EA Tremolo question

[Marcos - Munky]

I'm finishing my EA, but I don't have any 2N3904 or 2N5088 here, only 2N4400 and 2N4401. Can I use this transistors in the EA? Just another quention, there is 3 1uf bipolar caps near the speed pot, what they do and how it sounds if I use 2,2uF for the three caps?

[aron]

Yes you can use those transistors. All you need is an NPN transistor.

I think the caps set the speed so 2.2uF might give you a slower tremolo speed.

Two 2.2uF caps in series will give you approx 1uF.

[Rob Strand]

if I use 2,2uF for the three caps

Using larger caps slows down the LFO, it's already a bit slow on that one wih the 1uF.

[Marcos - Munky]

Thanks, I will try to use two caps in series, or maybe let the 2,2 caps in the circuit.

[jrc4558]

Senior Markos! I would suggest you try 0.68mF tantalum caps. They are almost microscopic in size (if you get them in lower voltage parameters) and thus take almost no space and they too allow for that fast speed of tremolo, like the one Mr. Gilmour had on Money on Dark Side of the Moon.
With these it's my main tremolo now. Also you may want to tinker with the speed control resistors, cuz you may still get some slow tremolo with the suggested caps. I just don't remember how I did mine.
All da best!

[Marcos - Munky]

Thanks for the idea. I will search for some tantalum caps next time that I go to a components store.

[george]

yeah 0.68uF rocks.  A JFET source follower buffer on the input is also seriously good.

[darren]

i've built a few of these for people, it's a great sounding tremolo!

also cool is lifting R8 (15k) and in the holes left putting in it plus an LED - it gives you an LED display of the trem pulsing!  it's very cool.  

[Gil]

The best sounding tremolo I've heard so far (much better than the one in my silverface twin reverb)

[Marcos - Munky]

Mine will have that mod to get the pulse LED. I finish it, but didn't work. I will try to find the error.