Any Salvage for Leaky trannys with great gain readings?

[tjmicsak]

I have about 60 Russian GT404s that have perfect gains between 66 low and 127 high with the majority right in the strike zone for fuzz face. I got 60 thinking that I would find at least a couple keepers, but they all have leakage readings of .79 or higher which equates to around 300uA and greater. Even with a 25K pot I cannot bias much out of them unless they are in the frig for a while and then they just creep up to the pop and buzz eventuall getting out of range for anything more than a bit of velcro if I run the humbuckers wide and slam the strings.
Can these still be used? is there a way to work around the leakage issue?

[John Lyons]

SOme fuzzes are ok with leaky transistors.
Tone bender Baldwin Burns Buzzaround, Zonk Machine etc (I believe)
Early Supa Fuzz...
There is no work around for leakage with "standard" germanium fuzzes (fuzz face etc ) I do not believe

John

[slim_blues_boy]

I have about 60 Russian GT404s that have perfect gains between 66 low and 127 high with the majority right in the strike zone for fuzz face. I got 60 thinking that I would find at least a couple keepers, but they all have leakage readings of .79 or higher which equates to around 300uA and greater. Even with a 25K pot I cannot bias much out of them unless they are in the frig for a while and then they just creep up to the pop and buzz eventuall getting out of range for anything more than a bit of velcro if I run the humbuckers wide and slam the strings.
Can these still be used? is there a way to work around the leakage issue?

so have you test those transistors on working circuit? or you just measure gain and leakage?
my recent experience, I tried some transistors that supposed to be leaky (I tested with RG method and Steve Small Bear Method) on Fuzz Face circuit. the leak are in range between 300uA-900uA.
and with little tweak, they still sound nice thought some people said that the best way for leakage is under 300uA.
and some circuit such as Zonk Machine, Tonebender derivatives, etc DO NEED leaky transistors.
so don't throw your 'leaky' transistors to garbage yet, they might be still usefull.

[appliancide]

They make good clipping diodes.

[bluesdevil]

Take the highest gain transistor with worst leakage and you'll have a good candidate for a Harmonic Percolator build.

[darron]

or this: http://www.muzique.com/news/leaky-transistor-buffer/

[makaze808]

SOme fuzzes are ok with leaky transistors.
Tone bender Baldwin Burns Buzzaround, Zonk Machine etc (I believe)
Early Supa Fuzz...
There is no work around for leakage with "standard" germanium fuzzes (fuzz face etc ) I do not believe

John

WHich tonebender would you recommend with leaky GE's. Thanks.

[Scruffie]

SOme fuzzes are ok with leaky transistors.
Tone bender Baldwin Burns Buzzaround, Zonk Machine etc (I believe)
Early Supa Fuzz...
There is no work around for leakage with "standard" germanium fuzzes (fuzz face etc ) I do not believe

John

WHich tonebender would you recommend with leaky GE's. Thanks.

MkII I think prefers them best, mine with one leaky Mullard OC81D and 2 not leaky sounds... well... I am Jimmy page  (I tried with all leaky though and still pretty good)

[makaze808]

 

Nice one. Leaky bender fuzz with BMP tone section here I come.

WHY CAN THESE USE LEAKY TRANNIES?