Startup parts list

[Squiggles333]

Hello, I've been directed here by a friend to seek your wise advice. I'm a noob who's just built their first bazz fuss v1 pedal and wants to keep progressing through increasingly complex builds learnings, learning more as I go.

I recently purchased a small bulk of supplies to help me get started. I'd rather have parts in advance to make the most of my free time spent building.

I was hoping you lovely folk might suggest to me some commonly used or often sought after parts for what I'll likely be building for the first few months.

Some pedals I'm considering next (suggested to me as ideal progression for a beginner) :
Shoe pixel fuzz
Eternity tube screamer
Lpb2/mosfet boost
Colour sound 1 knob fuzz
Fuzz face
Valve wizard sub octave
Zvex SHO
EQD Acapulco gold
HAO sole pressure
(I'll also gladly take any recommendations for builds suitable for a beginner in learning).

Here's a list of the parts I have so far. Anything that's worth stocking up on, any particular component's I'll always be running out of... If you guys could clue me in now I'll get a load more ordered!


Silicon NPN PNP Power Transistor Assortment Kit (BC337 BC327 2N2222 2N2907 2N3904 2N3906 S8050 S8550 A1015 C1815)

Rectifier Diodes (1N4148, 1N4007, 1N5819,  1N5399, FR107,  FR207, 1N5408, 1N5822)

1uF-470uF (12 Values) Aluminum Electrolytic Capacitors

0.001uf~0.12uf CBB metal film capacitors (10 values)

1/4W 1% Resistor Kit Assortment 10ohm – 1M Ohm (30 values) Metal Film Resistor

MPSA13 NPN Low Signal RF HF Darlington Transistor (on the way to me now)

Jacks, various pots, battery clips and
3PDT 9 pin switches

Thanks for any help offered!

[Silver Blues]

Op amps - load up on TL072 and TL074 especially, if you can find some legit 4558s those are nice, CA3130s if you're into the BJFE stuff (which I definitely recommend). There are loads to choose from but the great thing is that most op-amps are interchangeable as long as they're the same topology (i.e. many single op-amps are interchangeable, many dual op-amps are interchangeable, etc.). I'd get some 2N5088/9 as well, those are handy. 2N7000 and/or BS170 MOSFETS...

[Fuzz Prince Of Bel Air]

"Silicon NPN PNP Power Transistor Assortment Kit (BC337 BC327 2N2222 2N2907 2N3904 2N3906 S8050 S8550 A1015 C1815)"

I could be wrong, but those are all mid-gain transistors (I know my 2N2222As and 2N3904s are around 250-350 hfe), so I'd recommend first measuring them (e.g. using the HFE socket on a voltmeter), and if none are below 200 hfe, getting some low gain ones.

e.g. 2N2369A (I have some that are about 80 hfe) and BC547A/BC548A (mine are around 150-180). They're useful in 60s fuzz circuits, like the Fuzz Face, Fuzzrite, and even the first few Big Muff circuits.

[Squiggles333]

Thanks op amps are what I'm looking at for the moment, seems that many of the ones called for in schematics I'm looking at, they're hard to find. Thanks for the tip about switching them for each other!

[Squiggles333]

Indeed I think you're right, they wouldn't work for my fuzz pedal until I made a darlington from two of them. I didn't realise a lower hfe value meant more gain, oops! Glad you said that before I bought more. Thanks for the tips

[Silver Blues]

That's not correct, higher hFE = higher gain and vice versa. What Fuzz Prince is saying is that some of the vintage fuzz circuits prefer or demand lower-gain transistors, and a lot of the common modern small-signal transistors are mid-to-high gain parts, so it would be worth getting some lower-gain ones.

[Squiggles333]

Ah thanks for clarifying before I got my self seriously confused.