808 clone...acting wierd and major tone suckage

[sjaltenb]

hey guys i just finished a BYOC 808 clone with the F***driveII mods by Kahel over at BYOC boards. The mods basically add a boost switch (switching between a A500K drive pot and a B1M boost pot), and a 3 way switch to lift the diodes in one mode and then in the other do a Flat Mids option and the other is stock. Im not sure if he would mind if posted his diagram, but the link for it is right here:

http://board.buildyourownclone.com/viewtopic.php?t=3484&start=0
I used the first diagram picture posted about 2/3s down the page

After some tweaking I got the 3 way switch to work and the pedal sounds right as far as gain and all that. However I am having some major tone and volume loss. Also, the pots act very strange.

The tone knob has to be full blast for it to sound anywhere close, but if its not at full it kills the volume. Also, this is true for the gain pot as well, it has to be maxed out for it not to kill the volume.

I'm not sure what the problem could be. I did use cheap hookup wire that my friend brought home from a electronics lab cuase i didnt have any... could that be the problem? I've checked all the caps and resistors and they are correct. I had to use Axial electrolytics with the lead bent over becuase i ordered the wrong ones...any way this has an effect?

Any ideas/suggestions would be great. Basically the sound is just overall very dull and flat with huge tone sucking, especially compared to the real deal

[petemoore]

After some tweaking I got the 3 way switch to work and the pedal sounds right as far as gain and all that.
  However I am having some major tone and volume loss.
  Bypass or effect mode?
  Also, the pots act very strange.
  This sounds problematic.
The tone knob has to be full blast for it to sound anywhere close, but if its not at full it kills the volume. Also, this is true for the gain pot as well, it has to be maxed out for it not to kill the volume.
  not working right...
I'm not sure what the problem could be.
Doing this with whats needed as outlined in the debugging page nearly always finds the problems and solutions.
   I did use cheap hookup wire that my friend brought home from a electronics lab cuase i didnt have any... could that be the problem?
  Doubtful, is it stranded wire ~22 ga.? test the wire from 'distant' points [so as to test the solder joints also] using DMM in beep mode.
  I've checked all the caps and resistors and they are correct.
  Assume there is still a high probability something in the circuit is not as shown in the schematic.
  I had to use Axial electrolytics with the lead bent over becuase i ordered the wrong ones...any way this has an effect?
  As long as the values of the cap are 'correct or better' [at least ~20% greater than the applied voltage, and marked or chosen uf value], it is important that the polarity is followed [most negative point gets the - side of the polarized capacitor, nonpolarized caps like film and NP electros have no polarity.
 
Any ideas/suggestions would be great. Basically the sound is just overall very dull and flat with huge tone sucking, especially compared to the real deal