Intermediate

Mod Extravaganza - The Transistor Games

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Lesson Overview: The Transistor Games

This is the lesson where myths meet measurements—and transistors finally get their due.

If you’ve ever been told that only vintage, unicorn-grade transistors can make a Big Muff sound great, this lesson is your wake-up call. We’re not just building tones—we’re testing legends.

In this lesson, you’ll learn:

  • Why the transistor inside your Big Muff matters—but not in the way most forums claim.
  • How to identify and understand the real sonic impact of swapping transistors.
  • Which common, modern transistors can stand toe-to-toe with rare NOS parts.
  • How circuit topology and gain structure play a bigger role than you think.

We’ll also bust a few long-standing myths about component “mojo” and explore how to achieve consistent, amazing tone using parts you can actually find—without needing a time machine.

By the end of this lesson, you won’t just know which transistors to use—you’ll know why they matter, how they interact, and how to make logic-based choices that sound incredible.

Overview
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Time
42:26
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Level
Intermediate
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Mod Extravaganza - Tweaking The Filtering

A hands-on exploration of how capacitor values shape tone, feel, and low-end response in the Big Muff circuit.
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Time
33:30
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Level
Intermediate
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