Re: Fuzz boxes

On Sun, 23 Feb 2025 23:30:41 +0000, TTman <kraken.sankey@gmail.com>
wrote:

Can anyone explain why the best ones seem to use germanium transtors, (
and 'matched pairs' at that)? Why not a simple op amp with back to back
diodes? Any circuits?

I designed the signal path for the Ryder amps.

https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?threads/ryder-amps-cabs-from-the60s.663614/

They were named for a co-worker, Frank Ryder, who was also a small
plane aerobatic instructor. The only time I ever got close to motion
sick was after an hour flying with him.

The Ryder amp had a path that used a tracking diode clipper followed
by a diferentiator. They called it "bell tone", not fuzz. It had a
"long sustain", whatever that means.