New Production Germanium Transistors - What's The Scoop?
- Thread starter Ginsly
- Start date
PedalBuilder
Well-known member
The newest germanium transistors that I've seen are Soviet transistors from 1990. I haven't seen anything that's currently being produced.
Ginsly
Well-known member
Apologies, thought I had seen you mention them! Evidently they're still being produced to some degree, but I'm trying to suss out the details.
Ah bummer. If companies like WA are using them in their pedals, there must be a pretty reliable source for them. I've never messed with AliExpress. Kinda scares me, heh
PedalBuilder
Well-known member
Are you sure that the Chinese germanium is new production? I've bought some on AliExpress and they all had date codes from the 70s and 80s and oxidized leads. (The 3AG1B in your picture have a 1983 date code.)
spi
Well-known member
I think the ones you can get from Antique Audio Supply are modern production. I'm not 100% sure, but they don't advertise them as NOS or such. And many of them have the same logo on them.
www.tubesandmore.com
I got some and they worked fine in the pedals I used them in.
Transistors - Element: Germanium | Antique Electronic Supply
Browse products from the Transistors category - listing products sorted by popular, page 1
www.tubesandmore.com
I got some and they worked fine in the pedals I used them in.
Ginsly
Well-known member
Hmm. Although they're not labeled NOS I'm not sure I see any indication that any of these are new production. @Amplified Parts what say you?I think the ones you can get from Antique Audio Supply are modern production. I'm not 100% sure, but they don't advertise them as NOS or such. And many of them have the same logo on them.
Transistors - Element: Germanium | Antique Electronic Supply
Browse products from the Transistors category - listing products sorted by popular, page 1
I got some and they worked fine in the pedals I used them in.
darwin999
Well-known member
NTE had some new production, but they recently went out of business.
And you may be right about leakage, although I haven't tested any new ones. But technology has improved significantly since the "old days".
Germanium oxide is water soluble, that's always been a serious problem for Ge transistors - i.e., getting an insulating barrier on them to make a transistor. But new thin film deposition techniques available now (but not back in the 50-80's) allow for thin layer deposition of ultra-thin pinhole-free insulating layers, and thus new Ge may be much better with regard to leakage.
(Edit - fixed a typo)
And you may be right about leakage, although I haven't tested any new ones. But technology has improved significantly since the "old days".
Germanium oxide is water soluble, that's always been a serious problem for Ge transistors - i.e., getting an insulating barrier on them to make a transistor. But new thin film deposition techniques available now (but not back in the 50-80's) allow for thin layer deposition of ultra-thin pinhole-free insulating layers, and thus new Ge may be much better with regard to leakage.
(Edit - fixed a typo)
Last edited:
bean
Legume Liaison
Yeah, I have some NPN and PNP from CEDist. I've got three builds I'm working on that will use them but I need to test them for gain and leakage first.
PedalBuilder
Well-known member
Nope. No idea. Just assumed.
Now looking at the listings posted they both state they're old stock. I don't recall seeing much of any description when I purchased some a couple of years ago.
Funny enough, one listing claims that electronic measurements(including a picture of the TC-1) can't be trusted because they don't use enough current.
PedalBuilder
Well-known member
Sounds like someone knows that they're selling junk and is trying to fend off the inevitable refund requests. Caveat emptor!
Yep
The ones I received were garbage iirc. There were usable-ish silver ones(I forget which model) but all the black ones were shot.
Similar threads
- Question
