Germanium transistor question?

Question

I'm building a fuzz factory clone and after doing research on which types of transistors to get, I decided on the OC44. I found a group of OC43's that are supposed to be close to the OC44's and they have the hfe and Ic measured out by the seller. The hfes for the group are from 110 to 150 which is what I'm looking for but the collector current is measured at 50 mA to 70mA and I don't know how this will affect the sound of the effect.

So what does the collector current mean for transistors and how will it affect the tone? Thanks!

Update:

When I wrote mA, I meant uA, as the measurement was in microAmperes, not miliAmperes

So what does the collector current mean for transistors and how will it affect the tone? Thanks!

Alan · Answer

You should be okay - or consider the OC75. Since most sellers of the OC43 and OC44 allow you to choose your gain from their tested stock, lean toward the closest OC43 that comes to typical OC44 stock.

While more costly, the OC75 is more commonly used for effects pedals / boxes.

Don't overlook the Russian transistor market. Those of us who repair vintage audio are having to turn more and more to Russian stock - which is often military grade and very durable.

spacemissing · Answer

Manufacturer's specifications and the actual measured 
or calculated values of circuit parameters generally differ.

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Germanium transistor question?

2 Answers