Analog Man SunFace BC109

• Fabricant : Analog Man
• Modèle : SunFace BC109
• Catégorie : Fuzz guitare
• Fiche créée le : 14/02/2014

Analog Man Sun Face pedals cover all of the Fuzz Face versions plus more, handmade to your specs with more options than any other fuzz pedal.

Here is a short summary, much more info is on the Sunface page on analogman.com :

RCA germanium transistors : We got these in mid 2018 and the specs and sound are excellent. These are fairly low gain in general, but we have low, medium, and high available. Similar to standard germanium, a bit brighter with more cut than the old white dot NKT275. Quite a bit brighter than the red dot NKT, and also have excellent cleanup. The LOW GAIN RCA really cleans up well, and is not as bright, but still had a good amount of fuzz when you hit it hard. These are probably the best germanium choice for playing in different temperatures, as they are very stable and sound good even when warm.

2SB Japanese transistors : usually Toshiba brand, about 30 years old. Medium gain, not too finicky, nice warm tone, not very bright. Good cleanup. We have these in 2SB171 which is lower gain (better cleanup) and 2SB175 which is higher gain.

2N USA transistors : black or silver larger metal cans, similar to the 2SB transistors but maybe a little brighter and a bit more edge to cut through better. Usually made by General Electric (GE). Also used in the Low Gain Germanium option.

High Gain Germanium : These transistors were used in Baldwin Organs about 40 years ago. They are quite consistent, sound similar but fuzzier than the other germaniums but the higher gain does not allow them to clean up quite as well.

Low Gain Germanium : we choose from our Standard Germanium transistors with low gain, for a transistor that sounds and cleans up very close to the NKT275. Still gets fuzz when cranked up. Not very bright sounding.

White Dot NKT-275 - no longer available, only for Sun Face repairs or vintage restorations. Pretty low gain, not much fuzz but can get totally, sparkly clean. Very consistent, fairly bright, not too temperamental.

Red Dot NKT-275 - no longer available. Usually pretty low gain but we had some in medium and higher gain. Cool smoky, dark tones. Pretty good cleanup. A bit finicky, they don't sound good at extreme cold or hot. We put a bias trimpot inside even if you get a sundial so you can keep it in range (started this in late 2011). You should order the Sun Dial option with these as the sound will change at different temperatures.

Red Dot NKT : We got these in 2017. These are definitely made at the Newmarket factory. They look and sound like the old red dot NKT275 we used to have, but have a different part number on them after the "NKT", probably a house number for a specific customer. They are almost all medium gain. We also have some nice high and low gain pairs but not many high gain ones so they are more expensive.

HYBRID RCA/NKT : In 2019, a good customer asked if we could make a germanium SunFace with one RCA and one NKT red dot. It sounded like a good idea so we made it, and it came out great. It has the useful temperature range of the RCA, with some of the RCA brightness and cut, with smoothness and warmth from the NKT. Maybe my favorite germanium choice.

SILICON

BC108C : most normally found in 1970 era Fuzzfaces, small metal can. Can be very high gain, can cause radio or other noise. Best to back the FUZZ KNOB or clean trimpot down a bit. We are now using some TFK (Telefunken) marked transistors just like the old ones from 1970.

BC183 : We have some really cool old BC183 with paint stripes, they came individually bagged. Medium high gain. I like these a lot for a silicon fuzz. Almost all the silicon transistors sound about the same if you use transistors with the same gain ranges. But these BC183 are all in the right gain range so it's easier to make a more consistent and excellent sounding fuzz. These are really smooth, almost like a germanium sound, smoothest of the Silicons. Not as bright as the BC108 or BC109.

BC182 : Similar to BC183, it's also easy to match these up with a BC183 to make a perfect matched pair. But I like the old BC183 that we got better so we don't offer these at this time.

BC109 is similar to BC108 but a bit edgier, cuts well.
TFK BC109C : NOS original Telefunken brand BC109C, high gain, cuts good but not as much bright edge as the BC109B.

TFK BC109B : same as above but B is a little lower gain, great cut and high end, also less of that high gain silicon noise and fussiness when the fuzz knob is cranked. Pretty low noise floor too. Very nice!