Rama Satria
TDPRI Member
Substitute transistor BC547 or BC547A or 2N3904
hFE gain from 220 to 300
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Diaz Texas Ranger Schematic
- Thread starter Rama Satria
- Start date
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Substitute transistor BC547 or BC547A or 2N3904
hFE gain from 220 to 300
Rama Satria
TDPRI Member
It's an easy one to make. Almost as easy like making a Fuzz Face. Really enjoying this one. Sounds fantastic!
Guessing at the 100k resistors..have to ask wife, she is EE
beyer160
Poster Extraordinaire
Rama Satria
TDPRI Member
Layout
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trxx
Tele-Afflicted
It's an easy one to make. Almost as easy like making a Fuzz Face. Really enjoying this one. Sounds fantastic!
Which transistor are you using in yours? What amp are you using it with?
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Rama Satria
TDPRI Member
Hello. I use a BC547 transistor. The gain hFE I use is around 250.
I use any amps. For me personally I like solid state amps better than tube amps. I do not really like the sag of a tube amp. A solid state amp somehow is tighter. Albert King used a Roland JC120.
With solid state amps I would push it with an old Marshall Blues Breaker pedal, the big black one which stays ON all the time. The volume from the amp cranked around 7-8, if it has a master volume it is set at full and the volume around 7-8. From there I do also have the volume from the Marshall Blues Breaker pedal acting as the "master volume" like an attenuator.
Signal chain ---> Amp - Marshall Blues Breaker - Diaz Texas Ranger - Guitar.
11 Gauge
Doctor of Teleocity
The rotary switch for the input cap selector might be a bit confusing for the DIY newcomer.
Personally, I'd suggest just going with the .005uF (.0047uF) if someone just wants a pretty standard treble booster effect, or maybe a DPDT toggle that adds another .005uF in parallel, thereby giving the high and mid options.
...Or, alternatively, you could do two .01uF caps in series, and then you can use a SPST to short out one of them. This would do the same thing as above - switch open would be high, switch closed would be mid.
You could potentially even get a pot that has the switch on it, keeping everything to a neat 1 knob build.
Personally, I'd suggest just going with the .005uF (.0047uF) if someone just wants a pretty standard treble booster effect, or maybe a DPDT toggle that adds another .005uF in parallel, thereby giving the high and mid options.
...Or, alternatively, you could do two .01uF caps in series, and then you can use a SPST to short out one of them. This would do the same thing as above - switch open would be high, switch closed would be mid.
You could potentially even get a pot that has the switch on it, keeping everything to a neat 1 knob build.
trxx
Tele-Afflicted
Thanks. I have read that the Diaz Texas Ranger came with both germanium and silicon transistors. Do you know anything about that and which ones?
11 Gauge
Doctor of Teleocity
Assuming Diaz wanted to keep it to NPN, I'd think the germanium would be the aforementioned NTE103.
I'd think that the actual silicon transistor used might be less important, probably just with a preference for a lower hFE.
...And assuming germanium is used, you'll obviously want to test for leakage, too (and probably sort for gains). It looks like the cheapest you can get a NTE103 for is around $8 USD, not sure about shipping. For that reason, it probably makes a lot more sense to first try and build one of these with one of the silicons mentioned, or something with a similar hFE.
trxx
Tele-Afflicted
Yea, building with silicon first does sound like a good idea. I don't know how it goes with finding good NTE103's, but it seems to be a general pain and expense finding good old germanium transistors.
mikestearns
Tele-Holic
What makes this different from a standard Rangemaster clone?
11 Gauge
Doctor of Teleocity
It uses an NPN transistor instead of PNP, and the input cap is switchable, to make it more than just a treble booster.
mikestearns
Tele-Holic
Awesome. I've been curious about it since I saw it on Isaiah Mitchell's board in the Earthless rig rundown, but couldn't figure out why it commands such a high price.
trxx
Tele-Afflicted
I'm seeing multiple versions of this pedal at high prices. Are they using rare transistors, or is this just a milking for 'whatever the market will bear'?
11 Gauge
Doctor of Teleocity
The funny thing is, there's no mention of what exact transistor is being used.
In this case of this one, I can only guess that the high price is due to the multi-position rotary. Well, it has a charge pump, but there are other PNP transistor devices using one, and they cost a bit less, like this Park Fuzz Sound.
Anyway, for at least two decades now, there's been a DIY web page on how to easily rewire pedals like the Fuzz Face and such, that use PNP transistors, to use a positive power supply: http://www.muzique.com/lab/fuzzface.htm. The complexity of a charge pump really isn't necessary.
Well, the Ranger has an internal bias trimpot, but lots of pedals have such similar things.
Maybe it's because of the jewel lamp? Not really sure.
As far as the 6 position rotary goes, IMO I'd be willing to bet that most folks will probably end up using just one or two settings, and pretty much leave it there. And if you set it to 'full' and like what you hear, it could probably be argued that you probably don't really want or need a Rangemaster type of boost at all.
IMO, single transistor boosts are such an easy DIY project, and are so easily customized/modified for the individual's particular wants and needs, that they're probably the last type of pedal to spring big bucks for. Also IMO, building them can be lots of FUN.
Rama Satria
TDPRI Member
The rotary switch of a Diaz Texas Ranger unit looks like this. 3 position with 2 poles.
