# Where to buy 2N1308 or equivalent?



## Euphoric Guitars (May 18, 2021)

Good evening,

I need two 2N1308 Semi Conductors  for the Ungula (EQD Hoof). I have all the parts for the Cleft mod but I would like to build the regular version of The Ungula. From what I can tell the regular version sounds more appealing to me. Mouser, Tayda, and digikey have no 2N1308. 

There is this site https://www.radwell.ca/en-CA/Buy/CENTRAL SEMICONDUCTOR/CENTRAL SEMICONDUCTOR/2N1308/?redirect=true
I've never ordered from Radwell before, have you? I'm not crazy about spending a cool $15.72 a piece that's crazy. Is that a regular price for a Germanium semi conductor?

Is they another Germanium semi conductor that would satisfy the Ungula build? 

Build Doc: https://docs.pedalpcb.com/project/Ungula.pdf

Thanks, 
Eric


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## fig (May 19, 2021)

Hi Eric,

Some of them do have a large price tag. I've personally never ordered from Radwell. You can use a variety of Ge NPNs. The important points are;

Gain - you want something in the neighborhood. The 2n1308 has a min. gain of 80. Others here are probably more familiar with the target range of that circuit.
Pinout - they are not all the same, so check the datasheet.
Leakage - not too high..it will be unusable.









						Transistors - NPN Germanium 2N1306
					






					smallbear-electronics.mybigcommerce.com


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## Feral Feline (May 19, 2021)

Small Bear has nothing in his den, out of stock...


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## varlogtim (May 20, 2021)

I have had good experience with Russian transistors on eBay. I usually order an entire box (50 or 100) to make sure all the good ones haven't been picked out. They are usually around $25/50 for PNP and $50/50 for NPN. All the ones I have gotten have very low leakage current. The only problem is I usually have to wait like 1 - 2 months for delivery (Ukraine, Bulgaria, and Russia) -> California, USA.


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## Kroars (May 20, 2021)

Euphoric Guitars said:


> Good evening,
> 
> I need two 2N1308 Semi Conductors  for the Ungula (EQD Hoof). I have all the parts for the Cleft mod but I would like to build the regular version of The Ungula. From what I can tell the regular version sounds more appealing to me. Mouser, Tayda, and digikey have no 2N1308.
> 
> ...


Send me a message, I’ve got a bunch of them and would be happy to send you a few.


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## Chuck D. Bones (May 20, 2021)

You definitely need low leakage trannies in that circuit.  Check the collector voltage on Q2 & Q3; it needs to be over 2V, higher is better.  You can always fiddle the biasing resistors (R8 & R13) to bring up the collector voltage if necessary.


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## mdc (May 20, 2021)

@Euphoric Guitars Abra in Mtl has a few options for NPN germaniums at around $4.50CAD each, available online. I've ordered from there before and delivery has been very fast. I'm not sure where you're located, but you might have luck calling around to any local electronics surplus or old-school TV/electronics repair shop and see if they have anything. 

A1 Parts in Etobicoke is also a good resource but you really have to know what you're looking for when you call or email. They're not particularly helpful when it comes to offering substitutions or equivalents, and their website isn't a very good indication of what they currently have in stock.


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## Chuck D. Bones (May 20, 2021)

I recommend sockets for Germanium transistors.  In the Ungula, the LEDs influence the tone much more than the Ge trannies do, IMHO.  The Cloven Hoof uses MPSA13's for Q2 & Q3, although any Si tranny with decent HFE will work.  With sockets on the board, you can experiment.


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## kurtis1 (May 20, 2021)

I built a regular hoof using 2n1306 from small bear and they sound great. I seen that they're recommend as a good substitution for the 2n1308.


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## finebyfine (May 21, 2021)

I have had decent luck with russian workalikes on ebay, but like others have said they will take a while to arrive. Russian transistors are often easier to find if you search for them in cyrillic as opposed to latin script (what we are typing in currently).


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