freestompboxes.org

I tried to build a tube screamer (using a kit from pedalparts.co.uk) and it does not work.

When the pedal is off the bypass is working fine. When I switch it on there's no signal whatsoever, but the LED lights up. I've checked and double checked all the wiring and although it is messy (I am a poor solderer) it still makes all the circuits it should.

Here's how it looks:




Any suggestions for what else I should check?

How about a shot of the track side of the board ? That's probably where the problem lies.

I'm not home right now so I can't get a picture, but all the solder points are okay and none is bridged.

In that case, it could be that you have too many green wires and too many yellow ones.

I always try to use as many different colours as possible, because this makes it so much easier to check that the correct wire goes to the correct place. Having lots of wires the same colour can cause miswiring, and also makes it harder to trace - a double whammy !

From the pictures you've posted already, I can't see which wires go where, so I can't help to diagnose your problem(s).

I used the same colours as the docs

http://pedalparts.co.uk/wp-content/uplo ... reamer.pdf

Not getting at you Teaboy - just pointing out the dangers of, and difficulty of diagnosing from, the colour scheme. I'm a bit surprised at PP making you build stuff this way.

Sounds like the footswitch might have a lose contact, I've had at least one experience of a solder-lug on a 3PDT Footswitch coming lose due to excessive heat from soldering....

I didn't think you were trying to be rude Lucifer, I was typing on my phone so I was being brief!

I just tested the switch (1-4, 2-5, 3-6 when off and 4-7, 5-8, 6-9 when on) and it seems to be working fine.

If it's wired into the box and the bypass works, you can do a rough-and-ready but effective audio probe by disconnecting the output wire that runs from the switch to the jack at the switch end, attach a longer length of stranded wire (just so it's flexible and won't stress the solder on the jack end) and stick a croc clip with an input size cap in it. You can then probe from the input, through the circuit from the input jack, through the switch to the board (which you know should be ok) then through the input cap and on through the circuit til it disappears. You don't even need the cap, it 's just to stop nasty dc making bad noises through a loud amp. Measuring voltages at the pertinent points will also rule out power problems, if you've got a multimeter.