Power supply placement on breadboard

[frogman]

So I have been working on a fuzz build for the last few months. A tonebender to be specific. The tone was there, it just wasnt loud, even cranked it was only at unity volume. I had troubleshooted capacitors, resistors, transistors, pots and everything else. I came back after a few weeks of not messing with it and noticed that when nudged, the power supply (9V battery) became louder for a second. The positive and negative wires were originally closer to the output, but still in the positive and negative bus. I tried moving the wires closer to the input (still in the same busses) and WHAM. Volume. Now it sounds right. Now to the point of my post...

However, I thought the positive and negative were just like the other lines of holes on a breadboard..... busses, conducting current with no regard to the order they are placed on it. I guess I am wrong and things have to be placed a certain way. But do components have to be placed on the positive and negative busses as they are on the schematic? Is there a theory behind this that has to do with power supply being before or after resistors/capacitors to get the most out of a circuit?

[nocentelli]

Much more likely that the original points of contact were a poor (high resistance) connection. Frequently used holes on a breadboard go faulty and intermittent eventually. Distance of power supply from circuit should not make a difference.

[antonis]

things have to be placed a certain way. But do components have to be placed on the positive and negative busses as they are on the schematic? Is there a theory behind this that has to do with power supply being before or after resistors/capacitors to get the most out of a circuit?

As long as we deal with "simple" circuits (no couple of small signals for a long distance or so..) there is no need for a "intentified" placement order..
(but you have to avoid creating groud loops with excessive wiring..)

[deadastronaut]

sounds like a cheapo breadboard...

some cheap boards have pretty poor holes/connectors...