Parentheses Mini Fuzz build issues - pulsing?

[Wardy66]

Hi all, Happy New Year!

My first post here and my first build is a Parentheses Mini Fuzz. - full kit from Musikding. I bought it months ago and just got round to building it over Christmas.
I didn't expect it to work first time and it doesn't - well only a partially.

I need to troubleshoot it but any guidance on the main issues would be great.

1. There's a regular pulsing noise at around 120-30hz when either of the foot switches are pressed. LEDs also pulse when foot switches pressed. Unit works fine in bypass with no issues.
2. Only the bottom left hand pot does anything when left foot switch is pressed - I can get a responsible fuzz out of it but no-one of the other pots and toggle switch have any impact.
3. Right foot switch doesn't change anything. Same as pots for above.
4. Capacitor C12 (above the IC) is wrong value - should be a 30pF, bt what came in the kit (from Musikding) was marked as 333 so a 33nF? - will this make a huge difference?

Photo attached of main side of the PCB.

Any help much appreciated before I start desoldering bits.

Cheers

Roger

 

[BPFuzz]

Can't really offer troubleshooting, but I do have a suggestion for future builds or if you want to clean this one up. I learned when I first started that twisting the ends of my wires and then tinning them makes it both easier to thread them into holes, but also avoids any stray strands from not going out, or going places you don't want them to. It can sometimes lead to short circuiting if they are touching another pad, or wire.

 

[Wardy66]

Thanks - good advice - especially when trying to get two wires into one footswitch tab!

 

[Barry]

I see several components that don't have good solder fillits, can we see the solder side of board

 

[Wardy66]

Hi Barry
Here you go - not pretty!

 

[Danbieranowski]

Have you tested it outside of the enclosure? And this is going to sound random but I’ve never bought a kit from musikding, do they provide the LEDs too? I had a friend have a similar pulsing LED issue and it was because the actual LED was the wrong type.

 

[Wardy66]

LEDs came with the kit.
I tested it outside the enclosure - interestingly, no pulsing sound but the LEDs didn't come on! Still the same issue with the footswitches and pots though.
More testing and checking connections required!