problems with my wiring

[mrfjones]

I am working on a couple different pedals, i am new to this and i really don't understand what all i am doing, or in this case doing wrong.  first i tried making a "bazz fuzz".  i added two germanium diodes in the place of the silicon. when i tested the circuit it read that i was getting good voltage throughout the circuit, but with the transistor in place, i got no sound.  i took the output and moved it from the collector to the base and bypassed the transistor (it is socketed and out at this point)  i got to hear the sound of the guitar distorted but not amplified at all.  What could i have been doing wrong.  my circuit even looks like the schematic, except for the other diode.  my solder joints are good and strong, i took the socket out and tried wiring the transistor straight to the circuit. but i still get nothing.  I get no output at all when switched on.  what can i test or what can i try?  I am having the same issue with a rangemaster clone

[MartyMart]

That sounds like a "pinout" problem to me, I've had similar problems..... so you need to search the forum for "pinout" or the number on your transistor/download the data sheet for your transistor, from the manufacturer... yes they are often different !
It's a bummer, but that will prevent the circuit from working at all.
Your Ge diode subs will work, but will cause the circuit to "clip" sooner but it should sound a bit "sweeter" with Ge, make sure you have the "cathode/anode" the right way around too.
Cheers,
Marty.

[petemoore]

I used to measure every resistor and count connections at every node while populating a board. This lowered build/debug time.
 While debugging...
 I set the DMM for resistances or continuity, and calculate each [in cct] resistance reading for 'offness' [whether I suspect a bad value ..or broken resistor, rare I remember having found 2 such], or pulling one end of a resistor from the board to measure only it's value.
 Then I'd check that the R leads Actually had continuity where they were supposed to, and nowhere else.
 Beep mode, I check all ground points. then test adjacent socket lugs for non-continuity, rarely do I make adjacent socket lugs connected.
 Those Bazz's when I built them, Didn't really benefit so much from my excellent debugging  :oops:  techniques [voltages/A. probing didn't direct me to problems] as much as just relooking it over..then finding the 'item' preventing the cct's function.
 Usually it's one of the many things mentioned on the debugging page.

[mrfjones]

after really looking at all this stuff i got to wondering, since it is a npn transistor, should i really be putting positive +9v into a negetively polar lug and then on the other side having neg and neg meet?  i hope i make sense.  it just seems to me that the lugs should got c=n b=p e=n  but then i don't understand why i would be using pos. on one of the n lugs and neg on the other.  it may sound dumb but i have been looking over everything trying to get this pedal to work for over a week and i can't seem to find out what is going on.  

oh and i did look up the pin out and data sheet on the transistor and it said the same thing as the back of the package.

[petemoore]

For most reliable reference, Find a good schematic, follow it.
 NPN Neg. gnd.
 pos battery lead goes to the 'top'
 Negative ground
 For general reference, the + of the polarized caps always goes toward the most + side of the ciruict.
  Gnd. is indicated by some kind of - often parallel to the length of the cap, the lead nearest the - sign on the cap goes to gnd.
 If you're using non-polarized caps, either way around is the same.