# Treble Boost Resistors - OC42, OC44, NKT245



## Adcandour

I just saw a pedal being sold by Arcane analog with a NOS OC42 resistor in it. I've been searching for an OC44 or NKT and this has thrown me for a loop.

It's significantly cheaper, so I'm very interested. I don't know much about this stuff, so any help would be appreciated.


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## Moosehead

I believe they are transistors. I've never tried a treble booster but it's on my list so post up some clips when you get one. 

Has the lazy J arrived?


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## sulphur

I have a few fuzz pedals of Andrews.

Great build quality and Andrew is great to deal with, I can vouch for that, 
though I haven't tried the treble booster.









The trio of terror! 8)









I've since picked up another DD, killer graphics.


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## Adcandour

Moosehead said:


> I believe they are transistors. I've never tried a treble booster but it's on my list so post up some clips when you get one.
> 
> Has the lazy J arrived?


Will do. 

Unfortunately, Lazy J is stuck at US customs (coming in from the UK). So much for 3 to 4 weeks...


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## LowWatt

Can't help you on the OC42, but I've got an Arcane Analog treble booster (OC44) from one of his earlier runs and it's the best one I've ever owned. I've owned the Beano Boost and the Ox Fuzz (both amazing) and this is by far my favourite. Always an interesting sound and a very well tuned tone control.

Have you asked him point blank how they vary? No one would know better and he seems like a straight shooter.


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## Adcandour

LowWatt said:


> Can't help you on the OC42, but I've got an Arcane Analog treble booster (OC44) from one of his earlier runs and it's the best one I've ever owned. I've owned the Beano Boost and the Ox Fuzz (both amazing) and this is by far my favourite. Always an interesting sound and a very well tuned tone control.
> 
> Have you asked him point blank how they vary? No one would know better and he seems like a straight shooter.


Thanks. I didn't realize he was a member. 
Sulphur also suggested I go direct to the source. I will try to track him down, but I'm not sure I know how on my tapatalk app. I'll give it a try.


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## sulphur

He's on FB too, under Arcane Analog.

Parts would be his only limitation to building you one.
If the parts are around, Andrew should be able to build you what you want.


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## Arcane

Thanks for the kind words, gents. It is always nice to hear from satisfied players and especially those that have more than one of my pedals or have had a pedal in use for a long time. That means a great deal to me.

I do not have any experience with the NKT245 transistor. I have never used one of these devices for any circuit so I cannot offer any insight as to this device. I have used NKT213s in Buzzarounds and NKT275s in Fuzz Faces as these were both the original transistor used and I very much like these devices for these circuits.

I like the Mullard branded OC42s for a number of fuzz and boost circuits. They are a nice overall transistor with excellent sonic and physical properties for building a number of germanium based pedals.

The OC44 and the OC71 are the original transistors used in the Rangemaster circuit. The OC44 would probably be the most recognized of the two. These are very hard to find these days and even harder to find "quiet" devices. Most builders, myself included, charge a premium for these as the supply is significantly limited. I was lucky enough to purchase a good sized lot of OC44s and a decent number of OC71s several years ago but my supply of each is certainly finite.

As long as the transistor is properly selected, screened, audited and biased, both the OC42 and the OC44 are fine choices for the Rangemaster. 

I hope that helps.

AA


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## Adcandour

Just to wrap up the thread:

AA will be changing out the resistor to an OC44 on one of his current rangemasters.

I'm ecstatic. Thanks all.


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## sulphur

Ha! I mistakenly thumbed you down Chuck, oops!

Cool that everything worked out!


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## Adcandour

sulphur said:


> Ha! I mistakenly thumbed you down Chuck, oops!
> 
> Cool that everything worked out!


eye for an eye pal.

Thank for the help.


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## fraser

the oc44 rangemasters ive done are my favourites (used the cv7003)
i havent messed with a lot of different trannies, but i have a black glass mullard oc71,
and the sound is decidedly different- has a mettalic edge to it, if that makes sense.
ive tried oc75, oc81 and nte158 as well- all work nicely in a rangemaster.
but no matter how ive tweaked and/or biased them, i prefer the oc44.

anyway- the rangemaster is the best guitar effect ever.


