Transistor Identification help

[KevinSTP]

I have been stripping some boards from a Teac reel to reel and there are a ton o transistors how can I figure out what they can be used for?There are some black top hat shaped with a Y on top and C733 on the side.some with a BL on top and C733 on the side and some with BL,C1000.And some small round domed top ones with 693F on the side are these useful in effects?

[Dan N]

Just add 2SC in front of the numbers and the BL, Y, or whatever after the numbers.

They are all good Japanese silicon trannies. ECB pinouts. Maybe BCE for the 733's

[KevinSTP]

So they would be fine for a Gus Smalley booster?

[petemoore]

I did but didn't have that much luck...it's been a while.
 I found some 3904's recently but kinda gave up on ones that look generic with funny Markings...
 Teac is good stuff so maybe they're worth a try...

[KevinSTP]

There are also some small caps that look like little silver cans-120 to 900pf maybe silver mica?

[Paul Perry (Frostwave)]

Those little caps might be polystyrene, if they are cylindrical.

[petemoore]

Sockets

[KevinSTP]

Yes they are small cylindrical caps look kinda like tiny trash cans ,Good quality?Petemoore-Sockets? explain please.So it would be worthwhile to build a transistor based pedal like a Gus Smalley with sockets and try these different tranys? I have a Sencore in circut or out transistor tester but no Idea how to use.some directions on the back but a bit vague any info would be useful.

[petemoore]

For early experimentation, or experienced ability to find what parts sound good in a ckt. [I usually build only 1 of certain ckts], using sockets for transistors and caps [expecially that input cap] allows you to find sounds the ckt is capable that would be so time prohibitive any other way you'd probly have a tougher time remembering what the previous setup sounded like to determine the differences...and about two hundred other reasons like:
 If you have a component that failed
 If you got the pinout wrong
 Very Long story sorta short:
 I like trompots on selected 'tranny tops' [the collector or drain] and sockets for trannies and incap [other caps get sockets sometimes too...
 like the caps that occur in schematics between an emitter and ground witha small resistor or variable resistor. [ie the 22uf in a FF]
 You can probably hear the differences of different transistors in any ckt that uses them to amplify [there must be exceptions but] I find trying em out to be worthwhile and fun...

[KevinSTP]

Makes sense.Is there a site someone knows of that lists transistor substitutions like there is for tubes?

[Boofhead]

2SC1000 is a higher gain audio device.  It will roughly sub for 2N5089's and MPSA18's and a lot of other stuff.

2SC733 is an RF device but might still be OK to use.  The gain on this unit could be on the low side.  Perhaps use it in lower gain positions like 2N3904's.

Transistor subsitution sites and tables try match the main parameters where the devices are used.  For effects, matching parameters like voltage isn't important which  means you can make much broarder substitutions than the sub tables.

[KevinSTP]

Good to know thanks,I got quite a few of each can't wait to find a project to try them out.

[petemoore]

Sometimes I would just pop them in the first NPN booster ckt I had handy and see what they would do...crude...I found some that work but with these 5089's so inexpensive it's tuff  for even primest pickins to beat.
  These trannies were from a  Pos ground ckt
 I got an old radio though [garbage sale] that's got 8 Ge's in it !!!

[KevinSTP]

What circut do you recommend that is relativley simple?