Build Your Own Clone Message Board

Quick question:

If a guitar pedal works in true bypass but is completely dead with no sound when engaged, does that typically mean there's an issue with power supply or a short? I'm assuming that in this case it's the power supply because, when I use an audio probe on all components of the pedal (when it is turned on) I get absolutely no sound.

How would I go about diagnosing whether or not I'm having a problem with power supply. For example, what would I measure with my digital multimeter?

In addition, when I disconnect the DC adaptor jack and put a jumper between the two + eyelets on the pcb, and I'm simply running the pedal off the 9 V battery, the battery itself becomes very hot. My assumption is that something is blocking power from getting to the circuitboard.

This is characteristic of a power short to ground somewhere--the battery heats up from the exothermic reaction taking place to generate all that current going straight to ground. Inspect the pedal carefully, looking for stray wire strands or solder "bridging" between points carrying 9V power and points connected to ground.

Posting some photos would be helpful as well. Please make them large, well-lit, well-focused shots of BOTH sides of the PCB and all your switch and jack wiring.

_________________
“My favorite programming language is SOLDER” - Bob Pease (RIP)

My Website * My Musical Gear * My DIY Pedals: Pg.1 - Pg.2

Thanks Duvoodooman,

This problem is related to a previous post:
viewtopic.php?f=33&t=54320

The pedal is currently in pieces and out of it's casing. After fixing the pedal as stated in the above post, it worked for about 2 months. I even played a show with it. Since leaving that band, I never used it for a couple of months. When I pulled it off my pedal board in order to use it on it's own, it suddenly didn't work.

I have to piece it back together, not including putting it back in it's case. Then I'll post some photos, as well a description of all the things that I've done to try and fix it. I suppose I should post it in the wah section hey?

Quick qeustion:
Does a power short to ground essentially mean that power isn't flowing through the entire pedal. Instead, it's shorting out before it has the chance to do so?

Oh my GoD! Wait! Is this pedal never going to work because I'm trying to diagnose the problem while it's entirely out of it's case and possibly not ground?

I took care of that.


Exactly. Current preferentially follows through the path of lower resistance, and a short to ground is ZERO resistance.


Shouldn't be a problem here, since the BYOC wah has both I/O jacks connected to ground through the PCB, assuming that you wired it per the instructions.

_________________
“My favorite programming language is SOLDER” - Bob Pease (RIP)

My Website * My Musical Gear * My DIY Pedals: Pg.1 - Pg.2