lo-fi!) amps.
(by 'direct coupled', I mean there is no cap between stages. Plenty of other frequency sensitive chunks there, though!