Nurse Quacky Question

[Clubman35]

I'm building the "Nurse Quacky" from Torchy Veroboard layout, and i'm confused about where the input is. The layout shows a spot on the bottom left of the veroboard that's labeled "input  Sens 1". What does that mean? Is it the input or does it go to lug 1 of the sense pot? Totally confused....please help!!! Thanks.

[oldrocker]

The tip of the input jack gets attached to where the 47k resistor and the .o1uF cap and the 100k sensitivity pot all come together.  I got that from the Homewrecker website.

http://www.home-wrecker.com/nurse-quacky.html

[Mark Hammer]

That was always one of the problems with the original Dr. Q.  Because the guitar went directly from the input jack to the Sensitivity pot and filter, the input impedance was ridiculously low and loaded down the guitar so much as to kill any treble.  Although the Nurse Quacky is a nice and simple stripped-down build for those wanting to get into envelope-controlled filters gently, Jack Orman's improvement on the Dr.Q, the Dr. Quack, has a decent FET input buffer which allows you to keep all the luscious treble your guitar can deliver.  I suppose you wouldn't notice it's presence much if one was feeding a a Nurse Quacky or DR. Q with a fuzz, where high end is already accentuated, but if your tastes run to strumming clean single-coil guitars, the added buffer makes a noticeable and pleasing difference.

Again, the Nurse Quacky is a decent and easy entry into this category of effect, but skips some bells and whistles to do so.  Your choice.

[Clubman35]

Has anyone built the "Nurse Quacky" from the Torchy's veroboard layout? Can't get mine to work. Thanks

[Mark Hammer]

Aside from the usual solder blobs, etc., the two most common problems are a misread of the pinouts on the transistor, and having the LEDs and/or diode flippd around the wrong way.  One LED should always be on and the other should come on briefly when the strum.

[Clubman35]

Well, the LED's are correct, and the transistor seems to be right. I'll keep at it, I just wasn't sure if there was a problem with the veroboard layout. But i'm sure that it's something that I did (or didn't do). Many Thanks.

[Torchy]

Ive used that layout twice. Both worked ok.

[Clubman35]

I think i'm going to try the perf board layout, after having no luck with the vero layout. On the perf layout, what is the red circle at the top left of the IC? Many thanks.

[Seljer]

On the perf layout, what is the red circle at the top left of the IC? Many thanks.

I think that'd be pin #1, showing the orientation of the IC