Anoither viable NPN germanium to add to the list.

[Mark Hammer]

Bought a bunch of bubble-pack Ge transistors from a local place that has since gone out of business a decade or more back.  Each bubble pack was 5 or 6 transistors of no particular combination.  Some were 2SC281 NPNs, and as most of us here know, NPN germaniums are tricky to come by, being vastly outnumbered by PNP type.

Decided to try a pair in a Fuzz Face circuit, and they worked great.  This pair don't clean up quite as nicely when you dial the guitar volume back, but they provide a nice sound.  And best of all, I don't have to use a charge-pump to flip the supply around - it works with a standard outside-pos 9V supply.

[soggybag]

I have a few NPN Ge transistors left over. Avoiding a charge pump and batteries is a big win by beating a lot of extra parts and hassle.

Most of what I have left are the low gain and leaky parts that didn't get used in the initial flurry of building.

I just had the idea that it might be possible to team up NPN and PNP for a positive ground Sziklai pair? Might be a good way to use these transistors that don't quite meet the grade for other projects.

[radio]

May I just ask which manufacturer those are?

I don't own a book with transistor datasheets ,the statments of ebay are not reliable

and online datasheets are often just publicity for  electronic devices,with strange URL names.

However the radiomuseum site states its a silicon device ,you could replace by a BC108

https://www.radiomuseum.org/tubes/tube_2sc281.html

Their picture shows a 2SC281 by Hitachi. Maybe another brand had a germanium device with the same name??

[PRR]

Read the B-E voltage on the second transistor in a FuzzFace.

If it is 0.5V or more, it is Silicon, like all the references I am finding say. 0.3V or less (at half mA) would be Germanium.

[Mark Hammer]

May I just ask which manufacturer those are?

I don't own a book with transistor datasheets ,the statments of ebay are not reliable

and online datasheets are often just publicity for  electronic devices,with strange URL names.

However the radiomuseum site states its a silicon device ,you could replace by a BC108

https://www.radiomuseum.org/tubes/tube_2sc281.html

Their picture shows a 2SC281 by Hitachi. Maybe another brand had a germanium device with the same name??

Mine are Hitachi, just like the corroded metal can one shown in the picture.