Guys, I searched looked through the forum and archives and I didn't really find a satisfactory answer to this one: what are the ramifications of building the rangemaster with a negative grounding scheme instead of the original positive ground scheme? Could there be any differences in the way it sounds? Doesn't seem like it to me. Are there any reasons to care which scheme to use? I'm a little worried about the pos gnd...like, it might cause problems when put in a system with "normal" pedals that use neg gnd? I dunno, I'm assuming ground is 0 volts either way, it's just that power for the pos gnd version is actually -9v? I dunno, I'd appreciate any advice anyone could give!!! :?:

i idi build it with (-) ground. Sounded ok. Used a 2SB175

The difference in sound would only be the difference in the transistors you use. Battery life in this circuit and the Fuzz Face is extremely long, so building them Pos. ground for battery use only is not much of a headache. I use mine regularly, and change batteries less than once a month.

Kerry M

Thanks for the info guys! Ya know, it just hit me that I don't even know what transistor I'm gonna use. I was placing an order at Small Bear and I just happened to see the "Rangemaster transistor" there and clicked on it. It was a total impulse buy ( $4 for a single PNP transistor?! ) but I always wanted to build this little circuit and never had the right part on hand. Small Bear doesn't say what part it is, just that it's germanium and matches the transistor specs for this circuit at GEO. I hope it sounds good!

Kind of fashioned after the Rangemaster [collector runs sorta near +rail], I call it the Rangepig, A piggybacked transistor design, which lowers the Hfe of the tranny, the most character of any Si boosters I've tried
  I've Built numerous Rangemaster types but don't have any left...something funny about each one...courst never had 'the' transistor for it, it seems.

Quote from: petemooreI've Built numerous Rangemaster types but don't have any left...something funny about each one...courst never had 'the' transistor for it, it seems.

Hmmm. I'm guessing by "funny" you're actually looking for a nicer way to say "crappy", right? Yeah, I'm hoping that Steve @Small Bear will be supplying something at least close to "the" transistor for this little project. I have a sound in my head that I'm hoping to reproduce: when I was a teenager, a neighbor had an original rangemaster and it sounded SO nice to me at the time. If I can get anywhere close, I'll be happy...

Quote from: rog951Yeah, I'm hoping that Steve @Small Bear will be supplying something at least close to "the" transistor for this little project.

If you use the resistor values he will send with it & R.G.'s layout, you will have a working Rangemaster clone. I did, & I do.

Regards

RDV

Quote from: RDVIf you use the resistor values he will send with it & R.G.'s layout, you will have a working Rangemaster clone. I did, & I do.

Cool! Thanks for the help...it makes me feel a little warmer and fuzzier about the project. I'm assuming you like yours?

My RM is a ton of fun into a small tube amp. It nails that Led Zep 'Heartbreaker' sound to a t.

Regards

RDV

Quote from: RDVMy RM is a ton of fun into a small tube amp. It nails that Led Zep 'Heartbreaker' sound to a t.

Heh heh heh...NOW we're talkin'!