Could use some help / Pedal repair

[u439857293874]

Anyone here do general pedal repair lol? I will gladly pay someone to fix a few pedals for me. I've tried troubleshooting but I only seem to break the pedals more when I try to fix them. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[BuddytheReow]

I think collectively we can guide you through the process. I suggest you open a few troubleshooting threads and post good pictures. Once you learn how to troubleshoot the sky’s the limit.

 

[Phil hodson]

Post some info on the trouble shooting section. Honestly, it’s fantastic how many people are willing to help out.
I have fixed some pretty complex pedals/issues with help from folks on here.
Take your time and give as much info as possible.
It’s easy now to take a few pics with your phone and post them to help others see what’s going on.
It’s also very important (I know this from first hand issues!) to check and triple check your component values and that they are populated in the correct way.
Cleaning your board too helps with things like possible solder bridges.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help. There are some extremely knowledgeable people on here. And as @BuddytheReow said it also helps your knowledge level so maybe you will be able to start troubleshooting by yourself if you need too.

 

[u439857293874]

Troubleshooting... the bane of my existence. I truly hate it. Most of the time when I troubleshoot I break the whole pedal. That's because it requires unsoldering so usually I burn off the pad, burn a capacitor, scratch the board... you name it.

What gets me is when I trace the signal with the audio probe, find where its not working, replace the part and it still doesn't work in that spot.

This probably just isn't the hobby for me because I get super depressed when things don't work which is 90% of the time. It blows me away people get things working on the first try. I've been building these for a few years now and I've got like 2 to work?

My usual cycle is I try to build a few pedals... troubleshoot them... they dont work... I take a year off and do it all over again.... probably time for that year off.

 

[JamieJ]

There must be a reason why this is happening? Do you rush and not take your time?

For me the two main things that are really helpful with avoiding the troubleshooting section is to check every component before it gets placed. I use a little tester to confirm I’m placing the correct part. That avoids having to desolder.

Also working on your soldering skills. Try to get the perfect witches hat shape with the least amount of time heating the component and pad.

If you can do those two things then that reduces the likelihood of being in the trouble shooting section IMO.

What builds do you try and complete that are failing? Are you going for too complex of a build? Maybe try some super simple circuits (Electra, Amentum boost etc) just to build some momentum and confidence?

 

[Barry]

Troubleshooting... the bane of my existence. I truly hate it. Most of the time when I troubleshoot I break the whole pedal. That's because it requires unsoldering so usually I burn off the pad, burn a capacitor, scratch the board... you name it.

What gets me is when I trace the signal with the audio probe, find where its not working, replace the part and it still doesn't work in that spot.

This probably just isn't the hobby for me because I get super depressed when things don't work which is 90% of the time. It blows me away people get things working on the first try. I've been building these for a few years now and I've got like 2 to work?

My usual cycle is I try to build a few pedals... troubleshoot them... they dont work... I take a year off and do it all over again.... probably time for that year off.

When you get to a part where the audio stops it may be an incorrect value feeding say voltage to that part that's the issue. So in addition to an audio probe you need to be sure you have voltage where you're supposed to!

 

[jimilee]

It’s usually something after the part where the audio stops.

 

[eh là bas ma]

Troubleshooting... the bane of my existence. I truly hate it. Most of the time when I troubleshoot I break the whole pedal. That's because it requires unsoldering so usually I burn off the pad, burn a capacitor, scratch the board... you name it.

Nobody is thrilled to find out that the circuit doesn't work, but it can be genuinely interesting or satisfying to solve the issue, even when it's something stupidly simple.
Maybe there's also something close to perversion in these hours spent at debugging circuits : delaying the pleasure in order to increase it ? Isn't it even more fun when you fight hard for something, and finally get it ?

Which one is the stronger feeling : being intimidated or bored by the troubleshooting process, or anticipating the moment of joy and fulfillment when it'll work ? The mindset will greatly shape our skills to build and debugg a circuit.

Being patient, observant, and willing to learn will make a difference. Hate and other bad feelings have to be overcome to get there.
I do think building stompboxes is a great way to learn these qualities, if you don't have them already.
Doing your best to make something with your hands, is a great source of pride and pleasure in itself.

Troubleshooting is usually the moment when you have to really care about the circuit, and follow its curves. If it works the first time, you don't get to know your stompbox as deeply, unless you really want to.
It's also the time to discover other people's perspectives and way of doing things, through forums.

If building stompboxes itself was a stompbox, troubleshooting would be the Gain knob.

 

[u439857293874]

Thanks everyone, these are great tips and advice. I'm going to continue the troubleshooting process and actually not stop this time. The pedals that have worked for me are my most recent builds so there has been improvement.

 

[scheffehcs]

A picture is worth a thousand words - if you were to post some pictures of your failed builds, we could provide some feedback and advice. There might be some element of your process that needs improvement and pictures could go a long way in identifying that. I know that my soldering was not great when I started, and I still strive to perfect it. Almost all the problems I’ve had are either bad soldering or an incorrect component.