Question about Germanium Diodes

[Left_Hand_Strat]

I have been playing around with my DOD FX69B (grunge) pedal and have swapped out the odd component, so far it sounds great. It almost has a fuzzy type of distortion to it when I play through it, so I was thinking of making it a fuzz distortion pedal. I am tempted to either make it switchable for the diodes or just outright replace them.

The main problem I have is that I have no clue what type of diodes were ever fitted to the FX69B. I assume it would be something like a 1N4148 like in the boss DS-1, however, I could be way off...

What I need to know is does it really matter what germanium diodes I use as long as the voltage and consumption ratings are in line with the rest of the components inside the pedal???

I have spotted these and I think that it isn't too bad a deal. not for 10 anyways....

Am I along the right lines here?

EDIT: Direct link to Schematic here

 

[trevorus]

Re: Question about Germanium Diodes

I would get a pair and put them in for the clipping diodes. It's worth a go.

 

[Left_Hand_Strat]

Re: Question about Germanium Diodes

I would get a pair and put them in for the clipping diodes. It's worth a go.

I might do it for the hell of it, Luckily the PCB isn't too bad and my soldering skills are getting a lot better than they once were, so I might experiment, see what two clipping diodes do, then see what two in series do in each slot, that would be interesting.

 

[trevorus]

Re: Question about Germanium Diodes

This is a page with some cool ideas for distortion pedal mods: http://www.diystompboxes.com/cnews/mods.html

 

[Left_Hand_Strat]

Re: Question about Germanium Diodes

cheers for the link I bookmarked it. Interesting how making four diodes can up the output level at the cost of a little distortion.... very interesting

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Question about Germanium Diodes

Make sure you heat sink those diodes before soldering them!

 

[Left_Hand_Strat]

Re: Question about Germanium Diodes

Make sure you heat sink those diodes before soldering them!

heat sink? why?

 

[trevorus]

Re: Question about Germanium Diodes

heat sink? why?

They are probably a bit more temperature sensitive than normal silicon diodes or LEDs. Don't want to cook them.

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Question about Germanium Diodes

You "will" cook those diodes! Trust me!

 

[Left_Hand_Strat]

Re: Question about Germanium Diodes

Oh fair enough!
Went to the local radioshack type place and they had no Germanium diodes... WTF... shops these days, sheesh...

anyways, I will source some on the internet! possibly get them cheaper as well

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Question about Germanium Diodes

Oh fair enough!
Went to the local radioshack type place and they had no Germanium diodes... WTF... shops these days, sheesh...

anyways, I will source some on the internet! possibly get them cheaper as well

I'd send you some if you weren't in the UK...Rat Shack doesn't sell that stuff....I normally go www.mouser.com

 

[tonechaser]

Re: Question about Germanium Diodes

Mouser has about everything under the sun but if your not making a decent sized order you could spend more on shipping then what your buying. I still use them though because like I said you can find about anything. You can also try mammoth.

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Question about Germanium Diodes

Mouser has about everything under the sun but if your not making a decent sized order you could spend more on shipping then what your buying. I still use them though because like I said you can find about anything. You can also try mammoth.

Yep and I make sure I need enough stuff to cover the shipping costs! ;o(
He's in the UK anyway.

 

[Left_Hand_Strat]

Re: Question about Germanium Diodes

found some 1N34A's for the moment.

Also modded the pedal, still waiting on a few bits and it should be operational... obviously done something wrong because all i get is a lot of noise and no distortion when turned on..... that's frustrating after working on it for 5 hours.

 

[tonechaser]

Re: Question about Germanium Diodes

Don't get discouraged I've found I am forced to learn more about how a circuit works trouble shooting a problem then I ever would have just building/modding it. It happens to everyone.

 

[Left_Hand_Strat]

Re: Question about Germanium Diodes

Don't get discouraged I've found I am forced to learn more about how a circuit works trouble shooting a problem then I ever would have just building/modding it. It happens to everyone.

Yeah I know, I think i need to rotate the projects I am on when I dedicate a whole evening to the electrics. that way I would get less frustrated!

I think it's a loose connection somewhere or I have damaged a component from the soldering heat. I have performed half a Hi Fi mod, see what it does. not very much at the moment.... LOL :laugh2:

this whole thread has got my mind thinking though, I am tempted to buy another Boss DS-1 to mess about with, happy with the one I have now. I was thinking that perhaps the Germanium diodes could be applied to the clipping section of the DS-1, alter a few caps and resistors and I might be somewhere near a fuzz box/ fuzz face distortion thing??? be quite cool....

 

[GoldenVulture]

Re: Question about Germanium Diodes

Don't get discouraged I've found I am forced to learn more about how a circuit works trouble shooting a problem then I ever would have just building/modding it. It happens to everyone.

+1 to this. I learnt stacks about electronics trouble shooting Videos [ Vcr's], Tvs and Audio amps and sundry devices.

I'm just embarking on a learning curve now. I've been given [ to keep ] a 42" Plasma TV with a problem. I need to do a bit of study on how they do certain things.

 

[Left_Hand_Strat]

Re: Question about Germanium Diodes

+1 to this. I learnt stacks about electronics trouble shooting Videos [ Vcr's], Tvs and Audio amps and sundry devices.

I'm just embarking on a learning curve now. I've been given [ to keep ] a 42" Plasma TV with a problem. I need to do a bit of study on how they do certain things.

yeah I might try and see if I can find some non working bits of audio equipment and see if I can get them working, If I don't at least I have some spare components to re use in other projects :smokin:

 

[Kam]

Re: Question about Germanium Diodes

Since you're interested in modding stuff, I still have a ProCo You Dirty Rat with a slightly sketchy switch, if you're interested? It's a regular Rat but with Germanium diodes in the clipping department. £20 shipped?

Sorry, not trying to whore out my **** for sale, but with all this talk of germ diodes and pedal-modding, I thought it might be something you'd be interested in. Just lemme know, sure.

And good luck with your Grunge pedal. :beerchug:

 

[trevorus]

Re: Question about Germanium Diodes

Oh fair enough!
Went to the local radioshack type place and they had no Germanium diodes... WTF... shops these days, sheesh...

anyways, I will source some on the internet! possibly get them cheaper as well

Radioshack only has the basics. They are a cell phone store more than anything else these days. There's a business I like called Small Bear Electronics who specializes in pedal stuff. Small Bear