What Does Germanium Do for Guitar Pedals?

[@eflamberson]

The algorithm should be boosting this channel. Consistently the best guitar-related content on KZbin, bar none.

[@kimL93]

It will coz i see he quite consistent

[@GreenSkyDill]

“Secret Life of Pedals” gave me a chuckle. Your channel rules dude.

[@gophercrow]

“Tube to transistor shift was like shrink ray…” great quote.

[@theyoganath3073]

One of the few gear channels that aren't just marketing outlets fronted by a shill. Great information presented in a fun way. Keep up the great job, Stompbox Breakdown.

[@Pedenski]

Agree that the Germanium Big Muff really is it's own thing. I think EHX did it a little bit of a disservice naming it after the Big Muff but hey, if it keeps the prices down... ☺I do love a germanium pedal, recently had my Visual Sound Double Trouble modded with a germanium option and it is awesome!! Another super interesting vid!!

[@heggy_69]

I remember hearing somewhere that it was called that because the guy who made also made the muff but I'm too lazy to check if that's true lol

[@themikepadua]

This was so well done! Thank you.

[@mikemorrisonmusic]

I would love a video about the Generation Loss MKII!

[@Pepino2017]

As always, there are great tones and interesting facts, but there is also some great wisdom in your video today. Thanks for all you do!

[@BoshkeBeatsRecords]

great, please dont stop

[@jasonlee8497]

The man said ‘I’ve got goals’….love your stuff. Keep up the great work.

[@sc3ku]

I play a Baldwin Professional Deluxe, a now-obscure late 60's solid state amp made here in Arkansas. It has germanium output transistors and is really a big, beautiful sounding amp- only 30w RMS and is perfect for (loud) home use. Problem is repairing them...parts an unobtanium now, therefore mine is a ticking time bomb that no one wants to service.

[@amylou7991]

Knocked out of the park. What a video. Funny and informative with killer tones. Well done!!

[@StompboxBreakdown]

Thank you so much!

[@Damaraja]

Good job, brother 🤙

[@roscoeswraps2510]

So awe inspiring! I currently live in NJ and never knew this stuff! Amazing video as always. Youre one of the good ones😉

[@StompboxBreakdown]

The current Bell Labs site is a pretty neat place, definitely worth visiting, especially if you've got kids. There are also some very nice parks in the area!

[@roscoeswraps2510]

Awesome I gotta check it out!

[@TheGreenKingdom]

Love your channel man, great demo and history lesson!

[@LP-123]

Pedantic scientist incoming: On the topic of black vs. white paint on the Benson: science is understanding the root cause of temperature difference between the two colors whilst in direct sunlight; engineering is selecting the two colors to take advantage of the properties in a built-for-purpose way. This was an engineering solution. So....yay, engineering! ;) Awesome channel, as always!

[@StompboxBreakdown]

If that's the only correction I get for this video, I'll gladly take it. Thanks!

[@erlannderrantem6972]

Oh i sure did enjoy this one! Thanks for making the video.

[@StompboxBreakdown]

Hooray! I was just thinking this afternoon, I wonder if they saw the video. It was a great suggestion, though I may go back and do a video entirely dedicated to that Muff, it really grew on me even more while putting this together.

[@ScamLikely9327]

The Germanium Big Muff was my first guitar pedal. The sweet sauce is definitely in the volts knob. EHX makes good shit.

[@traviswaynedoyle]

Another awesome video, thanks again.

[@URTH-yb5xh]

The Ehx Germanium 4 Muff is great and along with the Ehx Germanium OD out of production Sorry to be the barer of bad news Thus was great I have more Germanium than Silicon

[@martingalicia36695]

Awesome video!! Keep them coming!

[@allanflippin2453]

Thanks for the great video. I'd be very interested to see any scope shots from the pedal stage using the germanium device. Of course a REAL signal would be too hard to mess with, but often a sine wave with variable amplitude can be used to show how the device reacts to overload. I'm not too worried about Germanium personally as I have a Walrus Audio Eons with all combinations of devices in it :D Fuzz on!

[@StompboxBreakdown]

There's a paper about this, with lots and lots of good information and scope shots: www.unomaha.edu/college-of-arts-and-sciences/physics/student-opportunities/barrera-mendoza-senior-project.pdf

[@allanflippin2453]

@@StompboxBreakdown Thanks for sending this to me. I looked at it, although not being an analog expert I can't comment much. The impression I get is that germanium transistors were definitely just not a plug-in replacement. It looks the resulting fuzz circuit was not useable and the scope plots looked nothing like the original. From my Walrus Eons at least, I don't hear as much difference between Germanium and silicon. Is it possible the author could get much different results by applying more effort to finding a suitable circuit for the Germanium devices? Thanks again for this excellent video and the extra information.

