Class A Germanium Amplifier

The germanium amplifier is constructed with a single 'tin can' PNP germanium transistor. The germanium transistor has a rich history in musical effects for its natural and organic-sounding properties. Germanium transistors were used before the introduction of silicon and have become increasingly rare to find in suitable condition with low leakage and suitable gain. As such, each transistor must be hand selected and tested.

This pedal is not intended to be used as a clean booster, but rather for pushing your amp or distortion further. This can be effective as a lead pedal to add gain, or to reshape your tone to cut through a band mix. The transistor is pushed beyond normal limits and as such creates its own slight fuzz when heard without a tone that's already breaking up. Use it to boost your lead tones, or to push your amp and add body and sustain. This can effectively add an extra high-gain channel switch to your amp. The frequency switch adds tone-shaping functionality:

• Full Cream: Point the knob up and leave it there to add vintage body and fatten your tone. Crank it all the way for a full cream boost.
  
  
• Bright: A tweed-like boost that creates sparkling clean tones and bright leads. Tighten your high end for lead boosts that are high on the neck where you need extra definition. Use before distortions and fuzzes to create a more natural overdrive sound. Great to find a strat sound with humbucker pickups.
  
  
• Mid: Effective at isolating your stage tone tone and cutting through a live mix without getting too wooly.

Brett Kingman interview and Stratocaster demo

Brett Kingman demo with Les Paul

Construction