SOLVED Ground Problem - GCI Socialist Jr.

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PangeaDestructor

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Building a socialist jr v1.1 from god city (https://kurtballou.com/docs/GOD CITY INSTRUMENTS - Socialist Jr. V1.1 Build guide.pdf) and I have a grounding problem that I cannot track down. Pics are attached, this is the second time I've put this one together and had this exact problem. I bought the board again because I ended up ripping off some pads trying to figure out this problem, and really don't want to do a third one. The pedal works on a testing platform - it sounds great, I can see the LED diode light up when I click the foot switch. But the bypass LED will not turn off no matter what. I have the output and the power jack loosely connected right now, but soldering them, redoing them, switching them up, I can't figure it out.
 

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Okay. I wanted to make sure that it wasn't the pedal pcb one because the pinouts are slightly different. Are you sure that the LED is not making contact with any of the pots?

I can see the LED diode light up when I click the foot switch. But the bypass LED will not turn off no matter what.
Just to be clear: D2 is an LED used as a clipping diode and LED is the indicator LED. Are you saying that it starts off, it turns on when you switch the footswitch, then it remains illuminated and won't turn off when you switch the footswitch again?
 
Does switching the footswitch change the signal path from BYPASS to ACTIVE? Can you post a clearer picture of your switch soldering?

D2 is illuminated without signal being applied to the circuit?

It definitely seems like there's a short between L+ and L-, so I'm suspecting there's an issue with the switch. D2 shouldn't be conducting unless there is sufficient signal to forward bias it. I'm not sure what's going on there because it doesn't seem like there's a short there.
 
Does switching the footswitch change the signal path from BYPASS to ACTIVE? Can you post a clearer picture of your switch soldering?

D2 is illuminated without signal being applied to the circuit?

It definitely seems like there's a short between L+ and L-, so I'm suspecting there's an issue with the switch. D2 shouldn't be conducting unless there is sufficient signal to forward bias it. I'm not sure what's going on there because it doesn't seem like there's a short there.
The help I get on this forum is seriously incredible sometimes. I got out my illuminated magnifier and checked the switch. I've gone over that spot that looks like a short between L+ and L- a number of times, and finally thought it was just a scratch on the breakout board. It was a tiny piece of metal, looks like maybe a stray strand of the wiring to the switch, that just took a bit of elbow grease to break and now it works.

THANK YOU. My new cabinet gets here tonight, and I'm going to be playing around with this pedal. My neighbors do not thank you.
 
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