The Mask Audio Electronics Germanium Part Garden is a revoiced version of the Part Garden, the fuzz the maker built around a germanium transistor while reworking the remaining silicon sections to be softer and lower gain. Mask describes the shift in direction this way: "If Part Garden is a fuzz that can be turned into an Overdrive, Germanium Garden is a overdrive that can be turned into a" fuzz1. Enclosures are fabricated by F5 Metalworks, and the pedal uses top-mounted jacks1.
Germanium, one transistor at a time
Mask's approach is to use a single germanium transistor in each build and revoice the silicon sections around it. The maker explained the reasoning: "there are probably enough surplus germanium transistors out there that I could have one per build and then just revoice"1. That stash of germanium devices drives the Chef's Choice series, small batches with unique finishes, each a different take on the Part Garden formula built around a particular transistor1.
Germanium-based designs have a particular character, and the Mask Audio Electronics Germanium Part Garden shows it in how its controls and transistor choices shape the response. Mask Audio describes the standard version as having a "tonebender like rasp" when cranked that cuts through, while backing off gives a clear, articulate overdrive with the notes staying audible, and a convincing jangle through a Fender voiced amp1. The Chef's Choice P416 variant is described as dark and compressed, getting trumpet-like at maximum gain, with less range on the controls but cleaning up incredibly well when rolling off the guitar volume, and the MP35 as "The Nastiest Part Garden ever made, even more texture then the All silicon version"1.
The Chef's Choice variants
Each Chef's Choice batch is voiced around a different germanium transistor, and Mask describes each on its page1:
| Variant | Mask Audio Electronics' description |
|---|---|
| Asy36 | High gain like a tone Bender from hell. May oscillate depending upon settings1 |
| P416 | Dark and compressed, gets trumpet-like at maximum gain. Doesn't have as much range on the controls but cleans up incredibly well rolling off the guitar volume1 |
| MP35 | The nastiest Part Garden ever made, even more texture than the all-silicon version1 |
The controls
The Germanium Part Garden uses numbered controls plus a Texture switch and a YUH toggle1:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| I | How much signal is entering the Ge Part Garden; sets the general gain level1 |
| II | The gain between the two circuits. Subtly attenuates bass frequencies as the gain is turned down1 |
| III | Master volume; turn right for more1 |
| YUH | Changes the range of the Texture control. Up position gives the optimal range for adjustment; down position allows finer tuning of more extreme sounds1 |
What it sounds like
Mask's own description covers a wide range. Backed off, the maker describes a clear, articulate overdrive where notes stay audible, with what it calls convincing jangle through a Fender-voiced amp. Cranked, with the Texture cooking, the pedal keeps a tonebender-like rasp that cuts through1. The exact character depends on which germanium transistor the batch is built around, as the Chef's Choice descriptions above show1.
"If you crank everything up, and get the Texture cooking, you will still have a tonebender like rasp that will cut through."
Power
The pedal runs on a standard Boss style power supply: 9VDC with a 2.1mm center negative connector, the same format used by most pedalboard power supplies1.
Videos
Mask Audio Electronics
ambienttrash
Mark Johnston
Questions
Does the Germanium Part Garden use germanium transistors throughout?
No. Mask Audio Electronics builds each unit with a single germanium transistor and revoices the remaining sections in silicon, described by the maker as softer and lower gain than the original Part Garden. The maker noted there are enough surplus germanium transistors available to include one per build, which is why each Chef's Choice batch centers on a different germanium device.
Can the Germanium Part Garden work as an overdrive?
Yes. Mask Audio Electronics describes the original Part Garden as a fuzz that can be turned into an overdrive, and the Germanium version as the reverse: an overdrive that can be turned into a fuzz. Backed off, the maker describes a clear, articulate overdrive; cranked with the Texture cooking, a tonebender-like rasp.
What power supply does the Germanium Part Garden need?
A standard Boss style supply: 9VDC with a 2.1mm center negative connector, the same type most pedalboard power supplies provide.
What does the Texture control do?
The Texture control shapes the pedal's character, and the YUH switch changes its range. In the up position you get the optimal range for adjustment; in the down position the switch allows finer tuning of more extreme sounds.
Sources (1)
- Germanium Part Garden, Mask Audio Electronics
