Germanium Orpheum Fuzz (DATA DUMP)

Pics, info, thoughts on old and/or hairy gear.

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simonm
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Re: Germanium Orpheum Fuzz (DATA DUMP)

Post by simonm »

another 3-knobber, v similar to the Jerman Manny's, but as always with these things, not quite the same:

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this one has 1966 pots! but I think this is anomaly - almost everything else is so close to the Manny's, and that has '68 pots. Sounds grrrreat!
Handmade, high-impact, great-looking radical queer germanium fuzz. A different approach to 1960s-inspired fuzz pedals, no clones, check them out at https://goodfuzzysounds.com or on YouTube https://tinyurl.com/GFS-YT
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jerms
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Re: Germanium Orpheum Fuzz (DATA DUMP)

Post by jerms »

awesome!!! germanium??
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simonm
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Re: Germanium Orpheum Fuzz (DATA DUMP)

Post by simonm »

jerms wrote: Mon May 28, 2018 2:25 am awesome!!! germanium??
Sounds like it to me. The sound is closest to the Manny's on your vid, but the the Boost knob behaves differently - full on clockwise it's still fuzzy, but muted and bassy.
The transistors look like they are marked RT63G423 - some combination of part number and date code? The G is weird - I was thinking it might be a maker's mark - looking at again it could be a C and an I together, not a G. Ring any bells?

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I've been researching MICA (Musical Instrument Corporation of America) - they first used the name MICA-TONE commercially in May 1968, and registered it as a trademark in '69. They were based in Long Island and also made amps with diff brand names in the late 60s/70s before moving over to Japanese import product.
Handmade, high-impact, great-looking radical queer germanium fuzz. A different approach to 1960s-inspired fuzz pedals, no clones, check them out at https://goodfuzzysounds.com or on YouTube https://tinyurl.com/GFS-YT
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simonm
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Re: Germanium Orpheum Fuzz (DATA DUMP)

Post by simonm »

Aha - on a bit of a roll!
MICA were based in Syosset, NY. I think it's CI on the transistors and CI is Crystalonics Inc (looked the trademark up on this kind of amazing site https://trademarks.justia.com/search?q= ... 395&page=6)
Crystalonics formed in 1958 making semiconductors in Ronkonkoma, NY, a 20 min drive away from MICA, so that makes a provisional case for the MICA-TONE (and maybe the Manny's too, given similarity of switches and caps and pcb layout) being made in Syosset in 1968. Other Orpheum variants have a range of trannies, and varying layouts - maybe CI couldn't meet the demand? Another thing to check. CI are still in business - http://www.crystalonics.com/
On the Clark branded Si version the label on the base says it's made by Clark Musical Industries in Clark, NJ. That's a bit further away - about 50 miles, but still relatively close, the company's could have been connected, or they maybe they pooled resources/split up the manufacturing process, or the design was licensed and they just got the enclosures fabricated at the same place.
Handmade, high-impact, great-looking radical queer germanium fuzz. A different approach to 1960s-inspired fuzz pedals, no clones, check them out at https://goodfuzzysounds.com or on YouTube https://tinyurl.com/GFS-YT
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jerms
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Re: Germanium Orpheum Fuzz (DATA DUMP)

Post by jerms »

i'll pull out the manny's and check the trans...
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simonm
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Re: Germanium Orpheum Fuzz (DATA DUMP)

Post by simonm »

I think the Manny's has TI trannies - that's the only real difference between the two. The pcb is taller in the Mica, but the actual layout of the traces seems identical. The whole Long Island thing might just be coincidence of course.
Handmade, high-impact, great-looking radical queer germanium fuzz. A different approach to 1960s-inspired fuzz pedals, no clones, check them out at https://goodfuzzysounds.com or on YouTube https://tinyurl.com/GFS-YT
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jreeves47
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Re: Germanium Orpheum Fuzz (DATA DUMP)

Post by jreeves47 »

here's a manny's that has been on craigslist for a bit
https://cincinnati.craigslist.org/msg/d ... 19425.html
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HorseyBoy
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Re: Germanium Orpheum Fuzz (DATA DUMP)

Post by HorseyBoy »

Simon, that "CI" mark on that transistor is exactly the same mark that's on the original cap can (I've since replaced it, but kept the original) in my 1963 Magnatone/Da Vinci amp. Here's a pic:

Image

I was never able to figure out the brand, but it looks like you've cracked the mystery: Crystalonics! :tu:
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simonm
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Re: Germanium Orpheum Fuzz (DATA DUMP)

Post by simonm »

jreeves47 wrote: Mon May 28, 2018 11:28 pm here's a manny's that has been on craigslist for a bit
https://cincinnati.craigslist.org/msg/d ... 19425.html
This is almost a twin of the Jerms' Manny's on prev page: same pcb, switches and caps, even the same pot codes and same trans brand, but again - the different numbers on the transistors makes me think these are batch codes not part numbers, or maybe they are mil spec or something?
Last edited by simonm on Tue May 29, 2018 7:54 am, edited 1 time in total.
Handmade, high-impact, great-looking radical queer germanium fuzz. A different approach to 1960s-inspired fuzz pedals, no clones, check them out at https://goodfuzzysounds.com or on YouTube https://tinyurl.com/GFS-YT
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simonm
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Re: Germanium Orpheum Fuzz (DATA DUMP)

Post by simonm »

HorseyBoy wrote: Tue May 29, 2018 12:01 am Simon, that "CI" mark on that transistor is exactly the same mark that's on the original cap can (I've since replaced it, but kept the original) in my 1963 Magnatone/Da Vinci amp.
I was never able to figure out the brand, but it looks like you've cracked the mystery: Crystalonics! :tu:
Glad to be of service - but what brand is that tube with the nuts gothic script on the far left!?
Handmade, high-impact, great-looking radical queer germanium fuzz. A different approach to 1960s-inspired fuzz pedals, no clones, check them out at https://goodfuzzysounds.com or on YouTube https://tinyurl.com/GFS-YT
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