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BillyModeratorCheck your DC wiring Josh it’s difficult to see it should be like the image below, are you getting 9v to the pcb?
I’m at work at the moment so haven’t checked your pcb components etc
Also double check your IN stereo jack is wired correctly stick at jack in and follow it round to the solder lugs


BillyModeratorIt’s not absolutely crucial to bias at 5v all FETs vary wildly even from the same batch
You can experiment with Q1 and 2 and bias them slightly higher than Q3 to around 6.5v to 6.7v to see if that makes a difference but my personal opinion is if it sounds good leave it
I biased mine higher than 5v when I built it
If you really want to try some additional series resistance you could simply tac a resistor on the underside of the board between TR3 lug 1 and Q3 drain obviously removing Q3 first, I’d start at 2K
BillyModeratorPin 2 is the volume pot output goes to R38 junction
You may be able to use the pot if you can still solder to it
Any pot should work it may not act as it should ie bunch up across it’s range
You can alter resistance by putting a resistor across lugs 1 and 3 to change your 50K
May 24, 2020 at 2:23 pm in reply to: American Fuzz Pro – Help with first build diagnostic/troubleshooting? #13052
BillyModeratorGreat glad it’s all fixed
When drilling your enclosure you can use a template to mark all your holes etc
Similar to the one below, you can edit and print it to ensure it fits the way you want it and your labelling etc won’t be obscured by knobs, switches etc and have clearance e.g. you don’t want to drill your in and out jack holes too close to the edge where the may come into contact with the enclosure top or bottom when it’s all screwed shut you have to make sure you consider the internal screw holes the thickness of the enclosure walls and so on as seen in the template below
This one was taken from here and edited in gimp2 for 2 knobs
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/u3zzqiklxgb07vt/AACOJf2VJy60YRSS9yTIezg1a?dl=0
There are many methods for labelling your enclosure Barry demonstrates one on the guides page
Whatever method you choose you are always better to print off a drilling template to the size of the enclosure you’re using, cut it out and see how it fits, then once you’re happy tape it on and use a centre punch to mark your holes and drill a 3mm pilot hole to prevent your drill bit slipping when you drill all your holes to the correct size, you will find all drill hole sizes in the beginners guide to components for 3PDT, potentiometers, jacks and switches etc
I personally take some time doing this making sure the pcb, pots, switches, jacks will fit inside the enclosure as intended without touching the sides etc, I’ll only drill my holes once I’m sure it’ll all fit. I usually dry fit everything on top of the enclosure before drilliing as a final check, everybody does it differently but we all definitely measure, measure, measure! Enclosures after all are one of the most expensive parts in DIY pedal building
I drill before I label with the labelling method I use, some prefer to do it the other way around label first then drill, then as with the drilling template I’ll do one for my labelling print it off put it on the enclosure and poke a pen through the holes and place my knobs on it to make sure it all lines up and nothings obscured
There is also a list of enclosure sizes taken from hammond in the guide albeit they will vary a little so best just to measure your own enclosure

BillyModeratorRF noise is fairly common on high gain pedals particularly the fuzz face there are lots of things people do to rectify it I myself just leave it I kinda like it, pretty cool between songs!
A common cure is to use a ferrite bead on the input wire separating your power and audio wires and shortening them can also help
In your case not so easy with yours running paralell, if you can, make sure your power and audio wires aren’t twisted or entangled try separating them and move them apart as much as you can if they have to cross try doing it like this + rather than this I I
Here’s some methods if you scroll down to radio noise
May 23, 2020 at 8:47 pm in reply to: American Fuzz Pro – Help with first build diagnostic/troubleshooting? #13035
BillyModeratorThat’s what we’re here for G no problem’s insignificant
What we do as moderators is initially all offer advice and usually one of us with a little more time will take the debug on to its conclusion and hopefully get it working as it should
We all started somewhere! non of us were born making pedals and we’ve all made the same mistakes
For simple ish stuff I’m your man! the more complex technical stuff I’d leave to Wilkie, Cybercow and Barry who all have a better knowledge than me
Anyway
You can run a jumper wire from the S5 pad on the main pcb which is ground to any ground pad on the 3PDT pcb
May 23, 2020 at 2:37 pm in reply to: American Fuzz Pro – Help with first build diagnostic/troubleshooting? #13029
BillyModeratorSounds like you may have a poor ground connection to the LED
Your meter passes a small current through it so would make it light up
A 1K will just make it brighter
Try reflowing your solder joints and make sure your 3PDT lugs have continuity as you know ground is connected to lug 5 with LED cathode to lug 4 which grounds the LED illuminating it in effects mode (throw 1) switched the other way it disconnects from ground switching it off for bypass mode (throw 2)
The middle row being the common row which just switches between throw 1 and 2 as you stomp on it
You can check your switch for continuity by checking the middle row 3 lugs with the top 3 click it the other way and check middle with bottom row, the purple and red lines in the image

