Roger Mayer Octavia assistance needed...

[DrHobbitstein]

I've just completed building a Roger Mayer Octavia from a verified layout.  Here's the checklist.

1.What does it do, not do, and sound like?  Low output, no fuzz or octave.  Kind of like an open wah in the middle.  Honky and midrangey, had to crank both drive and volume pots to get less than unity gain

2.Name of the circuit =  Roger Mayer Octavia
3.Source of the circuit (URL of schematic or project) = http://www.sabrotone.com/?p=3545 for the layout, http://the23rdcentury.com/RM%20octavia%20schem.gif for the schematic
4.Any modifications to the circuit? I omitted the optional polarity protection diode that's on the layout but not the schematic
5.Any parts substitutions? No
6.Positive ground to negative ground conversion? No
7.Using a 1-Spot adapter that currently powers many other pedals with no issues, no batteries.
Voltage at the circuit board end of the red battery lead = 9.5V
Voltage at the circuit board end of the black battery lead = 0V

Q1
C = 3.66
B = 3.65
E = 3.66

Q2
C= 5.3
B= 3.63
E= 2.66

Q3
C= 6.5
B= 3.8
E= 2.7

Q4
C= 9.5
B= 9.5
E= 8.4

D1
A = 0.37
K=  0.38

D2
A = -0.23
K = 0.24

Any help would be greatly appreciated.  I did an audio probe through the whole circuit, and have output all the way along the signal path, and didn't notice a volume drop off at any point, but there's definitely no amplification going on...  This is not my first circuit, and I'm usually able to pinpoint exactly what is wrong, but I'm stuck on this one...  Bad transistors maybe?  I know Q1 and Q4 are reading off from what they should be.

[PRR]

What kind of meter? Your Q1 looks wrong but Q2 is good and the only way that can happen is if Q1 _is_ happy until you poke your meter at it.

Q4 is way wrong. Look for a B-C short or a missing/misconnected 2.2Meg.

Also shorts in the diodes.

[DrHobbitstein]

It's a VICHY VC97.  I had a couple small solder bridges that I couldn't see with the light in my shop.  Shined an LED on it and found them.  Cleaned them up, and now it sounds much better, however, it's very gated.  At this point, I think I just need to bias the transistors.  Most circuits I've had to do such have called for trim pots in those positions.  Which resistors would be the biasing ones?  I figure I can just install some jumper leads and clip in new resistors until I find the one's that work best, then solder them in.  Either that, or grab some trim pots and throw those in place.

Thanks.

[DrHobbitstein]

OK, re-measured voltages this morning.  Q1 still shows the same reading as before.  Q2 and Q3 are pretty much the same as well.  Q4 has fixed itself to be what it should, and the diodes are correct as well.  If i'm correct, Q1 is the driver in this circuit.  With it's voltages wrong, would that cause my gating issue?  I really would like to run this box by itself sometimes and not have to rely on other boxes beforehand to drive it.  The gating is just way too much.  Have to really slam the strings to get an effect at volume.

[duck_arse]

the 180k//820k//680k resistor string across 9V will produce 3V65 to bias the first transistor. it looks like you have the base voltage on all three pins of that transistor. find out why.

[DrHobbitstein]

I figured it out.  Turns out that tranny had an internal short.  Whether that was solder induced or not, I don't know (I'm pretty quick with the iron, so I don't THINK it was my fault).  Swapped in a new tranny in Q1 and it fires up BEAUTIFULLY!  Sometimes I need a little hand holding.  Thanks!  Really digging this pedal, too.  I heard there wasn't much usable range in the drive pot, but I find lots of good stuff in there.

[duck_arse]

building this, I've found that if yer face isn't melting off with the gain knob set anywhere past 9:00, there is something wrong.