Substitute for NKT-275s

[tonedroner]

Hi all, I'm working on a circuit for a germanium transistor-based fuzz and after some research, I decided that I really like the tonal characteristics of pedals such as the Analog Man Sun Face and the Fulltone '69 fuzz, both of which I think use highgain NKT-275s.  This transistor is really hard to find and I was wondering if you guys knew of any decent substitutions or any other Germanium PNP transistors that work well in a fuzz circuit.  Any help would be appreciated.  Thanks :-D

[LucifersTrip]

Hi all, I'm working on a circuit for a germanium transistor-based fuzz and after some research, I decided that I really like the tonal characteristics of pedals such as the Analog Man Sun Face and the Fulltone '69 fuzz, both of which I think use highgain NKT-275s.  This transistor is really hard to find and I was wondering if you guys knew of any decent substitutions or any other Germanium PNP transistors that work well in a fuzz circuit.  Any help would be appreciated.  Thanks :-D

All I can say is...don't be a sucker.

There are 1000's of germanium transistors out there and the chance that you would pick an NKT275 pair as the best out of all the possibilities is virtually 0%

Especially if you are just starting, choose any 2 low leakage transistors in the classic Fuzz Face range (Q1 ~60-90, Q2 ~90-130) and tune it to your liking.

After you build 1 or 2, then you may want to try a variety of other germaniums.

Here are a couple of the great articles:

http://www.geofex.com/Article_Folders/ffselect.htm
http://www.geofex.com/Article_Folders/fuzzface/fffram.htm


good luck

[R.G.]

Sadly, you're not the first person to think of this. DIYers from this and other forums as well as the boutiquer-effect spawn of those forums have scoured the planet looking for NKT275s that are good, not leaky, and not counterfeit.

It's no longer a matter of knowing what germanium transistor you want and going out to look for it, as it once was. You got good advice - if you want one, two, or a few, go buy them from a professional supplier like Small Bear with a good reputation. Otherwise, be prepared to throw away from 60 to 100%  of what you buy.

[chi_boy]

Do yourself a big favor and get a nice pair from Smallbear.  You will ultimately save money and aggravation.