Have you ever plugged in a build for the first time....

[cpnyc23]

to have it BUZZ thru your amp at 5 times the volume you set the amp at? 

i just had that happen with a bronx cheer i (thought I) finished earlier and I'm wondering what path to idiocy i may have followed...

Anyone ever experience this?

-chris

p.s. although I'd love the answer, I'm not exactly looking for a debug request.  I'm also wondering what do you do when you plug in a pedal for the first time and all hell breaks loose on your ears.

[petemoore]

  Start with the volume control...cable out of the amp, touching the tip to make a small* buzz tone.
  I like having a volume control handy as box by testjig like booster..then I have it real handy for initial testouts where it might be rediculously loud.

[cpnyc23]

strangely enough, I tried it again.  this time nothing else but guitar>bronx cheer>amp.  No excruciating buzz.

but, the Bronx Cheer ain't cheering. its actually acting more like a volume pedal with a bit of high end muffling.

strange.

i like the booster/volume box idea - nothing worse than scaring yourself half to death after a 10 hour day at work...

-chris

[aron]

I've done this too!

Wakes you up for sure.

[burnt fingers]

I usually do the opposite.  My builds rarely make any sound the first time usually due do my boneheaded miswiring of jacks.   Then I hit the switch and the signal bypasses the effect and  BAM..... I get hit in the face with sound because I kept turning the volume up while the effect wasn't working.

Scott

[soulsonic]

I get it with amps alot.... specifically ones that use negative feedback; because if the primary of the output transformer isn't in the correct polarity, instead of negative feedback, you get positive feedback. And, unless you have a post-phase inverter master volume, there's no way to turn it down - just a loud scream... full blast. I've started to get really quick on my toes with flipping it back into standby before it starts going nuts because it usually gives you a couple seconds to stop it before it gets totally crazy. I guess with good consistent transformers, if you know what wires give what phase it isn't an issue, but the ones I'm used to using are just kind of whatever they felt like doing - same amp, same model transformer, blue and brown wires not necessarily the same polarity as they were on the last one.
It's fun.

[ItZaLLgOOd]

Build a Little Gem and use a small/cheap speaker.  It'll keep your ears from ringing.

[cpnyc23]

I like the Little Gem idea.  I've actually just collected the components for a Ruby.  I think I'll break out the Unibit this afternoon!

So, let me ask you guys this...  How do you go about testing out a new build for the first time?  Do you use a setup on your bench or do you do the full build and plug it into your amp directly and start playing?

-chris

[ItZaLLgOOd]

I use the Ruby myself.   If it is a verified project I build to fit in the enclosure and test it before it actually goes in.  If I'm just trying a circuit out it goes on the breadboard.  They always go into the Ruby before a "real" amp.  If it passes the Ruby test I'll try it on my P-1 Extreme that I built from AX84, then to a JCM800.  It's easy to rebuild a new Ruby not so easy to rebuild your ears or a Marshall.

[Paul Perry (Frostwave)]

A grounding error - more specifically, a LACK of ground - can result in an astonishing amount of hum.
how do I know this? 

[aloupos]

+ 1 on ground.  Sounds like you have a bad (or missing) connection somewhere.  I'm leaning towards bad, because now you're not getting sound.  Posting a photo of the board will help us find anything this obvious. 

A

[drewl]

You get in the habit of turning the amp's volume DOWN before powering said unit up.