For sale are NOS D9B GENUINE Germanium diodes in a glass housing, direct from old Russian military stock.

Price is per diode, combined shipping available with my other listings.

Note: I previously stocked D9E diodes (blue band) and have since switched to D9B (red band). They are almost identical to D9E, but perhaps a fraction closer to the reference 1N34a curve. This difference would be imperceptable for audio but in the interest of having the most accurate match, I am now stocking these.

WARNING: These diodes use the old soviet standard of marking the anode with a coloured band, not the cathode as is commonly done with modern diodes. See image 3 and bottom of this page for more info.

These are some of the best germanium diodes in my opinion, and they are my go-to choice whenever I want to use Germanium for clipping circuits.

They are a perfect replacement for 1N34a in old circuits.

Be aware that new, modern 1n34a are quite different to the old vintage 1n34a, even though the name is the same - so if you are trying to recreate an old circuit that used vintage 1n34a's, these will likely be a much more accurate recreation. There are also many fakes floating around which are being mislabelled (see this post for an example: https://therepaircafe.wordpress.com/2019/10/24/forward-voltage-of-various-diodes/).

Vf (forward voltage drop) is measured at 0.35v - 0.45v @ 5mA, 0.27v - 0.33v @ 1mA. There is more variation between individual Ge diodes than Si. Different meters will measure different values for these diodes due to the I/V curve, anywhere from 250mV to 450mV, depending on the internal test current used.

If you would like a pair of similar values for a clipping pair, please let me know and I can measure them, Although often asymmetric (uneven) clipping is desirable as well.

There are various D9x diodes in this series (D9B, D9D, D9E, D9K, D9L..) that all differ slightly in their characteristics.

Both D9B and D9E are the closest match to 1N34a curves, whereas many other D9x series tend to have different I/V curves and forward voltage drop. Feel free to experiment with the other series if you can get a hold of them.

These can be used for anything from vintage fuzzes, mods (such as the DS-2 MiT -> MiJ mod), to Klon-style circuits. They are excellent and can be used in anything requiring a germanium diode.

Note that due to the nature of germanium, the electronic characteristics will vary with temperature. If you use a pedal with Ge diodes/transistors on extremely hot or cold days, you may notice quite a difference in sonic characteristics. This is not a fault, it's just a quirk of Germanium. It's well known, and is one of the reasons why electronics are no longer made with Ge.

These diodes are quite delicate and sensitive to heat, and it's wise to clamp one of the legs with a metal clip while soldering them, to act as a heat sink and help drain heat away from the diode's body. They can be damaged easily from overheating.

POLARITY INFORMATION: Please be careful with this and install them with the correct orientation. If you are matching diode orientation to a silkscreen on a pcb, be aware which side is anode and cathode and align accordingly - this may mean the silkscreened graphic does not match up. See image 3 - the marked band indicates the anode on these diodes. Almost all modern diodes use the band to mark the cathode instead.

Use a multimeter yourself to verify polarity if needed - I am not responsible for damage caused by incorrect polarity or installation. Please be careful :)

Returns are accepted, as long as the diodes remain unused and unsoldered, and are in good working order once returned to me.

Each diode will be tested, and sent padded to prevent damage.

Thanks for looking, please message me if you have any questions. Enjoy your Germanium diodes!