Greer Green Giant

[rocket88]

i needed to take something to do to help take a break from making my lessons for this week, so i made a layout for this even though mark just posted one on the main page. i mean he did tell me to make one anyways. i got it one row smaller, but no other real changes.

[Silver Blues]

1N4148?

[rocket88]

lol, good catch. hey, i said i had to do something to take my mind off my lesson plans. not sure where my mind was . fixed

[piltdownman]

Worked like a champ.  Thanks for working it up.  Good luck with those lesson plans

[IvIark]

Nice job buddy

[rocket88]

thanks man, always glad to hear my layout turned out good, always feel like i'm still learning and always trying to get better, btw, here's a version of the layout with a bias trimmer so you can tune the effect for any transistor you put in. hearing that beaker was using a Ge MP38 and has been working on replacing the 680r resistor with a higher value to help remove the fuzziness, and bias the transistor got me thinking this would and could be very helpful to anyone wanting to experimenting with different transistors.

[piltdownman]

I'll try that.  I socketed the 3904 and took beakers advice and stuck one of the MP38's in there and it sounds great.  Especially as a boost.  Takes away some of the harshness.  It looks like a very malleable design, so there may be a lot of possibilities for mods.

[Frank_NH]

I suggested this in the main post on the Green Giant, but I think Jack Orman's SWTC2 would be a great addition to this circuit:

(I use the last circuit on the page)
http://www.muzique.com/lab/swtc.htm

There are so few parts required that you could wire this up directly to the tone pot if you didn't want to expand the vero.

[rocket88]

I'll make another layout tonight with the swtc. Sounds like an awesome idea.

[Frank_NH]

Cool.  BTW you could rename this the "Germanium Giant" - now with Tone Control (tm)!  

[Beaker]

I've settled on 1K as a replacement value for the 680r. It's just enough to take away any hint of fuzz with the mix control turned all the way up.

I'm really liking this pedal and it will definitely get boxed up. The all germanium combination of the MP38 tranny and the D9 series diodes, turn the fuzz into a gentle growl instead of a slightly harsher fizz with the silicon equivalents. (These still sound great BTW).

This could easily be an "always on" pedal depending on use - it really is great for Alt-Country and Sparklehorse style Lo-fi loveliness.

Well done Rocket - he shoots, he scores!

[rocket88]

Hey man, I couldn't have done it without you messing around with it and trying the Ge transistor in there. Out of curiosity, what hfe was the MP38? I'll make a note on the layout, cause I'm sure there's a value that's just too low.

I wonder how this compares to the lotus snow job, which is also an Electra, but with switchable diodes, and the a gain control, but setup differently then this. If it sounds as good as you say, it might be something I could tweak for bass as something that adds a little growl, and warmth., always need growl on bass. Hehe

[Beaker]

HFE reading is 56 in this MP38.

I've been merrily sticking MP38s into everything since getting them. I'm sure that there's plenty of builds where they just won't work, but so far, my observation is that if the layout calls for the usual suspects (2N5088, 2N3906,2N2222 etc.), then MP38's should work ok too. Wether they sound better or not is of course, up to you.


I've not built the Snow Job (but I'm gonna have to now), so can't compare, but I've put the diodes on a switch already. IMO the diodes make a much bigger difference to the sound than the transistor does. With silicon 1n4148s, it snarls, with the germanium D9k's it growls.

Sounds great on bass by the way, but I've not tried it through my bass rig yet - I'll let you know.

[rocket88]

i built a snowjob but used some 1n34a's and it's one of my favorite pedals. without the diodes it's just a good boost with TONS of output, with the diodes engaged it growls and barks, and can get all warm and fuzzy.

but in any event i know everyone is waiting for it, so i give you the Germanium Giant with SWTC.


just give it a quick look, cause it's the first time i've added a SWTC to a layout. i think it's good, but double check and get back to me. i hope you all enjoy the notes i made, especially about the diodes.

[dbat69]

THanks rocket and great work

You could get the best of both worlds and take the diodes onto a DPDT snarly growly switch

[rocket88]

i'll get on that one too. i was going to make one that's PNP with an inverter, since i know there are a lot of us with more good PNP Ge's then NPN.

[rocket88]

Now with Switchable Diodes


PNP with Inverter


PNP with Inverter and Switchable Diodes


any more suggestions as to changes to the layout?

[IvIark]

Nice one johns

[rocket88]

haha, gee thanks mark. i really feel the love and glad to know everyone knows my name. lol

[Frank_NH]

Nice veros Rocket88 (aka johns).  Let me know if someone builds this.  I might try out the tone control by putting together a daughterboard with the SWTC and adding it to my existing circuit.  I'm also interested in the germanium options, although I don't have any germanium transistors right now.