Volume drop from breadboard to pedal

[Twhjelmgren28]

Hey all,

So this is now the second time I've had this issue and I've been unable to figure out what's wrong.  I have a jfet boost all breadboarded up and it works perfectly.  The first time, I just did a common source amplifier with a high pass filter (which I labeled as a "bass knob).  I put it in an enclosure and worked for a long time; then all of a sudden, it stopped working.  It just dropped out in volume and is kind of a constant volume that will basically go from one level to off.

More recently, I successfully breadboarded this:



When I got it wired in the enclosure, I have this drop in volume (obviously without clipping or any sort of gain boost) and volume is at a constant level - if I turn any of the knobs down, volume cuts out.  As far as I can tell, everything is wired up properly and my voltage in the enclosure is matching voltage in the pedal.  Also, it appears that I have continuity between everything grounded....Not really sure what to check out from here. 

I'm a very poor solderer and not great with layouts, so perhaps there is an issue there...

[PRR]

The circuit looks correct.

If you can't hit your scales and chords, PRACTICE! Likewise, solder needs much practice.

Bad joints ARE the usual reason why things that worked stop working.

I had an old IBM (Samsung) PC monitor that as it got older crapped-out but I could bang it to life. I found a hair-line crack in a key solder joint.

A film transfer operation in NYC used BIG tube amps to run projector motors. One day one caught fire. It came to me and I found a joint that Bogen had not soldered, it hung-in by mechanical tension until tarnish built up.

[Twhjelmgren28]

Got it.  Appreciate the response.  So I'm using 40/60 rosin core solder and a cheap 30 watt soldering iron.  In addition to practicing my solder joints, would it make sense to get a better soldering iron at this point?  No matter how much I heat the solder, I never get that nice shine - it's always a bit flat/matte looking.

I can get the 40/60 rosin core solder to melt just fine but if I ever attempt to change pickups in a guitar, I can never get the manufacturer's solder hot enough to melt.  I'm wondering if I'm under heating my joints...I also believe my iron tip is probably oversized for stompbox applications.

Thoughts on that?  Any recommendations for a good iron for the money?  Different solder?

[PRR]

I have not bought a new(*) soldering iron in over 30 years.

The iron should be big enough so you can get in, melt fast, and get out in seconds. It shouldn't be a struggle.

(*) I did buy a pre-used 320 Watt Vulcan this century. This allowed me to get-in/out fast on some relatively HUGE 50A lugs for wiring my tractor. It would probably reduce one of the cheap plastic-case pedals to a puddle in less than a minute.

I'll let others say what is good on the current market for less than tractor-size work.

[Twhjelmgren28]

Thanks for your help!  I ended up getting a mid-priced iron yesterday with variable temp control.  I really think the thing I like most about this new iron is the tip.  Anyways, I started soldering this circuit on a new board and I'm getting much better joints - I'm just really paying attention to making a solid connection.  I'm just checking it as I go with the audio probe.  So far, so good. 

I'll probably also invest in some smaller diameter solder in my next small bear order.


Thank you for your input PRR!