Ques. about types of transistor based circuits

[tcobretti]

At some point I read a post (I believe it was R.G.) that said that a Fuzz Face was one of the six (?) types of basic transistor based amplifying circuits, and later I read that an Axis Fuzz was another one.  I searched, but couldn't remember enough to search effectively.  Can anyone give me some clues so I can study the different types of circuits?

Just trying to learn a little.  Thanks.

[Seljer]

I believe they'd be  common collector (this is your most common amplifier that you often find), common emitter (this basically a buffer most of the time) and common base (but I don't think i've ever seen this setup used in a stompbox); as well as common gate, common source and common drain with FETs
http://www.ibiblio.org/obp/electricCircuits/Semi/SEMI_4.html#xtocid55704
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Electronic_amplifiers

[Thomas P.]

yes, common base and common gate aren't what would be called an amplifier around here. But they are used at higher frequencies (~MHz) because of the higher bandwidth. They also got a very low input impedance (compared to common emitter).

[Paul Perry (Frostwave)]

Here be wisdom... http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Electronics/Amplifiers

Note that only the common emitter & emitter follower are at all simple to bias.

Note also that when you go from one to two transistors, there are naturally a lot more combinations, cute ways to bias... and then ther eis the whole NPN/PNP thing as well.

All of which is quite different from the Class A, B, etc etc amplifier modes!

[tcobretti]

Thanks for the help, that gives me some good stuff to study.

[Sir H C]

yes, common base and common gate aren't what would be called an amplifier around here. But they are used at higher frequencies (~MHz) because of the higher bandwidth. They also got a very low input impedance (compared to common emitter).

Well the differential pair uses the common base/common gate configuration.  Anything with a cascode is also common base. 

The coolest use of common grid is Peavey and some Musicman amplifiers that used transistors to drive the cathodes of the power tubes.