Transistor gains - cherrybomb??

[the3secondrule]

Whats the consensus?

I've built mine with PN3565's from tayda, and the ones I have seem to all test in the high 400's.

Just wondering if I should be aiming for lower gains? I'm getting a great fuzz, but the decay from fuzz to clean is pretty abrupt / splatty. I've got some metal can's that measure around 80 hfe, and some 2n4401's in the 250 ballpark. any reccomendations?

J

[garfo]

I'm using the ones suggested by Brian For Q1 and Q3 andI'm using a BC183C for Q2.What I've done to solve the splatting was: Increased the voltage for 18 volts(builted in a Road Rage) and replaced the two 1.8k resistors with trimpots.
At first I tried to regulate both trannys to arround 5 volts on the collector but after I powered it with 18 volts I started messing arroung with the trim that regulates Q2 and I didn't go with the readings this time, I just played and regulated until the splattering stopped and produced a more natural decay.

Hope that helps

[midwayfair]

I kinda think that the sputtering is part of the charm of this circuit. Gated/suppery sounds are really useful for rhythm parts in a mix.

Sometimes you need to resist the urge to make every dirt pedal work "correctly" (i.e. the same way).