Clipping Diode Shootout

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CJ

CJ

Well-known member
GDIY Supporter
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Jun 3, 2004
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bought some diodes for stomp boxes and possibly git amps, i don't know.

drew some curves, most are germanium,

one real interesting diode was the sylvania 1N119, plots like a resistor, thought it was til i reversed the leads, shows a 0.443 fwd drop on the dmm, but it don't act like it, i plotted a second to just because i couldn't believe my eyes, might sound interesting, might not,

bought some old Japanese tube screamer diodes and used in Boss i believe, the 1S1588. semi rare and pricey, but the good news is that the proverbial 1N914 has the same curve, the 914 selling for pennies on the dollar,

got the ruskie D9e in there, those were hard to locate but i see no magical properties, it has a rep in the stomp box crowd.

can't wait to try the mazda AA120, i put all these on the scope to check waveforms, they all look about the same but the Mazda has a nice round bottom like me sister's bum.

here are the curves>

diodes.jpg
 
That is some A+ work
What did you use for the 1N60? I've tried the old Germanium versions and the newer versions that look like silicon.
The EQD speaker cranker uses the newer silicon version and the Germanium version does not sound as good IMO.
I just built a version with a switch between 1n60 and D9k. Sounds killer

I've also gotten some 1n34 & 1n270 on ebay recently to try
 
Would be interesting to see the diodes from the Klon Centaur.

Some fairly-controlled listening tests i conducted yielded the result that one part with the same part number indeed sounded substantially different, while another was quite similar.



But while they were conducted with a looper and were at least somewhat controlled, these were listening tests only and ultimately at least a bit subjective—I’m very interested in your results here
 
soapfoot said:
Would be interesting to see the diodes from the Klon Centaur.

Some fairly-controlled listening tests i conducted yielded the result that one part with the same part number indeed sounded substantially different, while another was quite similar.



But while they were conducted with a looper and were at least somewhat controlled, these were listening tests only and ultimately at least a bit subjective—I’m very interested in your results here
Click to expand...

I enjoyed this test...love a good A/B
 
I think there are many varieties of 1n34, like 1n60, or at least that's what the threads about Klons say
They sound different I expect?
 
Clearly they can sound differently from one another.

A lot of people measure Vf and think they can match that to the originals and get the same performance. That may be correct, but it seems the ways of measuring aren’t always consistent.

That’s why I really like what CJ has done here
 
those 1N34's/270's used to be about 10 cents a piece at the surplus, thousands of them in the cardboard bins that sat there for years, radio shack had them also for making crystal sets.
 
Clearly they can sound differently from one another.

A lot of people measure Vf and think they can match that to the originals and get the same performance. That may be correct, but it seems the ways of measuring aren’t always consistent.

That’s why I really like what CJ has done here
Click to expand...
So you want him to measure an original diode pulled from a $3k Klon?
That would be cool
 
dmp said:
So you want him to measure an original diode pulled from a $3k Klon?
That would be cool
Click to expand...

I’m not keen to pull diodes from either of mine and drop them in the mail, but if CJ were close enough by (I’m in Los Angeles) and interested, I might be down to bring one over.
 
Put a 1k resistor in series with the diode and the voltage across the resistor gives you the current, I = V/R
Adjust the voltage into the resistor to vary Vf (voltage between resistor and diode) from 100-700mA. You could use a pot and 9v to supply the voltage.
For instance with Vf=500mv, the top of the resistor would be at 2.5v, giving 2 mA
Use test leads on the diodes in circuit, I wouldn't risk taking them out.

The hard part is having access to those Klon diodes!
 
Fortunately I bought my silver centaur and first-version KTR brand new at totally sensible prices.

I’ve removed the silver centaur from my main touring rig (in favor of the modified Centura in the video above), but I do still have it! The KTR is still on my smaller EU-touring rig (for now), but even those have gotten pricey enough to make me want to reconsider that
 
I'd be interested to see some Schottky diodes thrown into the mix--see where they fit in between the Ge diodes & the 1N914.
 
and fets too! (1n7000 etc)l

i would be worried about soldering stress on those 34's, might be best to leave them on the klon board,

aion fx makes a klon klone board, good info on all the hype>

https://aionfx.com/project/refractor-professional-overdrive/
i have an analogman king of tone that needs an upgrade, have to put in some sockets for plug and play,

what about a plexiglass case on the top of the unit showing the diodes, with sockets for quick change, or you could build diode modules that plug in, asymetrical, etc kind of like the seymour duncan convertible amp,

what about an internal heater to get that stomp box up close to thermal runaway ?

just a power resistor running off the wall wart, 100 ma at 9 = 1 watt heater, or enuff to get a 2 watt hot,

dmp got the exact same plots i did on some of those magi diodes,
 
Last edited:
dmp got the exact same plots i did on some of those magi diodes,
Click to expand...

1n914, d9e, and 1n60 close - your 1n60 was glass?
I think the 1n60 'amber' (silicon?) version is a schottky

Should add some LEDs too.
 

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