Need to Experiment: Circuit Suggestions for NPN-heavy things to breadboard

jessenator

jessenator

Well-known member
I'm in a rut of sorts, and I've got some end of the year off-time coming soon and wanted to try and breadboard something new once a day. This is where my "rush back into a hobby and get XP but no breadth/history of experience" kind of hobby acquisition starts to show itself. So real XP grinding begins 🤓

Over the last year I bought a …stupid number of NPNs, and would be appreciative of some circuit suggestions that go heavy on NPN implementation. I think I'm setting the super-fuzz as the baseline of "NPN-heavy" with 6, so anything around that range or higher would be lovely.

Thank you!

Edit: I'll keep a running list


1. FuzzWar V1
2. FZ-1 (I want my piggyback piggyback piggyback…)
3. Fender Blender
4. FY-6
5. Op-amp (rat???)
6. Roland AD50
…

X. Dirty Dog
 
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Weeeelllll. You could try the Peavey Dirty Dog. Only 22 transistors in that guy.
www.freestompboxes.org

Peavey pedals schematics

on my cellar, round and round dsc-4 dual clock stereo chorus
www.freestompboxes.org www.freestompboxes.org
🤣

For the fuzz war, may want to ref the fuzz dog fuzz raw docs. Supposedly works without too much hassle...

Maybe a maestro FZ1 with 3 Darlington pairs?

Shin-ei FY-6 super fuzz(6 low gain npn, perfect!)

Superfuzz build doc.pdf

drive.google.com drive.google.com
Fender blender (5)
Unicord super fuzz(same/similar as fy-6?)
 
jwin615 said:
Weeeelllll. You could try the Peavey Dirty Dog. Only 22 transistors in that guy. :ROFLMAO:
Click to expand...
jP5fBmr.gif

If it weren't for the gap and a couple of ICs I might not have... this could possibly be my breadboard capstone project for the semester.
RXkgpFe.jpg


jwin615 said:
Shin-ei FY-6 super fuzz(6 low gain npn, perfect!)
Click to expand...
Even though I've made like 4 different PCBs of that, I don't think I ever breadboarded it :|
 
I always wanted to try to bb a "discrete opamp" and flip it and an opamp in and out of a circuit to compare. That takes ~6 transistors.
A germ discrete opamp would be cool but not sure how that would work out with all the leakage.
I just don't have time to be much anymore, which is sad because I've hoarded so many components at this point I could be most anything.
But my limited bench time is dedicated to builds and guitar work lately
That and in despise the cleanup.
 
jessenator said:
Can't hate the cleanup of you never clean up View attachment 61882



There's an idea! What would the tolerances need to be? I'm guessing "very"
Click to expand...
Not really sure. I would guess matchig gain stages matter more.
But looking around, the few discrete layouts in see a mostly pnp in the first 4 Qs... Ith npnnand PNP at output.
If you need/want some germ PNP, I have plenty. Happy so send some. Waiting on a few things to show up to pack to you. Can toss some in.
There so seem to be some designs that are more npn based though...
See here
2630.contentimage_5F00_137854.png

A couple of GE discrete builds at FSB as well.
 
Q1 and Q2 need to be closely matched for sure.
Could probably be a little looser, to an extent, with the second to pairs.
But perfect doesn't mean it sound cool, and cool sounding circuits are usually very imperfect...
 
Haha, you're too generous, thank you. I managed to snag some low-hFE silicon PNPs from a closeout at Circuit Specialists. Weird, gnarly can jobbies
IMG_20231130_075823.jpg
 
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Edit: sleep posting

Edit 2: you know the first and second stage in a Bluesdriver is an "operational amplifier". Clones usually just sub a TL072..
Just thought it was interesting..
 
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Sturdag Lagernathy said:
Edit: sleep posting

Edit 2: you know the first and second stage in a Bluesdriver is an "operational amplifier". Clones usually just sub a TL072..
Just thought it was interesting..
Click to expand...
BlueSteel.gif

JFet (J201)based, like a 072.
But the idea of a *mojo'd* discrete opamp is still pretty intriguing. Making one with germanium, to some extent or another, is a cool concept to me in the what's old is new again.
Like building a ICF house with Roman concrete.
Rooting for Jessenator to pull this off.
 
Guardians of the analog said:
I ordered this and decided to build it after seeing this demo online. He made some mods in the video description.

Click to expand...

Aion FX Argus Fuzz (Roland Double Beat)

New DIY fuzz on the bench: the Roland AD50 Double Beat fuzz, built thanks the Aion FX Argus pcb. I did few mods to have more bass and gain range available. I reworked a bit the mid scoop preset, and especially tweaked a lot the Sinus tone preset as it was cutting way to many highs for my taste...
forum.pedalpcb.com forum.pedalpcb.com
 
Sturdag Lagernathy said:
Edit: sleep posting

Edit 2: you know the first and second stage in a Bluesdriver is an "operational amplifier". Clones usually just sub a TL072..
Just thought it was interesting..
Click to expand...
You mean the FZ-2, only some few heathens clone the BD-2 with ICs because quite honestly, TL072 op amp clipping without diodes sounds atrocious most of the time.
 
Alright, I think I've given #1, the FuzzWar, a thorough shakedown.

I breadboarded it by recommendation on the Fuzzdog version, and I can definitely see (hear?) why.

1000006337.jpg

Since my 5088s are all over the place (cheap fakes I think) so I used something in the nominal range from the datasheet (~300) with some BC108s. For the clippers I used some D9Ds and D9Es

1000006260.jpg

This thing is nuts! I think the company's promo video for it kinda sums it up. I mean I can get some mild stuff all the way to "I'M GONNA BLOW UP YER H*CKIN AMP!" levels of insanity. Very fun.
 
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