strange oscillation/squeal on Od250/LM741

[runmikeyrun]

I figured out that you can't replace the 1M resistors with 2.2M, that puts 9v on the output leg of the chip.  Now with 1M i get a good gainy sound but also high pitched oscillation/squeal.  If i touch the leg or put a test lead on it (not connected to anything) or my dmm probe it goes away.  For some reason i still have 4.5v on the output leg.  I've got this across both ends of my 1M resistor.

also the gain pot does absolutely nothing to the amount of gain, trying both 500 and 100k pots per some old threads on this.  I find this circuit to be pretty gainy and very loud/bassy with no clipping diodes, and i'm looking to make this more of a boost with a selectable amount of gain instead of a distortion pedal.  Any ideas on how to reduce gain w/o monkeying with the clipping diodes?

[petemoore]

I figured out that you can't replace the 1M resistors with 2.2M, that puts 9v on the output leg of the chip.
  Assuming were discussing V divider, wouldn't 2m2's reduce current to the chip?
   Now with 1M i get a good gainy sound but also high pitched oscillation/squeal.
  why
  If i touch the leg
  choose a leg, any leg?
   or put a test lead on it
  Which it.
   (not connected to anything) or my dmm probe it goes away.
  So far I have a leg, a test lead, an it, and a not connected..very confusing
  For some reason i still have 4.5v on the output leg.
  Sounds about right
   I've got this across both ends of my 1M resistor
  I understand this = 4.5v on the output leg, 'both ends of my 1m resistor, I thought there were two of them...probably the voltage divider, one needs be @9V+, the other connected to ground/battery -, so you should get 0v when measuring from ground to all grounds, 4.5v when measuring from ground to the voltage divider middle node, and 9v between Gnd. and V+.
  also the gain pot does absolutely nothing to the amount of gain, trying both 500 and 100k pots per some old threads on this.  I find this circuit to be pretty gainy and very loud/bassy with no clipping diodes, and i'm looking to make this more of a boost with a selectable amount of gain instead of a distortion pedal. 
  From the circuit report I would surmize it is not functioning.
  Any ideas on how to reduce gain w/o monkeying with the clipping diodes?
  Yes, one way it can be done is with the Guitar Volume.
The DMM probe makes it go away ... could be a symptom of a lifted ground.

[runmikeyrun]

ok sorry i guess that wasn't very clear.. am i sure i have 600+ posts since 2003?   

I don't think i like vero very much.  I found a hair thin copper trace that wasn't completely cut when cutting out a section with a drill bit.  This after checking them several times right after cutting and again when i had problems.  It wasn't until i got 9v where it shouldn't be that i figured out something was conducting somewhere.  I also had a heckuva time with solder bridging to other traces, and i like to think i am pretty clean with soldering.

Now i have the proper sounding loud circuit with low distortion which i what i wanted to boost my tube amp.  No wonder i had so much gain before, i was feeding 9v into the section controlling the gain!  Yikes!  that could be why the pot wasn't functioning.  Aside from the oscillation that thing sounded hot!  Someone looking to get more gain out of this might want to experiment with feeding small amounts of current into that section if it won't burn out the chip, it worked really well for a lot of shred.