Fuzz Face Shootout - Germanium vs Silicon

Two vintage spec fuzz faces, one germanium the other silicon. Let the games begin!

Category:

Music

Tags:

• dallas
• arbiter
• fuzz
• face
• vintage
• spec
• clone
• germanium
• silicon
• transitors
• shootout
• versus
• guitar
• effects
• pedal
• stompbox
• in
• the
• onboard
• dirt
• boost
• strat
• stratocaster
• fender
• lindry
• fralin
• hot
• pickups
• frenzel
• 5E3
• deluxe
• plus
• reverb
• tube
• amp
• rig
• speaker
• emulation
• diy
• breadboard
• stompboxes

[arioz1]

What transistors did you use ? And what was your layout ? Thanks for the fast reply !

[kleydj13]

@arioz1 - I got them from Smallbear Electronic. The GE were two matched, old-stock 3AX31C. The SI were 2N4402. Smallbear has great prices and his GE trannies come matched, which is huge for this circuit. The schematic can be found in lots of places, check GGG for starters.

[arioz1]

What were those pedals ?

[kleydj13]

@arioz1 - Two fuzz faces I built, clones of the Dallas-Arbiter Fuzz Face. Only difference was the transistors.

[arioz1]

@kleydj13 The one from GGG ? What are the transistors ?

[kleydj13]

@arioz1 - no actually, although I have built that kit too, it's very good. I actually built these on a breadboard first, then put them on some veroboard.

[BkkCheesepie]

personally the Si sounds smoother to me, great for fills.. the Ge can be abit nasty at times, depends on your outcome altogether but both are equally delicious.

[infernalhammer]

silicon FTW

[seicheberlin]

0:33 silicon

3:03 germanium

[mistad00m]

which one do you personally like more?

i love gilmour's tone on live at pompeii and he used silicon.