General Electric
General Electric 2N404A PNP Germanium Transistor, TO-5, GE Monogram, NOS
- 2 photos
Never used. The original pack has been opened, or the quantity was split off a full reel or tube. Leads are original and unclipped.
New old stock, open stock on the grading scaleSend the quantity you need. You get a quote back with shipping before anything is charged.
Video
Filmed on the bench. Sound is stripped from product clips.
- 0:09
Specifications
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Identification | |
| Part number | 2N404A |
| Manufacturer | General Electric |
| Condition | New old stock, open stock |
| Date code | Not recorded |
| Package | TO-5 style metal can, three leads |
| Country of origin | Not recorded |
| Family | 2N404 |
| Stock number | DEWHY46D |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer part number | 2N404A |
| Manufacturer | General Electric, monogram on the case |
| Electrical | |
| Polarity and material | PNP germanium |
| Class | Switching, tightened grade of the 2N404 |
| Construction | |
| Package | TO-5 style metal can, three leads |
| Condition | |
| Leads | Full length, unclipped |
| Condition | New old stock, open stock. Never installed, never soldered |
| Testing | Sold untested. Ask and the exact piece going in the envelope is metered first |
About this part
The GE monogram is stamped on the case, which is the detail that separates this from the anonymous 2N404 devices that flood the market. General Electric was the house most associated with the type, and a GE marked example is what a restorer wants when the original board carried one and the repair is meant to look right as well as work.
The A suffix matters too. The 2N404A is the tightened version of the 2N404, with better controlled switching characteristics, and it was the part specified where the timing actually had to be relied on rather than merely happen. In late 1950s and early 1960s terms that meant computer and data processing logic, industrial control and high reliability equipment: the 2N404 family is one of the transistors the first generation of transistorised computers was built from.
There is a second market for these and it is worth naming, because it sets the price as much as the restoration trade does. Germanium PNP devices of this vintage are sought for guitar effects, where the soft clipping and temperature dependent bias of a germanium junction are the entire point and no silicon part substitutes convincingly. One is on the shelf, in a metal can with the leads full length and unclipped.
Questions about this part
What does the A suffix change?
The 2N404A is the tightened version of the 2N404, with better controlled switching behaviour. It was the part specified where the timing had to be depended on rather than merely tolerated, which in the period meant computer logic, industrial control and high reliability equipment.
Why does the GE monogram matter?
Because most 2N404 devices on the market carry no maker at all. General Electric is the house most associated with the type, so a GE marked example is what a restorer wants when the original board had one and the repair is meant to look correct as well as measure correct.
Are these any good for guitar effects?
That is a large part of why they sell. Germanium PNP devices of this era are wanted for fuzz and boost circuits, where the soft clipping and temperature dependent bias are the effect rather than a defect. If you want one for that, ask and we will meter gain and leakage on the exact piece first, because those two numbers decide whether it suits a particular circuit.
How is this different from the plain 2N404 you also list?
Different grade, different piece, listed separately. The plain 2N404 in this drawer has faded case markings and no clearly legible maker; this one carries both the full 2N404A number and the GE monogram.