No clipping on Kliche Mini

[apierz]

I've got a Kliche mini that isn't clipping. As I turn the gain knob I get changes in volume and it sounds like it is mixing two channels, but they are both clean, even with the gain turned all the way up. I get sound when the pedal is on and when it's off and the treble knob and volume pot seem to be working.

The issue seems similar to the one in this thread:

Kliché Mini - Low Gain, Very Loud

Hi kids. I have an issue with my Kliché Mini. The gain adjustment does not add a lot of overdrive sound but the pedal is stupid loud. Also, this is the 2nd I've built and the first one works as expected. Everything seems to be in place. I don't see any bleeds or unwanted connections in the...

forum.pedalpcb.com

so I've tried the advice there.

1. Tested for continuity using these charts and got continuity on all of them:



2. Did my best to verify all component values.
3. Changed out the TL072 ICs
4. Tested forward voltage on GE diodes: (.323 and .313)

I've also tried an audio probe but since I get signal all the way through I'm not sure how to pin down the problem. Here's some pictures of the board, any advice would be appreciated.

 

[apierz]

What you are experiencing happened to another Member who used the same looking red striped diodes.
I don't know if it was resolved.
Did you test the forward voltage on these Diodes, it should be around 0.27v to 0.35v for Germanium?

I got forward voltage of .32 and .31.

 

[music6000]

I got forward voltage of .32 and .31.

You may have a bad Gain Pot, you wouldn't be the First
You said that it gets Louder when its CCW, doesn't seem right?

 

[apierz]

You may have a bad Gain Pot, you wouldn't be the First

You said that it gets Louder when its CCW, doesn't seem right?

From what I understand of how the circuit works it blends in the clipped signal with a clean signal with the dual gang gain pot controlling the ratio. The more CCW the pot the more clean signal and the more CW the pot the more clipped signal. So this is what I would expect if there was an issue in the pot with the clipped signal path leading the pedal to be at its loudest where the clean signal is maxed and getting quieter as the clean signal is blended out but none, or a weak signal, is mixed in. So I think you may be right about the gain pot being the source of trouble.

Here's what I get when I measure the resistance values on that pot:

Fully CW:

top:
1->3: 35k
2->3: 2k

bottom:
1->3: 1.5k
2->3: 2k

Fully CCW:

top:
1->3: 101k
2->3: 101k

bottom:
1->3: 1.5k
2->3: 1.5k