I still build effects for musicians - mostly for friends these days. I've been doing it since 1968, and designed effects for a few manufacturers in the 1970s and 80s. All component choice was entirely pragmatic - cost mattered more than function!
Today we have deluded "boutique" effects manufacturers seeking out "JRC" 4558 dual op-amps to make their variants of the venerable "Tube Screamer" effect (a mid-boosted soft(ish) clipper circuit with a crude tone control). I found that I had several tubes of JRC 4558s with early 80s date codes. I released these on to Ebay in small quantities, and had people competing to pay as much as $10 for a chip that cost me <$0.02 when they were new.
Putting one of the "magic" ICs into a Tube Screamer circuit and comparing it with a modern dual op-amp results in two devices that sound (and measure) entirely identically, but the deluded fools insist on the "original" parts....
It's much the same with germanium transistors. There are audible differences between a Fuzz Face made with germanium and silicon transistors, but addition of a couple of small value ceramic capacitors to the silicon version will make them sound (and measure) identically..... The silicon ones don't drift with temperature!
There are several more "musical" circuits than the Fuzz face, but the old FF can't really be beaten for economy!