Features
2021 - we are a bit backed up on these, and most other pedals. We ran out of the NKT Red Dot transistors in 2020.
It's really hard to get parts in the last year, we have to use what we can get. We will be using the larger "BART" size cases for many Sun Faces now, such as RCA, 2SB and maybe others. The good thing about these boxes is that they allow any options (top jacks with on/off fuzz pot etc).
ORDER CHANGES : We are spending too many hours every day changing orders and it's VERY difficult, and once we start the pedal it can be impossible. So please add any options you might want, BEFORE checking out. Thank you!
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** New money-saving QUICK DEAL SUN FACES are sometimes available! These come at a discount as we can build them up when we have free time, and keep them in stock for FAST shipping, and pass the savings to you!!! PLEASE do not choose any other PEDAL OPTIONS (power jack, led, etc) if you want to get these special deals. **
**QUICK DEALS:
- no quick deals at this time =*(
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In addition to the QUICK DEAL options sometimes available above in
the OPTIONS area, we have some other Sun Face pedals that are READY TO SHIP.
READY TO SHIP Pedals are not special deals, they are just already built and ready to ship out -
NO READY TO SHIP PEDALS RIGHT NOW =(
If you'd like to purchase one of these pedals just order it with the options described and write in the order comments that you'd like the 'READY TO SHIP' pedal =)
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The Sunface has many transistor options, there is no BEST, they are all very similar but have some differences that could make some better than others for your needs.
Here is a short summary, much more info is on the Sunface page on analogman.com :
Vintage Germanium transistors : black or silver larger metal cans, made in the USA usually. Similar
to the 2SB transistors but maybe a bit more edge
to cut through better. Some of these came out of old Baldwin organ boards. Some are made by General Electric (GE) in which case we may use a GE logo case. We have these in low, medium, medium-high or high gain, add a note in the order COMMENTS if you prefer a specific gain.
UNMARKED 2N TYPE GERMANIUM: We got these in 2020 and they are awesome in both Sun Face and Beano Boost. They have normal germanium sounds with great cleanup, and are medium-high & high gain. These are very clear sounding like the white dot NKT that we used to have, and get a nice sparkly cleanup.
BART (Big ass Russian transistors) : these are available in 2020, BIG fuzz sounds but excellent cleanup throughout the volume pot range on your guitar. Cuts through great, some edge and crunch to the sounds. Run the FUZZ knob down a bit and the BIAS up a bit for cleaner sounds like the white dot NKT275. These will use the slightly larger case as they are too big for the small case. This case allows any options (top jacks, on/off pot, top power jack if no CLEAN knob). These are sometimes just a little noisy (white noise/hiss) and come in Medium-high to high gain. Put a note on your order if you prefer medium-high or high.
2SB Japanese transistors : usually Toshiba brand, about 30 years old. Not too finicky, nice warm tone, not very bright. Good cleanup. Not much edge, very smooth sounding. We have these in 2SB171 which is lower gain (better cleanup) and 2SB175 which is higher gain (still much lower than silicon).
RCA: These are back in 2021! These are the only Germaniums we have found that are not very temperature sensitive. These are pretty bright, and can get very clean. These tend to be a bit noisier than others but we don't use them if they are too noisy. They come in low to medium-low gain, put a note on your order if you prefer low or medium-low. Still has plenty of fuzz.
RCA/BART Hybrid : We can use an RCA low transistor to avoid temperature instability, and a BART high transistor to make the sound fatter and fuzzier. We have these pairs in Medium-high & High gain, they still clean up well, all along the volume pot range, not too fast. A little brighter than all BART.
SILICON - higher gain, no temperature issues, not as much cleanup, usually brighter.
BC108 : most normally found in early 1970s era Fuzzfaces, small metal can. BC108C is high gain, can cause radio or other noise. Best to back the FUZZ KNOB down a bit to reduce noise. We are now using some TFK (Telefunken) marked transistors like the old ones from 1970. We also have these in BC108B which is lower gain, in TFK and SGS.
BC183 : We have some really cool old BC183 with paint stripes, they came individually bagged. Medium high gain. I like these a lot for a silicon fuzz. Almost all the silicon transistors sound about the same if you use transistors with the same gain ranges. But these BC183 are all in the right gain range so it's easier to make a more consistent and excellent sounding fuzz. These are really smooth, almost like a germanium sound, smoothest of the Silicons. Good cleanup for silicon. Not as bright as the BC108 or BC109. The Eric Johnson Fuzz Face by Dunlop uses these transistors, with a low bias voltage (around 3V) so you can use the internal bias trimpot or Sun Dial to dial in that sound.
BC182 : Similar to BC183, it's also easy to match these up with a BC183 to make a perfect matched pair. But I like the old BC183 that we got better so we don't offer these at this time.
BC109 is similar to BC108 but a bit edgier, cuts well.
TFK BC109C : NOS original Telefunken brand BC109C, high gain, cuts good but not as much bright edge as the BC109B.Be careful cranking the FUZZ knob.
TFK BC109B : same as above but B is a little lower gain, great cut and high end, also less of that high gain silicon noise and fussiness when the fuzz knob is cranked. Pretty low noise floor too. Very nice!
We also have a small amount of BC109A, which are low gain compared to silicon, nice cleanup. Just put a note in the order COMMENTS if you wan these instead of 109B or C.
For more info about the Analog Man Sunface & options link here:
Check out the BATT-O-METER for how you can test the battery level and LIFE without opening your pedal! It's in our ACCESSORIES area.
Power Jack
Power jack is an option on these. If you get it, the Sun Face will still come with a battery and work the same with a battery. If you might use a power supply or TheGigRig Virtual Battery, it's much better to get the power jack than to connect to the battery clip by filing a notch in the bottom plate. Just make sure to use ISOLATED POWER (which is what the Virtual battery does if you have a non-isolated power supply).
BATTERY DISCONNECT OPTIONS
We can add a power off switch on the FUZZ pot, when you turn it down all the way it clicks and disconnects the battery. This will only fit on the side jacks model. We can install a mini toggle switch to kill the battery on the top jacks model. If you can unplug the cable from the input jack, it will do the same thing. But for people with the pedal in the middle of their pedalboard, one of these options will make it easier if you want to use a battery. If you use a power supply (requires the power jack option) then these battery disconnect options are not needed.
CLEAN KNOB
We can move the internal white CLEAN trimpot to an external knob. . It works like turning down the volume knob on your guitar, to make the sound more clean and tight/bright.
If you get this option, it will be between the Volume and Fuzz knobs and you must choose TOP JACKS. It is a smaller knob, and the other two knobs will be smaller also. The MXR KNOB rubbers will not fit if you get this option.
If you don't get the Sun Dial, we can do the clean knob as a normal size black knob in the middle of the pedal and you can get top or side jacks.
Below is the current optional CLOCK LOGO, which you can choose instead of the Sun Face.
BART box vs normal box size:
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Loaded Hybrid RCA/BART 
