Build Your Own Clone Message Board

Yep, sounds like a bad voltage regulator. Nice that you were able to find a replacement locally.

Bad parts in BYOC kits are pretty unusual, but IC's are the ones that are most commonly DOA--they're the most electronically complicated components, and many seem to be very sensitive to electrostatic damage.

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

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

This may seem like a stupid question, but are you sure you have the 78L05 in the correct spot? It would be a shame to replace that and fix the problem with the 5V only to have to track down some other problem because you have a 78L05 somewhere where you should have a 2N3904.

_________________
*patience is a virtue*

Please do not PM me. email is prefered. keith@buildyourownclone.com

Yesiree. IC's are all in the correct spot. And not a stupid question. Def gotta start simple first.

Ok well I got everything replaced and back together, have 4.9 volts on right leg of IC3 and the effect will turn on and all pots and switches seem to work but I have low output on both bypass and effect on.

I tried using the signal tester I bought a while back but it's confusing after the order switcher switch.

Sheesh. Kickin' my butt. lol

You put the wrong value in R31. Should be a 33k (333). You have a 3.3k (332) in there, which reduces the gain by a factor of 10, so that would explain your low output. If you have an incorrect value there, you likely have another one somewhere else, probably the missing 33k, but I'm not seeing it (your light source is casting a lot of shadow), so you'll need to find the other misplaced resistor value as well.

_________________
*patience is a virtue*

Please do not PM me. email is prefered. keith@buildyourownclone.com

Not to be contrary, but the resistor in R31 sure looks like a 33K to me (orange-orange-black-red-brown). Tough to tell though--those 1/8W resistors are tiny and there are a lot of shadowed areas in that photo.

This raises an excellent point, though, namely that a wrong resistor can cause exactly the kind of low output behavior you described. I would recommend going through the pedal and double-checking ALL of the resistors using the silkscreen labels on page 7 of the instructions, and the color band codes shown on page 5. A magnifying glass or similar device will make this a faster and more accurate exercise.

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

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

Holy cow, Keith. Dunno how ya spotted that but thanks! I'll go home with a fine toothe comb this fantastic pedal this evening. Thanks a million!

Yeah, that's a 33K. Just checked. And yes. I used a magnifying glass plus an ohmeter to separate them before I built I this. Separated neatly and kept in place on my desk with masking tape and a marker. But apparently my organization was not enough.

What if we think simpler. Why would I have low output in bypass mode? It's gotta be in the relay circuit or switch, right? Or maybe a ground? I dunno.

Sorry. I got my 4 and 5 band codes mixed up.

Does it make any difference if the boost is first or last?

If both on and bypass are low, it's possible that the muting system isn't closing all the way. What happens when you unplug power? It should always return to bypass when there's no power.

You have a signal tester. What does the signal sound like on the tip of the in jack?

_________________
*patience is a virtue*

Please do not PM me. email is prefered. keith@buildyourownclone.com

If you look at the pins on the back of the first/last switch like this:

1 2 3
4 5 6
7 8 9

Then your bypass signal should flow in this order (test for signal at these points) when in first mode:

2 > 4 > 8 > 9 > 5 > 6


When in last mode, it should flow like this in bypass:

2 > 9 > 5 > 4 > 8 > 6

_________________
*patience is a virtue*

Please do not PM me. email is prefered. keith@buildyourownclone.com

With boost order switch First, and both effects are on, I get no distortion, it's more like the signal just going through filters, has lots of noise, and the boost volume does not work. All the other controls seem to work.
With boost order switch Last, and both effects are on, distortion sounds correct, but with low volume, and boost volume also doesn't work. All the other controls seem to work.

When unplugging power, bypass mode is automatically engaged. When plugging power back in, one must use the footswitches to activate either effect again.

Using the signal tester on input jack, I have good guitar volume.

Using the signal tester on Boost Order switch in First Mode, I have good volume at pins 2 and 4 but low volume at 5, 6, 8, and 9.
Using the signal tester on Boost Order switch in Last Mode, I have good volume at pins 2, 4, 5 and 9 but low volume at 6 and 8.

Once again, I sincerely appreciate the help more than you know. I wish I could troubleshoot this myself but the circuits a little more complicated than what I'm used to, and I'm not very familiar with relay bypass circuits, but I have exhausted myself troubleshooting this beast. lol *sigh*

When you unplug the power, is your bypass signal level good? The relays' natural resting state when there is no power is bypass. When you power on the pedal for the first time, it will always be in bypass. So those things are normal. But I'm concerned with whether or not bypass signal level is only affected when the power is on.

When you tested for signal, did you have both channels in bypass? I'm not concerned with what the pedal is doing when it is on at this point, so to avoid confusion, don't worry about that right now. We need to get bypass working first.

_________________
*patience is a virtue*

Please do not PM me. email is prefered. keith@buildyourownclone.com

When I unplug power, I still have low volume.

And I know the very basics of relay system since I have one in my Memory Man. Just merely confiming it's working correctly. But 10-4, we shall focus on the bypass. Which brings me to my next question, what all (component-wise) does the audio signal pass through in bypass mode?

And I'm going home again today after work and troubleshoot some more. Haven't been able to do about an hour or two every evening.

Thanks again.

The flow chart I posted above is how it goes in bypass whether there is power or not. Bypass state is exactly the same with or without power. It goes from the in jack to the first last switch to the boost channel relay (when in first mode or to the drive relay in last mode), then back to the first last switch, then to the other relay, then back to the first last switch, then to the out jack.

_________________
*patience is a virtue*

Please do not PM me. email is prefered. keith@buildyourownclone.com

Gotcha

It would probably be worth re-flowing the solder joints on the first/last switch, just to make sure you've got good contact there. Just don't overdo it with the heat.

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

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

Reflowed switch and relays. And I dunno what else to do.

Sorry I wasn't able to help over the weekend.

According to your bypass signal flow test, the problem is somewhere in the boost return path between pin 8 of the 3PDT toggle switch and pin 3 of the boost relay. You should remove the boost relay. If you look at the pinout on the PCB like this:

6 5
7 4
8 3
9 2
10 1

You can hardwire bypass by placing a jumper between eyelets 8 & 9 and another jumper between eyelets 2 & 3.

Let me know if this solves your low bypass signal problem.

_________________
*patience is a virtue*

Please do not PM me. email is prefered. keith@buildyourownclone.com

Thanks for the help. There was a break in the trace at pin 8. Thanks to a forum member for personally helping me repair it.

The crown jewel is one heckuva powerful pedal! Thumbs up!