Pedal Parts / DIY

New old stock Soviet GT309E transistors manufactured in Ukraine. The GT309E is a germanium PNP transistor in a very low profile case. The case has a 0.29” diameter and is only 0.1” thick. These have very low leakage and work well in a variety of fuzz pedal builds.

2SC828 NPN silicon transistors made by Panasonic. The 2SC828 is a popular NPN choice for fuzz pedals and can be found in vintage effects such as Super-Fuzz and Uni-Vibe pedals.

The BC183L is a general purpose NPN transistor in a TO-92 case. The BC183L is commonly used in fuzz pedals and has a reputation as a warm sounding silicon transistor for fuzz. The BC183L was used in some of the earliest silicon Fuzz Face pedals. The ECB pinout matches the arrangement on the P-PC-FUZZ-ISS2-BRN Iss. 2 PCB

• NPN polarity
• Collector emitter breakdown voltage 30V
• Collector base breakdown voltage 45V
• Collector current 100mA
• Power 1W
• Transition frequency 120MHz
• TO-92 case

ACY31 PNP germanium transistors. The ACY31 is a popular PNP for fuzz pedals and other effects. The ACY31 can be found in the rare CSL Super Fuzz version of the MKIV Tone Bender. This transistor is in a TO-1 package with long leads commonly found on germanium transistors.

AF101 PNP germanium transistors made by Telefunken. The AF101 is a PNP transistor recommended for mixer and IF stages and works well in effects that use germanium transistors such as fuzz and boost pedals. This transistor is in a unique SO-2 package and features the long leads commonly found on germanium transistors.

ASY76 PNP germanium transistors. The ASY76 is a PNP transistor recommended for audio frequency amplifiers and drivers and works well in effects that use germanium transistors such as fuzz and boost pedals. This transistor is in a TO-5 package with long leads commonly found on germanium transistors.

BC149C NPN transistor in a rare Mullard Lockfit package. The BC149C is the equivalent of a BC109C but in the Lockfit package rather than a TO-18. The BC149C was used in a variety of audio and radio equipment and works well for fuzz and other effects. It can be found in the Brian May treble boost and the Electrolabs Fuzz.

The BC183A transistors manufactured by ITT. The BC183A is a general purpose NPN transistor in a TO-92 case. It is commonly used in fuzz pedals and has a reputation as a warm sounding silicon transistor for fuzz. A version of the BC183A, the BC183KA can be found in some vintage Fuzz Face pedals.

AC162 PNP germanium transistors made by Siemens. The AC162 is a popular PNP transistor among fuzz builders and is a great option for effects that use germanium transistors. This transistor is in a TO-1 package that is unique to Siemens transistors and features the long leads commonly found on germanium transistors.

OC84N PNP germanium transistors. The OC84N is a great PNP for fuzz pedals and boost effects. It is the TO-1 version of the OC84 which can be found in many fuzz pedals such as MKII Tonebender and Supa Fuzz clones. This transistor features long leads commonly found on germanium transistors.

BC108C NPN silicon transistors made by Philips. The BC108C is a popular NPN choice for fuzz pedals and other effects such as vintage silicon Fuzz Face builds and Big Muff clones.

The BC181 is a general purpose PNP transistor manufactured by Texas Instruments. This low-power PNP bipolar junction transistor is in a TO-92 case.

NPN low noise transistor (TO-92 package) - designed for high gain, low noise general purpose amplifier applications.

• Max collector to emitter voltage = 45 V
• Max collector to base voltage = 45 V
• Max emitter to base voltage = 6.5 V
• Max collector current = 0.2 A (continuous)

2N1308 NPN germanium transistors. The 2N1308 is a popular NPN for fuzz pedals and other effects. This transistor is in a TO-39 package.

The AS394H is a junction isolated ultra well-matched monolithic NPN transistor pair with an order of magnitude improvement in matching over conventional transistor pairs. Electrical characteristics of these devices such as drift versus initial offset voltage, noise, and the exponential relationship of base-emitter voltage to collector current closely approach those of a theoretical transistor. Extrinsic base and emitter resistances are very low, giving very low noise and operating over a wide current range. To guarantee long term stability of matching parameters, internal clamp diodes have been added across the emitter-base junction of each transistor. These prevent degradation due to reverse biased emitter current, the most common cause of field failures in matched devices.

TI377 PNP germanium transistors from Texas Instruments. The TI377 is a great PNP for fuzz pedals and other effects. This transistor is in a metal SO-2 package with long leads commonly found on germanium transistors. This package with the gold leads visually matches the 2G308, 2G309, and 2G381 transistors found in Zonk and Tonebender MKI fuzz pedals.

High quality single row machine pin sockets made by Preci-Dip. These sockets are the break-away type and can easily snap into smaller sizes such as 5 separate transistor sockets.

The 2N5135 is a silicon NPN transistor in a TO-105 case. This transistor is a close match to the rare 2N5133 but with higher voltage ratings and is in a larger package. The hFE range is less wide than the 2N5133 with more values in the range found in the batches used on vintage Big Muff pedals. The lower hFE range also makes these a great option for silicon fuzz pedals.

The 2N4403 is a silicon general purpose PNP transistor in a TO-92 package. The 2N4403’s typical applications include signal processing, amplification, and switching.

2N321 PNP germanium transistors. The 2N321 is a popular PNP for fuzz pedals and other effects. This transistor is in a TO-5 package with long leads commonly found on germanium transistors.

2N1303 PNP germanium transistors. The 2N1303 is a popular PNP for fuzz pedals and other effects. This transistor is in a TO-5 package with long leads commonly found on germanium transistors.

NTE123 NPN silicon transistors. The NTE123 is a popular NPN for fuzz pedals and other effects. This transistor is in a TO-5 package. The NTE123 was used in the Texas Square Face made by Cesar Diaz, the famous amp tech who worked with Stevie Ray Vaughan and others. Early in his career, SRV had a broken Fuzz Face pedal and took it to Cesar Diaz to have him fix it. Diaz fixed and modified the pedal and this became the foundation of his famous version which he named the Texas Square Face. The Diaz pedals often came socketed and included a set of NTE123 along with the standard pair of P-QNTE103 to experiment with the different sounds of the transistors.

General purpose low-power PNP bipolar junction transistor, used frequently in hobbyist electronic projects. For the NPN 2N3904 see P-Q2N3904

2N797 NPN germanium transistors. The 2N797 is a popular NPN for fuzz pedals and other effects. The NPN polarity allows for use with standard pedal power supplies. The 2N797 is a fairly unique germanium transistor since it is in a TO-18 package.