SOFTii hum/noise at higher gains

[Cagalhao]

So my SOFTii gets a really loud hum after a certain point of gain, regardless of mode (need to go higher in stones than in stoner for it to appear but it sounds about the same level of dirt) and this doesnt seem to be a problem anyone else is having. Not knowing enough about eletronics I thought I should ask

 

[jwin615]

Few things to try.
Did you try it with the baseplate on?
There's a pot lug that looks unsoldered, maybe(lower right).
Input wire and ground making contact at the jack?
Wiggle those socketed transistors and move wiring to see if it changes.

 

[Cagalhao]

I just took the baseplate off for the pics
Pot lug is soldered, it just has a gap on one of the sides (would it even make a difference?)
No wires making contact anywhere
Wiggled the transitors and wiring and it didnt go way, but it did change how it sounded. Sounds more squealing than hum now so you might be onto something

 

[anevilspar7an]

Unless you are auditioning different transistors it's generally considered fine to solder them directly to the board. BJTs are more forgiving so you only need to try different ones out when doing something that requires a specific gain range. JFETs are more tricky in that unless it's a buffer you need to pay attention to what the circuit needs. Chuck D. Bones has some excellent threads on how to tune for JFETs and how to select a specific operating range needed. Why are JFETs such a pain in the ass?, JFET biasing pt.1, and JFET shootout.

 

[DDad]

A question for those who know - do those long legs on the transistors act like antennas, picking up noise?