Pete Moore's Range Pig build

[jmusser]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v207/petemoore/RangePIG.jpg   I've been wanting to try out this little circuit for quite sometime, because I liked the concept of being able to use low gain Ge trannies. This works great! I tried various PNP germs in the Q1 position including OC71, ECG102, and a couple Japanese I pulled out of an old radio, 2SB156, and 2SB22. I kept Q2 constant using a 2N3906. What Pete has done here, is allowed you to basically use any germainum PNP in here you want, and dial in about any tone you want. I ended up using the 2SB22, because it had the lowest gain, and gave me the closest to the Fuzz Face Tone. All this was done by ear, which is a nice feature, (and one even I can figure out) as to what was the highest to lowest gain. It went in this order ECG102, 2SB156, OC71, & 2SB22. The 10K I found sounds the best at around 3/4. The 100K does a lot of magic, depending on what tone you want, and what transistor. The high gains, got you basically into Tone Bender land, and the two highest would have a breakover at the last 20% of the pot where the 100K pot, where it went into sonic bumble bee. I personally believe metal wouldn't be out of the question with those transistors at that setting. It's absolutely nasty! I went with the lowest gain, and you could turn the 100K pot all the way up, without the break over happening, and get the slightest bit of crunch. The fuzz is very good, and evident on all strings while set to the neck pick up. I used a .22 uf input cap, and a .047uf output cap, because my little tube amp is so bright. So, it's basically whatever tone you want. This was a great idea, and makes for a wide variety of tones with a wide variety of Ge transistor gains. The main idea of this of course, was to be able to use what would normally be "throw away" germaniums. Great job Pete!

[nightingale]

Nice review,
I am sold.  I have been eying that schemmo for a long time.

[markm]

Well,
I'm gonna have to give this one a try too.
Thanks for the review and info!

[petemoore]

  I was, and still am finding out what I'm doing.
  Messing around with it, I found the 2 tranny Range Pig to have plenty of *gain, and the 100k made it *adjustable, a worthwhile 'extra' knob.
  As far as I can tell from it, It is really 'just' a darlington in a Rangemaster.
  and, Of course the 100k just adjusts the gain..it works well.
  Noise isn't a problem with mine, and thinking of it was an afterthought [ I think RG noted that] ..if the leakage is multiplied, and the gain of the 2 darlingtonized transistors is high, it would figure that noise would accompany gain.
  I built mine using an 8 pin IC socket for the 2 transistors.
  Ge on the input's cool, does nice cleanup @ guitar volume, and plenty of gain is always fun too.
  I'm glad you dug that up and are enjoying it !!!

[jmusser]

In messing with this stuff, I know that some things are stumbled upon, but you came up with something novel here. It's an easy build, and you can play with it (if your transistors are socketed) until you tailor it into anything you want. It can be as aggressive or mellow as you want. It also makes a nice Ge transistor checker! Up until this circuit, I never knew if my salvaged transistors even worked! It also prooves that you don't have to have a huge amount of components to end up with a great sounding circuit. Joe's Easy Drive and Antiquity Fuzz would be others that come to mind.

[petemoore]

  Yupp, a wide range of gains availaible, and with a jumper across Q1 C/B socket pins, a Rangemaster with input gain !! Another ~1/4'' of board for the 8 pin IC socket is the only 'compromise'.

[markm]

This is a Positive Ground circuit??

[nightingale]

This is a Positive Ground circuit??

Yeah,
Pete probably made it +ground because the majority of old GE tranny's are PNP.
just a guess tho.

[markm]

This is a Positive Ground circuit??

Yeah,
Pete probably made it +ground because the majority of old GE tranny's are PNP.
just a guess tho.

Understood.
That would make sense.

[petemoore]

  Rangemasters like batteries IME, if alone, my VS1Spot adapter does a fine job with 'low noise' power supplying, add a few more in the daisy and effect chains, it's not so simple, I took the DC jack from it.
  Either PNP or NPN can be used, of course polarities of polarized components must be considered. I'm not versed or fan of 'flipped' power supplies and Ge   Transistors..ie PNP Neg. Gnd. and all the problems it's caused being solved by reverting to 'standard' PS Schemes.
  Of course just pick your transistors, PNP or NPN, and build the circuit accordingly, switching the PS is pretty easy as there a few polarized components to have to reverse.
 

[soggybag]

Would it be possible to make a positive ground Range Pig? Would this involve flipping the power supply and 22uf cap or would there be more invloved?

[Peter Snowberg]

http://www.geocities.com/cobcastle/piggybacktrebleboost.gif
http://www.geocities.com/diygescorp/piggybacktb.gif
http://www.geocities.com/diygescorp/rangepig.gif

and...

http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=17898.0



It should be an easy matter to add Pete's germanium tweaks to the silicon NPN base. There is additional territory between Will's and Pete's versions too.

Thanks to Will Firstbrook and Pete Moore!

[markm]

Would it be possible to make a positive ground Range Pig? Would this involve flipping the power supply and 22uf cap or would there be more invloved?

Look at this.....

  Rangemasters like batteries IME, if alone, my VS1Spot adapter does a fine job with 'low noise' power supplying, add a few more in the daisy and effect chains, it's not so simple, I took the DC jack from it.
  Either PNP or NPN can be used, of course polarities of polarized components must be considered. I'm not versed or fan of 'flipped' power supplies and Ge   Transistors..ie PNP Neg. Gnd. and all the problems it's caused being solved by reverting to 'standard' PS Schemes.
  Of course just pick your transistors, PNP or NPN, and build the circuit accordingly, switching the PS is pretty easy as there a few polarized components to have to reverse.
 

I think your right though.
If you were to just flip a couple of the components you'd be okay.
I built mine Positive ground and it sounds fantastic!!

[petemoore]

I built mine Positive ground and it sounds fantastic!!

[KerryF]

Sorry for bringing this topic back, but I have a question.  I am confused on which schematic is the one to build...

Theres this little schematic http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v207/petemoore/RangePIG.jpg , but then theres this full one http://www.geocities.com/diygescorp/rangepig.gif .  Does the first one work, or is it just a section?

EDIT: Also, does the input cap connect to those 2 resistors?

[markm]

The first schem uses a Germ and Silicon tranny in a darlington configuration and the second schen is using two silicon trannies to simulate the characteristics of a germ tranny in the Rangemaster.
The Germ one is quite cool, I've built it and played around with it and it has lots of tone.

[KerryF]

Yea, I am probably going to build it and a Sparkle Boost in the same box for a little boost box.

Also, does the input cap connect to those 2 resistors?

[markm]

Yes Sir it does.

[KerryF]

I just put a PNP Germanium transistor in as Q1 and a 2N4402 was Q2, and got nothing.  Dont know whats wrong....

[markm]

Are the pinouts correct?
Remember, it's a Positive Ground circuit.