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## mhammer

Best one I ever made used a 2SB172, from a Mitsubishi transistor radio I bought with my summer earning from picking strawberries for the government, back in 1965. Instant Beano.

Sold it to Darwin, who owned Retrotown Music in Ottawa, and apparently it remained on his pedalboard for years. Might even still be there. And I still regret selling it.


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## Arcane

I have a pile of 2SBs Mark - all nice transistors. 

One thing to keep in mind with germanium is that it is hard to truly compare transistors unless you have many devices to test. The manufacturing process made for deviations from device to device a common occurrence. Having a good number to test will provide a better sample of what the general characteristics of each type yield. Until you have tested a good number it is hard to provide a comparison.


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## mhammer

I have a bunch too. I can't speak to their leakage or other specs. My point was that there are a variety of viable choices - important, given the ever-dwindling supply of germanium devices.


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## Arcane

Sorry Mark - I thought I had quoted the fellow before you. With that bit about testing and whatnot, I was trying to respond on the OC71 vs OC44 comparison posted by the fellow before you. I do not find OC71s "metallic" and I would suspect he might just have an oddball. The OC71 is a great Rangemaster transistor.


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## fraser

Arcane said:


> Sorry Mark - I thought I had quoted the fellow before you. With that bit about testing and whatnot, I was trying to respond on the OC71 vs OC44 comparison posted by the fellow before you. I do not find OC71s "metallic" and I would suspect he might just have an oddball. The OC71 is a great Rangemaster transistor.


perhaps metallic isnt the right word-
i really suck at describing sounds lol.
really, i just find my oc71 not as pleasing to the ear as the oc44's ive tried.
not that it doesnt sound great or anything- because it does.
im really just bieng picky because i can.
i rather doubt that the difference is something that could be discerned on a recording or anything.
and i do use that oc71 in a rangemaster build- its just a slightly different flavour.

but yeah, i can only try what i have,
and as a casual dabbler im limited in the transistors im able to try.

thing is, i love rangemasters.
and you guys were talking about them.
and i had to get involved. lol.


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## sulphur

So how do you use these?

Always on, or just as a boost? Either or both?


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## fraser

sulphur said:


> So how do you use these?
> 
> Always on, or just as a boost? Either or both?


i would be interested to see how others use it.
for me,
yeah, always on.
small amp cranked, RM cranked,
ride the volume knob on guitar.
my favourite doesnt even have a footswitch- its mounted in an old pre-amp box 
and sits on top of the amp.

also since i generally use a single coil strat and a fender amp,
i have either a knob or switch to adjust the frequency of the boost,
Arcanes rangemasters use this-
i prefer more of a mid boost for my setup,
but with a darker amp and humbuckers youd want more treble in there-

for me its mostly an overdrive pedal,
giving the amp that extra push it needs to really grind and sing.
it does add its own thing- and thats what i love about it,
but it still sounds very natural.
again, impossible for me to describe without confusing everyone lol.

i also never stack it with other effects- when i use it its on its own, just driving the amp.

Arcane- youve gotta get some clips up- love what you did with the buzzsaw one.


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## JeremyP

What Arcane said at the bottom is dead on. As long as you measure the gain and leakage on the transistors , and use the proper ones. Pretty much any Germanium will work awesome with the Rangemaster. It's all about the individual trannie. I have had OC44 and OC75s that were low gain and GARBAGE and other no names that were amazing.

To date my favorite Rangemaster has a 2N404. And my favorite fuzz build, runs AC-128. I have never had a ton of luck with OC44.


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## Adcandour

sulphur said:


> So how do you use these?
> 
> Always on, or just as a boost? Either or both?


My intention is to see what the pedal does to the attenuated overdriven sound of my new amp. 

I'm also very interested in 'boosting' my keeley BD-2. When I was researching treble boosters, Catanlinbread mentioned that their Naga Viper is amazing before their DLS.


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## fraser

adcandour said:


> My intention is to see what the pedal does to the attenuated overdriven sound of my new amp.
> 
> I'm also very interested in 'boosting' my keeley BD-2. When I was researching treble boosters, Catanlinbread mentioned that their Naga Viper is amazing before their DLS.


in my experience these things only shine through a cranked amp.
and it needs to be a cranked tube amp.
thats not to say that you wont have a different take on it-
you will see in any case.
its a must have effect.


