Variance in gains in GE trannies?

[CraigR]

I just built a RangeMaster using a 2N1303 PNP from SBE. The circuit was built on the RTS board for the negative ground version from TonePad, the same board as used in the Brian May Treble Booster. This box gives a nice low-gain crunch, but not as much gain as I thought it would. 

How wide are the variances in gains for GE trannies?

I am trying to figure out whether getting some more PNP devices and testing them in this pedal will be worth the trouble.

Craig

[petemoore]

How wide are the variances in gains for GE trannies?
  I've found oldies at 22hfe, 'rough' measure, I have no leakage tester, which is like..the first thing to test for when using Ge's for boost/fuzz. I've had leakage tested Ge's near 200 hfe.
  'GEO technology of' has an 'Austin Treble Blaster [IIRC]' as well as Fuzz Face, in depth info inside these devices. "what sounds best in there' I believe is one of the subjects covered. 

[JimRayden]

I just built a RangeMaster using a 2N1303 PNP from SBE. The circuit was built on the RTS board for the negative ground version from TonePad, the same board as used in the Brian May Treble Booster. This box gives a nice low-gain crunch, but not as much gain as I thought it would. 

The Rangemaster is a booster, not an overdrive pedal, so most people are looking for volume, not crunch. When it comes to Ge trannies, "gain" does not mean distortion, as on the interfaces of most pedals, it means the transistor's ability to amplify signals.

But then again, if you do put a 200hfe tranny in there, you'd get quite an overdrive pedal.

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Jimbo

[R.G.]

How wide are the variances in gains for GE trannies?

Quite wide indeed.

For germanium, gains of 25-50 were common. 100 was a high gain device. 200 was obtained sometimes. For silicon signal transistors, 100-200 is medium gain. I wouldn't think of silicon as high gain under about 350. Notice that the germanium gains I mention are the actual current gain, not the measured gain in a constant Ib tester which confuses leakage with gain.

The same germanium type number might have a gain of 20 -100 or from 40-150. So two parts of the same type number would give radically different results in circuits which were not designed to make specific hfe not matter.

And you got good advice. Gain is not distortion.

[Papa_lazerous]

The Rangemaster is a booster, not an overdrive pedal, so most people are looking for volume, not crunch. When it comes to Ge trannies, "gain" does not mean distortion,
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Jimbo

True point there that people forget, although th rangemaster is biased as to give mild distortion at high gain is it not?

Me thinks if the bias is set wrong then it would either work as a clean boost or a very distorted boost depending which way it is.  We all know that they need bias adjusted specific to teh tranny used