True.I recommend changing one thing at a time, otherwise it's too easy to get lost.
Raising R7 from 220K to 1.2M will increase the gain at all DRIVE settings by 6x (15dB). Pretty substantial increase. However much you increase R7, reduce C10 to maintain the same cutoff freq. That being said, with that much overdrive, you probably want more treble cut than you're getting now. Start by reducing C10 to 75pF or 100pF and see if the gain range is good. Once you're satisfied with R7, then adjust C10. You may have to go back and forth a couple times tweaking R7 & C10.
Dropping R17 from 12K to 10K will be barely noticeable. Try reducing R17 in 2x steps (6.8K, 3.3K, 1.5K, etc.).
The TONE knob is a "shelving" control. The cutoff freq is constant, but the amount of cut you get is variable. It's gonna be kinda touchy at the very bottom end of rotation.
I lowered C10 to 100p, and it sounds pretty good. But I'm still having the volume issue. By looking at the schematic I'm guessing that by lowering R10 would increase volume? It's the last resistor before the volume knob is my reasoning for that.I recommend changing one thing at a time, otherwise it's too easy to get lost.
Raising R7 from 220K to 1.2M will increase the gain at all DRIVE settings by 6x (15dB). Pretty substantial increase. However much you increase R7, reduce C10 to maintain the same cutoff freq. That being said, with that much overdrive, you probably want more treble cut than you're getting now. Start by reducing C10 to 75pF or 100pF and see if the gain range is good. Once you're satisfied with R7, then adjust C10. You may have to go back and forth a couple times tweaking R7 & C10.
Dropping R17 from 12K to 10K will be barely noticeable. Try reducing R17 in 2x steps (6.8K, 3.3K, 1.5K, etc.).
Unity Volume is at about 2:30-3 with the gain knob at 0, and about 1:30-2 when gain at 12:00. I've built this pedal before, just the Glory Hole straight up Morning Glory clone, and it has 12:00 unity volume.Changing R7 and C10 affects the gain, but not the volume. The diodes limit the maximum signal and everything after that can affect the volume. R10 has such a small affect on volume that you could take R10 all the way down to zero and not hear the volume increase.
As it is now, you should be getting around 5Vp-p output when TONE and VOLUME are dimed. It's hard to believe that's not enough. Reducing R17 will increase the volume, but Q1 does not have much spare headroom. Where is the unity VOLUME setting?
How would I do that?Can you measure the DC voltage on Q1's source (middle lead)?
With a digital voltmeter. Do you have one?
I'm surprised that unity volume is so far up the dial. Knowing how Q1 is biased might shed some light.
I had the pedal powered, and holding the red lead to the Left leg (flat side of the transistor facing me) and the black lead to the middle leg, I got a reading of 8.45.Can you measure the DC voltage on Q1's source (middle lead)?