Misbehaving Marigold

[Bret608]

So I just tested my completed Marigold PCB and am getting no sound other than a quiet gated fuzz, which only happens if I turn the volume up louder and hit the strings hard. I've checked resistor and cap values and looked for solder bridges/issues; also, I went through any thread I could find on this circuit to get some voltages to refer too. Those (the transistors and zener) all seem good except for Q3. I am getting voltages as follows: E-2.7v, B-2.6v, and C-4.6v. The transistor is an OC141, 135 hfe and very low leakage (0.045mA). I'm wondering if the Ge diode I used is not leaky enough. It's an O.G. 1n60 that gets about 700k with the reverse resistance test as laid out by Chuck D. Bones. Also, if this helps, if I pull the transistor out again and measure voltages on the sockets, I get the same as above except that the emitter is at more or less 0v (only a few millivolts, which makes sense as it's going to ground, right?). Thanks for any pointers you can provide!

 

[mdc]

Did you check the transistor pinout? I've had some OC14X with the dot on C and some with the dot on E in the past.

 

[Bret608]

I did, this one has the red dot on the C. I confirmed it through the gain/leakage testing and also through trying it out in a Keeley Fuzz Head-type build I did a while back. It's a great transistor for sure.

 

[mdc]

In that case I'd suggest posting photos of the board top and bottom and going from there.