[@suspiciouswatermelon7639]

I love geraniums, I have a couple in a flower pot in my kitchen.

[@mauricemusician7636]

I have a pedal with germanium, silicon, & LED clipping. It's clear how different they all sound!

[@StompboxBreakdown]

Oh yeah, big difference. It's like changing the end on a pressure washer.

[@ohpotatoesandmolasses]

Black Mass 1312 best Rat-circuit box out there. So fun switching between all the clipping options.

[@AlphaCuck]

Which pedal is it? Is it a Walrus Audio Eons? I know that one has all three in it too

[@DarrenDoo]

The Germ version of the OCD has to be my favorite of the variants. Sounds amazing with brighter amps but in general, its my favorite OD.

[@EugeneK88freeride]

Good stuff, man

[@reinaldosecchi6404]

... and Jfets transistors? What differences?

[@jimilee459]

Killer stuff!

[@deanallen927]

Great video - it really did need to be made. Now, what if we could use Benson's resistor trick in pedals that we already own, like that Muff?

[@bsmith8166]

How about an episode about mosfets?

[@StompboxBreakdown]

I certainly do have a few favorites! I’ll throw it on the list

[@siriplaydopethrone8973]

​@@StompboxBreakdownThat would be awesome! I have a Marshall Mosfet head and it sounds sooo good.

[@tomburns2734]

This was one of the funnest FX videos of ever watched, maybe cuz I'm such a fan of germanium. That is maybe because I am myself so unstable😅

[@darwinsaye]

I see this video and it put the EHX Germanium Muff on my radar, so I look them up. And… find they are discontinuing it as of 2024. I’m only sharing this story because it’s really quite astonishing how often this exact situation repeats in my life (although, the usual case is that whatever I’m looking at was just discontinued about a year before).

[@robertsimpson5801]

I have had one since sometime around 2010, and I could not stand the sound of it! It was so unbelievably harsh, lacked body, and the tone control seemed fairly useless… I still have it because I don’t ever get rid of pedals! 😂

[@HorizonMelt]

I've always wondered about the nature of/ possible benefits of germanium. I thought about it a lot and came to no particular conclusion before I bought my T.I Boost.

[@BigBoss1292]

I see the tower in Holmdel every time I’m on my way to Texas Roadhouse 🤣

[@StompboxBreakdown]

Nice!! Lots to do out that way

[@south_of_nowhere]

Can you do a video about the Zoom Driver/Zoom Choir? Early 2000s big plastic box pedals with "modeling" and the dirt box had a built in noise gate. Decades later, I still like their tones.

[@StompboxBreakdown]

Ooh, I suddenly remember really wanting a Choir pedal. Might have to look into that

[@the_nondrive_side]

reactive Ge transistors do something you can't get with Si diodes all sorta same... transistors and the FF and rangemasters.. ultra useful stacked

[@StuffnSuch]

Comment for the algorithm. Good stuff 👍

[@alw1340]

The Mudhoney is germanium?

[@StompboxBreakdown]

I believe it uses germanium diodes

[@geepeenoy777]

This is informative and I like your honest thoughts about the price vs “better?” Very interesting indeed, so makes me feel better about not owning a $500 Germanium pedal. Lol

[@StompboxBreakdown]

Glad you enjoyed it! Yeah, I have a love/hate relationship with old/rare gear. I want to preserve it, I want to make sure it doesn't go to waste, and I admire the purity of a lot of the original designs. At the same time, I hate the idea of someone writing off the gear they have because it doesn't have the *correct* type of transistor or something like that. The best sounds come from the times you stop thinking about all that and play your guitar.

[@ColinKupson]

FWIW the Germanium Big Muff is a great pedal, but the transistors in it are wired as clipping diodes for the op-amp based circuit. Very strange circuit, kind of a waste of the transistors, but it sounds fantastic in its own right, so.

[@StompboxBreakdown]

Oh weird. This pedal really is interesting

[@LewWelchThePoet]

🤘👍🏿

[@Madmax-rz5hz]

Ah but the random release of protons and neutrons could make for some interesting effects

[@mykhedelic6471]

Deutschmanium?

[@Madmax-rz5hz]

Better germanium than plutonium I say

[@erlannderrantem6972]

Plutonium isn't a semiconductor, so there won't be any plutonium diodes or transistors.

[@unclefungus7395]

the fart pedal!

[@jonathanwapner6262]

If you like the pedal, then get the pedal. Buying something for the germanium alone is completely absurd. The inconsistency and temperament of germanium make it more of a novelty or collectible than a serious piece of gear.

[@kwyatt261]

What is the point of this comment?

[@owltreefilms]

Did you watch the video?