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PostPosted: Fri Feb 18, 2022 8:57 pm 
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Joined: Fri Feb 18, 2022 8:28 pm
Posts: 6
Hi everyone,

First time builder. Took my time and tried HARD not to have to ask for help….
Any help would be greatly appreciated!

1. A detailed explanation of what the problem is. (not just, “It doesn’t work, help”) -

The pedal turns on and sounds as a super fuzz should but there is little sustain. Each note decays rather abruptly. Also if I pick very softly, sound is barely audible. If I pick hard it’s pretty normal. If I play a series of riffs, volume dips intermittently or surges.
I’m hoping someone sees something! Please don’t hesitate to point out anything that I could do better.

Thanks

2. Pic of the top side of your PCB. - Attached
3. Pic of the underside of your PCB. - Attached
4. Pic that clearly shows your footswitch/jack wiring and the wires going to the PCB- Attached
5. A pic that clearly shows your wiring going from the PCB to the pots - Attached
6. Is bypass working? - Yes
7. Does the LED come on? - Yes
8. If you answer yes to 6 and 7, what does the pedal do when it is "on"? - Please see #1
9. Are you using a battery or adapter? - Adapter


Attachments:
88CDD6A2-77CA-477E-B1DE-D07D3A84BBF3.jpeg
88CDD6A2-77CA-477E-B1DE-D07D3A84BBF3.jpeg [ 346.85 KiB | Viewed 974 times ]
AEB24195-8491-44BD-9022-34F8D8EB5CA8.jpeg
AEB24195-8491-44BD-9022-34F8D8EB5CA8.jpeg [ 390.76 KiB | Viewed 974 times ]
A2F8471E-BAEE-4946-BC1E-C3B0C6853FA1.jpeg
A2F8471E-BAEE-4946-BC1E-C3B0C6853FA1.jpeg [ 524.82 KiB | Viewed 974 times ]


Last edited by Unifox on Sat Mar 12, 2022 9:03 am, edited 4 times in total.
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PostPosted: Fri Feb 18, 2022 9:01 pm 
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Joined: Fri Feb 18, 2022 8:28 pm
Posts: 6
Here’s some more pics:


Attachments:
E818A7DD-1E86-4738-96DB-A9B04116BCF6.jpeg
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7D01F1D7-4768-4C9C-BE2D-76950B4A0803.jpeg
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0A14C57D-1FEA-4EEE-8DCF-13AEC2B35EDB.jpeg
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 28, 2022 11:47 pm 
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Joined: Fri Feb 18, 2022 8:28 pm
Posts: 6
Hey guys/gals

So after 10 days of patiently waiting (checking the forum every 10 min lol) for a suggestion I’m gonna try to bump my problem!

I have figured out that the pedal works fine with the battery and plugged in to a lone boss adapter.
I was trying it on my pedalboard where I left a dedicated spot for this build. Turns out it only shows the weird symptoms on the board (where I need it to be).

The board is powered by a truetone cs12. It has two 18v taps which I have converted down to 9v (via TrueTone 18to9v converters). All other pedals work fine in these locations…except for the Leeds.

Any ideas?


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PostPosted: Tue Mar 01, 2022 1:57 am 
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Joined: Mon Oct 02, 2006 9:46 pm
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Location: Woy Woy, Australia
Does it work when you plug it into one of the 9v outputs? Because it might just be a case of re-routing the power cables.
Since it works fine on battery and on another power supply I can only guess that the converted outputs aren't putting out 9v and the pedal isn't liking that.

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If there's ever an obscene noise to be made on an instrument, it's gonna come out of a guitar! - Frank Zappa


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PostPosted: Tue Mar 01, 2022 8:08 am 
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Joined: Tue Feb 09, 2010 4:45 pm
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Location: Rochester, NY
Sorry we missed your first post!

I was going to say that this sounds like a bias problem, and ask if you had adjusted the internal trimpot at all. But your follow-up about power is interesting. You will find a lot of hate for the 1Spot and associated products on this forum. :lol: As I always say, they work fine for me (both single power supplies and my CS7), but I can't deny that we see tons of problems with people using them. Have you tried one of the normal 9v outputs on your power supply? If that works, then we've narrowed down the problem to the power step-down. If not, then it's probably connected to whatever is inside those Truetone PSes, and the answer will be to power your Leeds Fuzz a different way.

FWIW, the draw on these pedals is quite low, so a 9v should last a good long time as long as you disconnect the input cable when you're not using it. (Or a related trick would be to keep the input cable in place, but plug in the power supply until you're ready to use it. Either option will physically disconnect the battery and keep it from dying when not in use.)

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Scott

My band, Austin Hollow


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PostPosted: Tue Mar 01, 2022 12:07 pm 
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Location: Albany, NY
sjaustin wrote:
Sorry we missed your first post!

Indeed! Our bad!

I would point out the note on page 19 of the instructions pertaining to the setting of the trimpot, since it seems an unlikely coincidence that the very behavior you describe is specifically mentioned there:

"There are rumors circulating the internet that this trimpot controls the amount of octave
effect that mixes in with the fuzz. This is somewhat true, but keep in mind that if you used
this trimpot as such, it can cause an unusual 'noise gate' effect at the end of each note on
certain settings.
Ideally you want to set this trimpot so that it produces the most noise.
This may seem counterintuitive, but this will produce the longest sustain and the best
sounding fuzz. This will almost always be dead center on the trimpot's rotation (noon) or
just slightly off center. But ultimately, it's up to you....just trust your ears."


Not sure why the choice of power supply would exacerbate this behavior, but I'd focus on the trimpot setting first. And be sure that you're powering it with the CS12 when you adjust the trimpot.

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

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


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PostPosted: Wed Mar 02, 2022 12:58 am 
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Joined: Fri Feb 18, 2022 8:28 pm
Posts: 6
Thanks for the replies!

I will investigate all suggestions and get back.

I was going for that TGP neatest pedalboard insanity so I’ll tackle
unraveling that over the next few days if it’s not the trimpot.

In the meantime, any criticism on my build? It was my first time and would love to know
What I could do better on the next build.


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PostPosted: Thu Mar 03, 2022 11:49 am 
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Location: Albany, NY
Unifox wrote:
In the meantime, any criticism on my build? It was my first time and would love to know what I could do better on the next build.

I think it's an excellent first effort. The soldering quality looks very good and the wiring of the jacks and footswitch is neatly done. Those tend to be the weakest points in novice builds. So my advice to you for future builds is....get to 'em! :mrgreen:

It appears that you have prior soldering experience, perhaps quite a bit of it. Is that so?

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

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


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PostPosted: Sun Mar 06, 2022 11:34 am 
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Joined: Fri Feb 18, 2022 8:28 pm
Posts: 6
Wow thanks for the response!

I have never soldered before, in fact I bought an iron specifically for this build. However I did read an insane amount on this forum and really felt it helped a lot. So thanks to anyone and everyone who has ever posted here.

Also I think I’ve figured out my problem and will post soon. Just want to make 100% sure before doing so.


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PostPosted: Sat Mar 12, 2022 9:02 am 
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Joined: Fri Feb 18, 2022 8:28 pm
Posts: 6
I’m happy to report the issue is resolved!
It was totally my fault, I can’t believe it but I had the truetone converter reversed :(
All other pedals I tried on that tap somehow worked and I had the wires well hidden so I didn’t see the problem but after careful inspection (and a call to truetone CS lol), it’s all sorted. Now to rebuild the pedalboard…

Anyways, I had a lot of fun and can’t wait to do the next.

Thank you to all who responded!


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