BillyModeratorThat looks great Marc well done
Haha no chance Ray maybe once I’ve changed to 6″ thick lenses
Anyway it’s one to look out for since this post I’ve seen several on other forums with the exact same a 1M labelled as a 1K all kits
I’ve emailed Klaus to give him the heads up I’ve seen at least 7 posts recently
May 22, 2020 at 10:49 pm in reply to: American Fuzz Pro – Help with first build diagnostic/troubleshooting? #13023
BillyModeratorIt could just be a cold solder joint the resistor should be fine just reflow the CLR solder joints apply your iron for about 5 seconds until you see the solder flow on the topside would be easier
FYI you’d get continuity from the 9v pad to the CLR then the other side of the CLR should have continuity to the LED anode, then ground should have continuity to the LED cathode when it’s in effects mode
If you set your meter to 20V DC the V setting with the dotted and straight line (see below) put your black (COM) probe on any ground point and touch your red probe to the LED anode to see if you get a reading you can do the same for the 9v pad and the CLR

This shows where you should get continuity red 9v and yellow ground in effects mode, just ignore the blue line the best way for you to continuity check is to for example put one probe on the 9v pad and the other on the actual CLR leg rather than the solder joint then from the other side of the CLR leg to the LED anode leg that way you’re checking your wire to the LED is also ok then with it in effects mode touch the actual LED cathode leg and any ground pad or the 3PDT lug with the yellow line

Have a look at the beginners guide to components where it explains how a 3PDT works
May 22, 2020 at 6:46 pm in reply to: American Fuzz Pro – Help with first build diagnostic/troubleshooting? #13020
BillyModeratorGreat glad you got it going
The LED must be on the 3PDT pcb so I’m assuming you mean D1 on the 3PDT pcb and not the main pcb
It’s correct your LED anode long leg + goes to the middle and cathode – to non white boxed pad
You can check your LED is ok by using a coin cell battery if you’ve got one just stick it in the middle of the 2 legs

If your CLR and LED are mounted on the 3PDT pcb you can use your meter to check it gets power and ground, check from the 9v pad to the CLR and from the other end of the CLR to the LED anode for voltage and or continuity
If you DC jack power and ground go directly to the 3PDT pcb your faulty 9v pad shouldn’t make a difference
May 22, 2020 at 2:08 pm in reply to: American Fuzz Pro – Help with first build diagnostic/troubleshooting? #13017
BillyModeratorG just wire your 9v straight to R3 top end leg the side that doesn’t have continuity with C2
Mark I had the luxury of being on my PC that day so could zoom in and see the wires my immediate thought was the same as yours black = ground but easy to zoom in 10x on your PC not so on my phone
May 21, 2020 at 6:04 pm in reply to: American Fuzz Pro – Help with first build diagnostic/troubleshooting? #13005
BillyModeratorAll your components look to be the correct value and orientation
To double check you are getting power to the main pcb take the voltage on the top end of R3
Also continuity check your T pads from the main pcb to 3PDT pcb BI and BO pads and check continuity on your ground connections to 3PDT and jack ground lugs also check continuity from your I and O to the jack socket tips you don’t have to remove your heat shrink just touch the actual sockets tip and sleeve
Make sure your 3PDT also has continuity from the middle common row 3 lugs to their corresponding 3 top row lugs (effects mode)
If this all checks out post the voltages for Q1 to 3s emitter, base and collector legs
May 21, 2020 at 2:55 pm in reply to: American Fuzz Pro – Help with first build diagnostic/troubleshooting? #13003
BillyModeratorG zooming in I could see your main pcb in and outs were correct just couldn’t see where they went to on the 3PDT from what you say that’s correct in T to BI out T to BO other pads to jack grounds
Did you check your IN jack tip wire from the 3PDT goes to the in jack tip solder lug and not the ring
Also need a clearer picture of your DC jack wiring
Make sure you’re putting your in cable to the in jack again very easy to plug your cables into the wrong jacks when you’ve got it upside down etc
May 21, 2020 at 11:10 am in reply to: American Fuzz Pro – Help with first build diagnostic/troubleshooting? #12998
BillyModeratorWe’d need to see a picture of your 3PDT wiring as it is now so we can trace the wiring
It looks like your main pcb IN and OUT ‘T’ for tip pads go to the 3PDT as they should, the black wires, but we can’t see where, it also looks like your orange ground wires go to the jack grounds
Double check your battery snap ground is in fact soldered to the ring lug on the stereo IN jack and not the tip, put a jack in and follow the connections around like below you could have your ring and tip connections mixed up
Not all jack sockets are laid out the same your tip and ring solder lugs may be different so stick a jack in and check

BillyModeratorCheck all your transistors are seated securely in their sockets Henrik I’d also untangle the blue and black IN wires
I actually think it sounds like an old casio keyboard you may have inadvertently found a cool mod!
Anyway check your transistors are in the sockets nice and secure
All your resistor values etc look correct but can’t see R32, 34 or 37
BillyModeratorJust to clarify when it’s fully in the enclosure everything tightened and you don’t put the in jack all the way in you get both bypass and effect signal all controls work as expected as soon as you fully insert the jack both bypass and effect signal cut out is that correct
BillyModeratorGreat looking pedal Shane that wiring is pristine very pro looking
The J113 you can also bias by ear, normal voltage range would be 4.5 to 6v
With hotter pickups I’d probably set it to 4.5v then adjust by ear till you get what you like
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