Paypal reward for help on Colorsound build

jim93 · Post by **jim93** » Sat Apr 09, 2011 7:56 pm

Just fishing for answers

If someone can figure out what is wrong with my colorsound one knob fuzz pedal which makes it not have any output when the effects loop is on; the topic reward is applicable. $3 for information leading to the culprit. The bypass works fine.

I have looked at the schematic and layout all day yesterday to no avail. I cant easily find veroboard / already soldered and trimmed components for this padper hole layout so I just want to fix this build. I built it twice so I think there is a problem with the layout.

This is the schematic except for the 100uf capacitor

http://fuzzcentral.ssguitar.com/schemat ... obfuzz.gif

the 100uf capacitor is from this layout

http://www.aronnelson.com/gallery/main. ... alNumber=2

This is all from my build. The first pic is how I decided to connect the components and lay them out

http://s1088.photobucket.com/albums/i330/spot73/Pedal/

I think its something simple I just cant figure it out.

timhulio · Post by **timhulio** » Sat Apr 09, 2011 8:24 pm

I'm slightly at a loss. What are those 600v orange drops doing in there? Why are all the components in at funny angles? Why are you using axial capacitors?
In debugging, it'd be easier if you used a colour scheme for your wiring... like I use red for +, black for -/ground, white for input, yellow for output.

I really think you might be better off buying a couple of kits first, then carefully follow some simple vero layouts, then you can do whatever this is.

Pedal building is pretty easy, but you need to be neat and source the right parts, and kits are a good introduction to that sort of thing.

jim93 · Post by **jim93** » Sat Apr 09, 2011 9:03 pm

Its what I could get around but they were 0.22uf and 0.1 uf so I thought they could provide that capacitance. The axial capacitors are the 10uf and the 100uf which I think are polarized and in the dragonfly layout.
I changed the color coding, I think the input is coming from the purple.

Bill Oakley · Post by **Bill Oakley** » Sun Apr 10, 2011 4:16 pm

The schematic show 82R and Andrew's layout shows 820R. The 820R is correct. What did you use?

Edit: Maybe this will help you out a litttle: CS Fuzz Project

timhulio · Post by **timhulio** » Sun Apr 10, 2011 4:24 pm

There's an 820R in there.

jim93 · Post by **jim93** » Sun Apr 10, 2011 4:59 pm

an 820r. Im planning on following it with a multimeter until some veroboard comes in

Bill Oakley · Post by **Bill Oakley** » Mon Apr 11, 2011 3:10 pm

So wait. The pedal works when it's not in your effects loop?

SGJarrod · Post by **SGJarrod** » Mon Apr 11, 2011 3:46 pm

timhulio wrote:I'm slightly at a loss. I really think you might be better off buying a couple of kits first, then carefully follow some simple vero layouts, then you can do whatever this is.

Pedal building is pretty easy, but you need to be neat and source the right parts, and kits are a good introduction to that sort of thing.

+1000

good simple vero projects are the DAM Meathead and Catalinbread Hyper Pak

Bill Oakley wrote: Maybe this will help you out a litttle: CS Fuzz Project

Bill that is a very nice DIY project pack there, I went thru ur site too and very nice

jim93 · Post by **jim93** » Mon Apr 11, 2011 7:15 pm

I meant it works as a bypass

Bill Oakley · Post by **Bill Oakley** » Mon Apr 11, 2011 8:23 pm

SGJarrod wrote:
timhulio wrote:I'm slightly at a loss. I really think you might be better off buying a couple of kits first, then carefully follow some simple vero layouts, then you can do whatever this is.

Pedal building is pretty easy, but you need to be neat and source the right parts, and kits are a good introduction to that sort of thing.
+1000

good simple vero projects are the DAM Meathead and Catalinbread Hyper Pak

Bill Oakley wrote: Maybe this will help you out a litttle: CS Fuzz Project
Bill that is a very nice DIY project pack there, I went thru ur site too and very nice

Thanks!

I meant it works as a bypass

So it doesn't work when the pedal is engaged? Only the bypass works?

Can you post better pictures of your switching? One thing you can try is to take the input wire and output wire off of the switch and hook them directly up to the input and output jacks. If the circuit works, you have a problem with your switch wiring.

jim93 · Post by **jim93** » Mon Apr 11, 2011 10:28 pm

i will try the input/output straight into plugs as soon as I have some free time and my left hand heals. I sprained my middle finger yesterday so im running on lower mobility for a few days. Thanks for the help.

I am also planning on just starting on stripboard if that doesnt work so that I can work on the layout given. I bought a solderless breadboard so that I wont commit to a layout until it works, lesson learned.

SGJarrod · Post by **SGJarrod** » Mon Apr 11, 2011 10:40 pm

jim93 wrote:I am also planning on just starting on stripboard if that doesnt work so that I can work on the layout given.

also, before u use a layout someone else put together always verify it by looking it over compared to the schematic.... I see this one was made by Andrew Carrell, I have started to use 2 of his layouts in the past to find out they are incorrect (IC Muff Fuzz had the Electrolytic cap wrong, and Orange Sunshine had an un-needed jumper that bypassed the input cap)

Bill Oakley · Post by **Bill Oakley** » Mon Apr 11, 2011 11:41 pm

It's always good to verify layouts and schematics are correct before committing to building it. That's where your breadboard is going to come in handy.

Also if you are going to be building and/or fixing pedals, make yourself an audio probe. That way you can follow the signal through the circuit and find problems. They're very useful.

SGJarrod · Post by **SGJarrod** » Mon Apr 11, 2011 11:46 pm

Bill Oakley wrote:It's always good to verify layouts and schematics are correct before committing to building it. That's where your breadboard is going to come in handy.

these days its sometimes easier to find a layout than a Schem

Learned my lesson the hard way....but because of these mistakes I learned alot

Bill Oakley wrote:Also if you are going to be building and/or fixing pedals, make yourself an audio probe. That way you can follow the signal through the circuit and find problems. They're very useful.

+1000000000000

jim93 · Post by **jim93** » Tue Apr 12, 2011 12:34 am

one of these
http://www.diystompboxes.com/pedals/debug.html

so I would just take a 1/4 mono jack connect the ground to an alligator clip that I could ground then solder the other side to a 0.1uf capacitor. I could then solder the other side of the capacitor to a probe which I could use to probe the circuit.

Bill Oakley · Post by **Bill Oakley** » Tue Apr 12, 2011 2:22 am

Sounds right. I have a 1/4 jack I put into the input jack so power is connected (needed for Boss pedals) and clip the alligator clip onto that but you can do it right to the enclosure.

I have a hollow probe I bought from somewhere that the 1uf just fit inside so it's all nice and neat but some heat shrink tubing would be good to put around it.