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## LowWatt

They can sound really cool into a pedal. Especially really thick fuzzes. I know my Arcane makes an amazing sound cranked into a Malekko B:Assmaster with the level dialled back. Somehow gets both more focused and wild at the same time …which you'd think would be contradictory.


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## sulphur

Well, it appears that I already have one...

http://www.maritimeanalog.com/store...ion=com_virtuemart&Itemid=2&vmcchk=1&Itemid=2

It has the OC44 transistor too, I'll have to pull that one out again!
I think that I got in at the end of the run of this pedal.


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## Adcandour

sulphur said:


> Well, it appears that I already have one...
> 
> http://www.maritimeanalog.com/store...ion=com_virtuemart&Itemid=2&vmcchk=1&Itemid=2
> 
> It has the OC44 transistor too, I'll have to pull that one out again!
> I think that I got in at the end of the run of this pedal.


haha...I should go checking around my basement - maybe I have one too. 

If I'm _really_ lucky, maybe I'll find Brian May hiding behind my furnace.


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## Disbeat

I had one of those as well a while back, I wonder if he's still doing builds, haven't heard anything about him in a long time.

Arcane does the best fuzz builds around in my opinion though.



sulphur said:


> Well, it appears that I already have one...
> 
> http://www.maritimeanalog.com/store...ion=com_virtuemart&Itemid=2&vmcchk=1&Itemid=2
> 
> It has the OC44 transistor too, I'll have to pull that one out again!
> I think that I got in at the end of the run of this pedal.


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## sulphur

I haven't heard from Jeff in a while, but he seems to be building pedals for Noise Supply...

http://noisesupply.ca/collections/maritime-analog

There's the mini version of the Bullfrog boost available there.


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## Disbeat

Anyone on here ever try the Diamond Marquis? It's one I've never played myself, I know they use a different transistor then come in most germanium treble boosters.
I did have a Diamond J Drive TR awhile ago and I heard it had the same style treble boost as the Marquis but I was never super fond of the J Drive's so I dumped it fairly quick. I do really like most Diamond pedals but the J Drive's never seemed to bond with my set ups.


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## Arcane

Unfortunately, Diamond does not provide what transistor they use in their description. The just call it a "New Old Stock Germanium Transistor" which is a bummer. 

I am as big of a pedal geek as they come but I cannot get into vintage circuits made with SMT components. It's mojo or nothing for this guy.


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## Disbeat

I've read that it uses a 2n388 germanium transistor? Not one I'm familiar with but I just play em not build em.



Arcane said:


> Unfortunately, Diamond does not provide what transistor they use in their description. The just call it a "New Old Stock Germanium Transistor" which is a bummer.
> 
> I am as big of a pedal geek as they come but I cannot get into vintage circuits made with SMT components. It's mojo or nothing for this guy.


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## Jeff B.

sulphur said:


> I haven't heard from Jeff in a while, but he seems to be building pedals for Noise Supply...
> 
> http://noisesupply.ca/collections/maritime-analog
> 
> There's the mini version of the Bullfrog boost available there.


Hi J.

I'm still around, just not as immersed in the commercial pedal industry as overwhelmingly deeply as I once was. I'm still building stompboxes though. 
Is the one you have a small 1590B (MXR) size gold hammertone with the 3 position toggle switch or the full on deluxe version with the 6 position switch? There was around 10 of the Deluxe versions made, all with the Mullard CV7003 (mil spec OC44) however there was only 2 of the smaller (regular) versions with the toggle switch made with the gold hammer paint and the Mullard CV7003 transistor (#49 and #50). 
I kept #49 myself and #50 was the last one of that style of BB that I made before the smaller ones which use a different germanium transistor (Russian). 
Of the original BB run #1-48 had the regular CV7003 transistor and only #49 and #50 had the Mullard version of it. 
There is one other gold version out there with a lower serial number and that one has a higher gain version of the regular CV7003 in it. 

As long as the gain, noise and leakage are all in acceptable ranges a Rangemaster variation will probably sound good regardless of what name or number is on the transistor.


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## sulphur

Hey Jeff, good to hear from you!

Yes, I have #50 BB. 8)

I went on a run and picked up a bunch of your builds a few years ago, all low #s.


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