real or fake germs??

[Arcane Analog]

Looks like you have plenty to go on now! Buy some germs and build.

[fuzzy645]

AC128: http://www.ebay.com/itm/100-germanium-transistors-AC128-PNP-NOS-TUNGSRAM-/310493365290?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item484ad8c42a

fwiw, i have bought these from this vendor, and had great luck. the hfe is a little high, but very nice transistors, and they sound great.

That is good to know.  The one thing that concerns me about this seller is that he seems to have a cottage industry selling tranny's marked (deceptively) as NKT275:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/10-NKT-275-germanium-transistors-/380500903696?pt=UK_BOI_Electrical_Components_Supplies_ET&hash=item58979f0710

I notice that he doesn't list them as NOS, nor does he use the brand name Newmarket, but the fact that he is selling ones with that marking NKT275 seems just a tad bit shady.  It would be like making guitars and putting a Fender logo on the guitar, which BTW used to be a huge cottage industry on Ebay until Fender cracked down. 

Looks like you have plenty to go on now! Buy some germs and build.

Will certainly do, but with caution for sure.

[LucifersTrip]

AC128: http://www.ebay.com/itm/100-germanium-transistors-AC128-PNP-NOS-TUNGSRAM-/310493365290?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item484ad8c42a

Just curious if there is anyway to tell tell real vs. fake?   

fwiw, i have bought these from this vendor, and had great luck. the hfe is a little high, but very nice transistors, and they sound great.

Sounds cool...I always wondered about those lots....but more importantly, where are the leakages on those?

[Kesh]

Hi

I can recommend this guy for soviet germs

http://myworld.ebay.com/gordelux04/&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2754

+1 (Have bought hundreds off him. They are in unopened cartons. Typical Russian quality - the best.)

Yes, a few circuits require leakage. But if I'm not mistaken, leakage can be predictably and almost noiselessly simulated with a resistor from collector to base. Yes? Around 470k simulates medium leakage? Or am I missing something?
cheers

Can it? Am curious to know if anyone else can confirm this.

[slacker]

Yes, I'm probably not getting this quite right but basically the leakage makes some current flow through the transistor all the time, in effect it's biasing the transistor. This is why some designs like the Tone Bender MkII need leaky transistors, the only thing biasing the first stage is the leakage. A resistor from collector to base does the same thing as would any other transistor biasing arrangement. If you look at any silicon versions of the MK11 you'll see tweaks to the first stage to make it work with non leaky transistors.

[Kesh]

There was I using leaky germanium diodes.