anyone ever built a fuzz out of an old transistor radio?

[tacobender]

Ive got 2 old transistor radios that I was thinking of scraping for fuzz components. They look like some Toshiba and some generic unmarked. I think one may be a mullard. Just wondering if anyone had some advice before I start soldering away. Thanks, Mike.

[greaser_au]

These things are rare and getting rarer as the years go by. Depending on what they are and their condition, you may be better off unloading them onto some poor unfortunate vintage radio collector, and buying parts with the proceeds!

david

[Mark Hammer]

The very best Range master I ever made used  a 2SB172 from the Mitsubishi transistor radio I bought the summer of 1965, using the money I earned from picking strawberries for the Agriculture ministry.  I have a bunch of GE trannies -drawers full - and I've never been able to replicate it.  So, yes, there may well be something to salvage.

[LightSoundGeometry]

I used capacitors out of old radios all the time when i was doing loaded pickguards - the old silvertones and other RCA models used the big round fat  spragues .015 "woman tone" caps among some other parts like GE transistors.

it is worth tearing apart for a few components if you know what the market is seeking. Plus, this was right the transition from witing up pickups on strats to building my own pedals which mainly was soldering and de-soldering nonworking projects lolol .

Still working on the soldering part..need to do the scales like Paul mentioned, just not much time with things going on, but its a great way to hone the skills and learn measurements.

one of my very first successful DIY electronics project was taking an old 1984 Sony transistor radio, gutting it, adding another speaker, a blue tooth amp and turned it into my computer desktop speakers. also bluetooth enabled.

[Luke51411]

How long are the leads? If they are long enough I would just clip them out to save the risk of destroying them desoldering. What you can use them for will depend on gain and leakage.

[LightSoundGeometry]

leads are short ..usually you get one chance to save them it seemed and sometime they would not work with too short of leads.

its worth it though, an old school sprague cap on a wiring harness is the holy grail for stratocasters.  you can easily tell authenticity to.

I have a 1950's bumble bee PIO in my strat still going strong

I have been offered upwards of 40 dollars for it a few times as i have pictures of my strat harness posted several places

[tacobender]

I've got 2, and I don't think either really work. I only paid $5 each, so I think I'm gona go for it. The leads are pretty long, and I was gona use a heat sink for each one. Plus they've got some good old carbon comps I can always use. They however have some plastic tubing around the leads, I guess to protect from grounding out. All and all I think in gona go for it. One of them has 2 brass cased transistors I think(can't see all the leads) they may just be caps. But one of the brass has Mullard on it with a rubber coating. So I am very excited to dig up these fossils and put them to work thanks guys, Mike.

[mac]

These things are rare and getting rarer as the years go by. Depending on what they are and their condition, you may be better off unloading them onto some poor unfortunate vintage radio collector, and buying parts with the proceeds!

I agree. Get parts somewhere else if they are in good shape and working.

What you can do is to use them as amplifiers if they have some aux/mic input. I still have an old Crown radio recorder that have a creamy Deacy-like circuit. My first amp, almost 45 years ago. In 2013 I carefully removed the driver and output transformer to study them, and put them back in place.

The very best Range master I ever made used  a 2SB172 from the Mitsubishi transistor radio I bought the summer of 1965, using the money I earned from picking strawberries for the Agriculture ministry.  I have a bunch of GE trannies -drawers full - and I've never been able to replicate it.  So, yes, there may well be something to salvage.

I have a bunch of Matsushita 2sb172, 175 and 176. Perfect for fuzzes, booster, etc.

mac