Build Your Own Clone Message Board

<sigh> I've been having a run of bad luck with vero builds for a while so I thought I would try something simple to try to get back on my feet. So I chose a Bosstone since it has a low parts count and the layout I found was pretty good, compact but only a few trace cuts. Wired it up, no sound; nothing. Bypass worked, but that was all. I don't have a lot of time for troubleshooting and the build was so simple I figured in the time I would spend debugging I could just build it up again, hopefully correctly. So I got a different, even simpler layout and rebuilt. Same story. So I wired it directly to the jacks, no switch, still dead silence. I'm cursed on vero!!!

Bummer, sorry to hear that. A couple of fails in a row can make you want to give up (for a while at least). Been there.

How about a nice Stage3 on vero? Another easy one.. I've built maybe 10 Stage3's many on Barry's boards, but several on Vero and that circuit has always fired up first time for me..

Now PERF I've all but given up on.. I've had successes and failures, but I'm just too lazy for it anymore.

yeah, maybe a different project would be the way to go. can't believe I actually built a Superfuzz on vero back in the day, I would never attempt anything like that now

Perf. Just follow the schematic and you're golden.

RG Keen has a great pitch about how it's not the build, it's the building...etc.
Each build, working or other wise, takes you somewhere further.

I've lost count of the number of times I've taken solace from that.

Good luck, man!

[slight hijack] is there a Stage 3 vero layout floating around out there somewheres?

It's probably something simple, usually is, plus the build is not that complex. What would really help is to have some extra time to debug. I'll see if I can get some pix together.

hmm. . . Perf, eh? That might just be crazy enough to work . . .

You realise that Q2 on the BT is PNP and is flipped so the emitter goes to power? Take this layout: http://www.aronnelson.com/gallery/main. ... O.GIF.html

Q2 has emitter at top. There is also a 50 or 100k attack pot on input and diodes are 1n400x types, not that it makes much difference. Great fuzz for Black Keys sound.

Perf is the only way. Vero is not only a crutch, it's a crutch that doesn't help you at all. It makes it harder to layout, harder to troubleshoot, etc.. Perf is not hard at all, one or two minor changes in the way you do vero, and the benefit of being able to do a layout that makes sense, fits anywhere, etc., is invaluable. Plus perfboard is cheaper and easier to find than vero - when you run out of vero you can't hit the radioshack for cheap replacements, but you can sure get over there for some cheap perfboard (one of the last such items they actually still carry). I could go on and on, but nobody has ever presented a good argument for why vero gets the attention it gets when really all it does is 'mimic' the act of making things easier while actually convoluting the whole build process.

OK, you talked me into it, gonna get my Perf on! Actually, my first non-kit project was a Bazz Fuss I built on perf from a vero layout, and that worked fine. Might be worth having a try at it agin, couldn't end up any worse that my latest stuff.

I still want pix of your fails stormytroopah, cuz I love to debug vero!

haha! OK I'll see what I can do.

Woo-hoo!!!!! Death to all things vero!!!!!

OK Kunfuz, these are for you. Sorry they are so blurry, my camera really doesn't do well on macro stuff, hope you can make something out. Also, I took the diodes out of the sockets during the debug and didn't put them back for the pix. Here is the layout I worked from:

http://aronnelson.com/gallery/main.php/ ... 1.jpg.html



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!!! !!!! Cigars Everyone!!!!
After, let's see, 4 months and building this up 4 times on vero and perf I finally got it to work!! Built on perf and it is FILTHY LIKE GIMLI!!!!

And as a double bonus, I built a Bazz Fuss on perf with a home-made Darlington, totally fired up the first time. Woot!!

Thats great, well done! The Bosstone is a teriffic fuzz, love the way it seems to hover on the edge of feedback.

Talk about perseverance !!

So, do you know what the issue was?

not a clue Aside from minor troubleshooting I'm still pretty worthless when it comes to debugging a circuit.



Yeah, it does a crazy octave thing at various places around the neck, like it a lot already!

I thought you might say that. I hear you though. I always like to know how I screwed the pooch but half the time I do 4 things in hopes of fixing it and if it works hell if I know what did it. I'm not talking perf or vero but the same concept applies.

Oops
Forgot about this one, will check it out today.
Edit: Looks ok to me, check orientation of trannys and the backside for copperbridges.
And that the circuit gets power

If ever you get the hankering to troubleshoot the vero board, check these spots for bridges. I can't see a lot from the pic, but these looked like likely spots. One time I "Fixed" my friends vero Klon merely by scraping away a bridge with my knife

thanks for looking these over again guys. The vero builds are all kind water under the bridge at this point though, especially since I was able to get the perf build working great. I'll be posting a final build report soon!

double post, 'natch.