Build Your Own Clone Message Board

This is my first build. Got everything hooked up but there's no effect or led. However, bypass seems to work just fine. Any advice anyone can offer would be greatly appreciated!

The "AC adapter jack" isn't installed, according to your photos. Even if you only plan to use a 9V battery for power, that component needs to be wired in as well in order for the effect (and the LED) to work. (Or else, some other additional wiring needs to be arranged, but I think it's best just to include the adapter jack.) If the jack *had* been installed and you removed it before taking the photos, we'll have to keep looking for a different problem & solution.

(It's hard to tell from the photo but you might also check to make sure pin 1 of the PT2399 socket is soldered in.)

Yes sorry. Should have mentioned that. The ac plug was disconnected for the photo but was connected when I tested the pedal. And pin 1 is also soldered as well.

Next step might be to try to find out where power is getting to, and where it is not.

(1) Do you have a multimeter?

(2) How do you feel about reading the schematic diagram?


(I presume you have an adapter jack with the internal nut. If this turns out to be an involved troubleshoot, you might consider leaving the guts out of the enclosure while you are tracking down the problem; you can still operate the device as long as you lay it on a non-conductive surface. In this case you could solder the jack on for the duration of the extra-vehicular troubleshoot, and then desolder/insert-into-enclosure/resolder one last time when it is working properly. If you've already returned the guts into the box and re-attached the jack, just leave it that way for now.)

In a true mechanical bypass pedal like this one, bypass will work whether or not there's power going into the effect circuit. So checking if you're getting +9V going into the PCB will be an important diagnostic. But a couple of other things first:

• It's impossible to tell if you might have done this since you have the DC jack disconnected in your photos, but when you resolder it, be sure not to make THIS COMMON WIRING MISTAKE..
• While your soldering is quite good for a first-time pedal builder, I still see several joints that are poorly formed, lacking in the amount of solder applied, or where the solder pad isn't completely covered with solder. I would recommend that you refer to the informational threads linked below and then go back through your build and perform a complete solder reflow. It doesn't take that long to do and often solves a host of different problems.

viewtopic.php?f=9&t=6401

viewtopic.php?f=9&t=52211

viewtopic.php?f=9&t=52188

P.S. Great photos--thanks for those!

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