Electro-Harmonix Germanium OD

[tcobretti]

Anybody know anything about this one?

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Electro-Harmonix-Micro-Germanium-OD-Pedal?sku=150406

From EH:

CONTROLS

GAIN CONTROL – Adjusts the amount of input signal that is fed to the GERMANIUM OD.
The more the knob is rotated the harder the Germanium transistor and drive components
are hit.
BIAS CONTROL – Adjusts the current gain that is sent to the Germanium transistor. It
works together with the voltage control to attain the over all tone. The bias control works
specifically with the Germanium transistor.
VOLTS CONTROL – Allows the user to control the amount of voltage that is applied to the
GERMANIUM OD. When the knob is set at full, 9volts is applied. When set at minimum 3
volts of current is applied By limiting the volts applied to the pedal a number of interesting
saturations can be set up for variations in tone.

Note that the gain control "adjusts the amount of input signal" that is fed to the circuit.  I halfway think it's a Ge booster not unlike Dragonfly's Cream Pie, with an input pot and bias and sag controls.  What do you guys think?

[aron]

I always thought it was a fuzz face-maybe a hybrid si->ge one.

[tcobretti]

You could certainly be right, but what makes me doubt it's 'fuzz face-ness' is that they call it an overdrive.

[Rodgre]

and they call a flanger with no sweep a filter matrix. Don't be too disappointed if it turns out to be a Fuzz Face-based pedal. It just might sound great!

By the way, I've gotten some great overdrive tones with Fuzz Face-alikes by just turning down the volume on my guitar.

Roger

[aron]

reduce input cap value = overdrive, make it large = fuzz many times.

[tcobretti]

Also if you lower the feedback resistor to <30k, the gain of the pedal is lessened to the extent that it is more of an overdrive.

But why the 'input' varying gain control instead of a standard FF gain pot?

[foxfire]

to mimic turning your guitars volume down like Rodgre said?

[aron]

yeah I used that on the Rocket.

[analogmike]

not a fuzzface or a fuzz at all, closer to a rangemaster. Uses one transistor. Does not really offer any distortion but can overdrive an amp.

[tcobretti]

not a fuzzface or a fuzz at all, closer to a rangemaster. Uses one transistor. Does not really offer any distortion but can overdrive an amp.

Good, it'll be easy to trace when the one I ordered gets here.  It will likely get returned shortly thereafter.

[kurtlives]

I was just taking about this today to someone.

Seems pretty basic, and not very original. Is the gain knob just a pot in place of the transistor emitter resistor (feedback stabilizing)?

[Processaurus]

No volume control??

[tcobretti]

No volume control??

Good point!