The Difference Between NPN And PNP Transistors
September 20, 2024Transistors come in a lot of different types, but in this article, I’m only going to be talking about bipolar junction transistors (BJTs). Specifically, I’m going to be talking about NPN transistors and how they’re different from PNP transistors. A transistor is a component that’s very commonly used in guitar pedals and other electronics. If […]
How Does A Drive, Gain, Or Distortion Knob Work?
September 17, 2024I’ve touched on this subject a lot, but I want to approach it differently now. Namely, from the perspective of the potentiometer that is controlling the gain in an overdrive, distortion, or fuzz pedal. When talking about this before, I’ve mostly gone through how clipping diodes work in guitar pedals and how they cause clipping […]
The Difference Between Silicon And Germanium Transistors
September 11, 2024In the world of guitar pedals (and electronics in general), transistors are made from one of two materials: silicon and germanium. There’s a difference between these two materials and how they affect what a guitar pedal does, and it’s important to use the right kind of transistor in guitar pedal builds if you want to […]
What Is Gain (And How It’s Different From Volume)
September 5, 2024This is going to be a fun article to write (not really), because the concept of gain is actually kind of elusive to define if you’re trying to be general. I’ve always understood the concept of gain as it pertains to guitar pedals (and general guitar oriented analogue electronics). However, as I did some research […]
Transistor Saturation, Active, And Cutoff Region
August 23, 2024It’s time to get a little more in depth on transistors. If you haven’t read it yet, check out my guide to transistors for some background on how transistors work in guitar pedals and in general. This article builds on the general guide to explain saturations, active, and cutoff region in transistors. The basics of […]
What Is Transistor hFE?
July 23, 2024Transistors are used a lot in guitar pedals. Sometimes they’re used for a general signal boost to create a clean boost pedal like a ZVEX Super Hard On, sometimes they’re used as building block as part of a larger pedal design, and sometimes they’re used to create awesome fuzz pedals. All in all, transistors are […]
Ultimate Guide To Transistors In Guitar Pedals: What They Do And How They Work
January 20, 2024Table Of Contents: What Is A Transistor? How Do Transistors Work? Clipping Transistors In Guitar Pedals What Are The Different Kinds Of Transistors Used In Guitar Pedals? What Is A Transistor? Transistors have a variety of applications in electronics, not just in creating guitar pedals. While the use of transistors in guitar pedals is relatively […]
