Need help with Fuzz Face transistors

[induction]

If your NTE's are low gain you'll get weak fuzz, doesn't mean you have to junk them, read up on piggy backing and you may yet find a way to use them.

Piggybacking only reduces gain, never increases it. But you can pair up low gain transistors into darlingtons, which does increase the gain (a lot).

[thermionix]

(@ duck_arse)

Roger that, Bruce.  (There is no rule 6!)

BTW, love Sydney!  I was stationed in "Striya" back in the mid-90s, USAF.  Woomera/Nurrungar.  "Secret Underground Submarine UFO Base Area 53"  Ha!  Or as I say..."downwind from Maralinga" 

Explored much of the east coast, from Palm Cove down to Bondi, I reckon.  Mt Kosiosko, Canberra, Port Agusta, Wyalla, Coober Pedy, Adelaide...lots of Adelaide...

(Who said King's Cross?  I didn't say King's Cross!  What's King's Cross?!?!)

[duck_arse]

(@ thermionix)

"Striya" shows you have a strong Adelaide accent. proper cobbers say it "straylyah".

Sydney is becoming a block of flats, with casino (high-rollers only).

[thermionix]

VERDICT:  These AC128s sound like crap.  Lesson learned.  I left several parameters variable, and subbed out just about everything else, can't get a sound I'm happy with.

My build is cool (like a brick s**thouse with both doors kicked in!) so I just need a new set of transistors.  I'll likely post pics in the picture thread when I get it all buttoned up.

Thanks to those who have been of assistance!

[duck_arse]

does your build have the requisite bias trimmer/s?

and what kinda dunny has two doors?

[mac]

as an aside, I was recently working on a fuzz, trying diff Ge's, from japanese, chinese, russian, u.s. and AC series. every time I swapped in an AC128 or AC188, I was surprised by the immediate tonal change to "DOOM".

when I say doom, I mean glum, gloomy, downcast. not exactly dull, I think some might say "dark", but probably a few shades darker than that. not bad sound, not more distortion, just a change of tone and a small sample size.

AC128 and AC188 have high internal capacitance.
Similar japanese are those used in old radios, Toshiba 2SB56, Hitachi 2SB77, Sanyo 2SD72, Matsushita 2SD352.

For silicons I use BD237.

mac

[thermionix]

does your build have the requisite bias trimmer/s?

and what kinda dunny has two doors?

"Dunny"...there's one I haven't heard in a while!  Apparently the brick ones have two doors.

I have a 50k Fuller-type "input loading" pot, a Q2 bias trimmer, and an "output ratio" trimmer.  Fuzz and Volume, obviously.  Three knobs, and the trimmers are locking chassis-mount slothead type, CTS from 1967...for added mojo.

The enclosure is purple.  The wire is purple (BYOC leftover).  Purple knobs are on the way!  Gold-cap Marshall knobs would look cool, too.

Ordered a "continental" transistor set from Small Bear.  Seems like a bit of a gamble yet, but has to be an improvement over what I have now.  Will see what resistors they send with it, and go from there.  Then just sub input/output caps for eq.

[MaxPower]

If you have the components, you might give the Axis Face a try.

[thermionix]

If you have the components, you might give the Axis Face a try.

I have read up on that, but for this build I'm going with Ge PNP.  In the future, who knows.

[duck_arse]

purple? ok, carry on!

and thanks mac.