Sorting through Transistors - Help Please!

[aziltz]

I have a bunch of clearly labeled transistors from a Futurlec pack, but I haven't really worked with transistors as much as opamps or fets and i'm not very familiar with them

I'm perfectly capable of looking up datasheets, but I'm not sure how to read gain/HFE characteristics to determine what kind of application they would be suitable for. (ie Fuzz Face, Range-Master, any-old boost/buffer, things like that)

its obvious that some of them are in counter-part pairs or trips.
BC337 and BC338
BC547/BC548/BC549
C9012 and C9013

BC327
BC107A
2SC1815

Does anyone know off hand what effects applications some of these lend themselves to?  I was hoping that the BC547/BC548/BC549 might be similar enough to the 5087/8/9 that I could make some discrete op-amps or something. 

Also along this topic, can anyone discuss what Gain Ranges of the Transistors are good for what effect types?  Fuzz, Clean/Dirty Boost, etc?  I don't know if that's a valid thing to ask so please correct me if I'm thinking about this wrong.

[panterica]

I can't say I'm very knowledgable myself, but from my experience and readings, the lower gain transistors (Hfe at about 75-125) are preferred in a lot of fuzz and overdrive circuits for a sort of "dirty clean" kind of sound. It's all a matter of taste, though. The range of gain among transistors of the same model is huge as well. I sorted my Radio Shack collection of 2N3904s by Hfe. You'll need a digital multimeter for that. I bought one from Harbor Freight for only $4.

[frequencycentral]

I've used BC547's in oscillators for some of my tube creations. They are available as A, B and C - C being the highest gain. You'll probably find this with other trannies you have.  You can design an oscillator using C's and it won't work with B's. The BC107A's you have should be low hfe and nice for fuzz.

[jrod]

Yeah, be sure to look up the data sheets and check the pinouts. I just bought about 150 Si's and pinout is BCE!  I don't know what I can use those for!

Also, Panterica mentioned a DMM at Harbor Freight. I just got a sales add in the mail they are like $2.49 right now! Don't know if it has a transistor checker though.

Good luck and happy sorting!

[biggy boy]

  I just bought about 150 Si's and pinout is BCE!  I don't know what I can use those for!

Hi whats the part number of those trannies?

Glen

[jrod]

  I just bought about 150 Si's and pinout is BCE!  I don't know what I can use those for!

Hi whats the part number of those trannies?

Glen

2N3415 & 2N3417. The few I checked were 150-200 Hfe.

[biggy boy]

I don't know....
But you could insulate the leads with fine heatshrink, then twist the leads to what ever configuration you need.


Glen

[aziltz]

its obvious that some of them are in counter-part pairs or trips.
BC337 and BC338
BC547/BC548/BC549
C9012 and C9013

BC327
BC107A
2SC1815

thanks for the suggestions.  Do people recognize these as regularly usable parts? general-purpose transistors?

[jrod]

I did a search on all those part numbers and found results for every one of them. I saw that several layouts called for one or more of these specific transistors and some were suggested as and successfully used as substitutes. IMO, you have a good batch to work with. Go for it and have fun!!!