RUBY Amp just getting solid tone?

[peps1]

Ok Nightmare, cant find my Cable for my cam.....so no photos!

Second build......but still no joy.

Twice now iv built the Ruby amp using the layout below, and both times i just get a solid tone that can be adjusted with the gain and volume......not the slightist hint og a guitar 

here is the layout im using, and have added the polarity of the 2 caps.



here are the parts Im using

100uF 10V Electrolytic
220uF 16V Electrolytic Radial
47nF Polybox Cap
100nF Polybox Cap
0.25W Carbon Resistor 1m5
0.25W Carbon Resistor 3k9
0.25W Carbon Resistor 10 ohm
10k linear pot
2N5457 N-channel JFET

Any Suggestions would be amazingly appreciated as this is meant to be a gift for the girlfriend. 

[BAARON]

Are you cutting the traces in the indicated spots?

My first Ruby build didn't work either... it was my first build.  My friend and I spent 20 minutes debugging it before we noticed that the 386 wasn't installed in its socket.

[peps1]

My friend and I spent 20 minutes debugging it before we noticed that the 386 wasn't installed in its socket.

iv done that befor too 

Yes, I think iv cut all the reliant tracks, 4under the IC, and other  between the C2 cap and JFET.

[davidallancole]

Who created this layout?

[suprleed]

The layout looks incorrect.  Q1 needs to be rotated 180 degrees if you are using a mpf102 or 2n5457 jfet.  Also Volume 1 and Volume 3 wiring points need to be swapped or your volume will decrease as you turn the knob clockwise.

[peps1]

Who created this layout?

Good question.....I new see the foolisness of just using google image search for "stripboard Ruby amp" and not even checking its verified.

The layout looks incorrect.  Q1 needs to be rotated 180 degrees if you are using a mpf102 or 2n5457 jfet.  Also Volume 1 and Volume 3 wiring points need to be swapped or your volume will decrease as you turn the knob clockwise.

Thanks so much for taking the time to look at it, going to try the changes now

brb

[Ell]

I can send you a working Stripboard Ruby layout if you want. It's a good amp, I ALWAYS use it when I'm playing at home without a drummer.

[Brymus]

For debugging your Ruby try it-
Without a gain pot leave pins 1 and 8 open,
and go straight into the input of the 386 after a 100n or so coupling cap.
Meaning bypass the FET  to take it out of the equation.
Also check the amp in the 386 data sheet for help,the data sheet is a good source of info.

[peps1]

I can send you a working Stripboard Ruby layout if you want. It's a good amp, I ALWAYS use it when I'm playing at home without a drummer.

would be really good if you could send or post

[Ell]

I can send you a working Stripboard Ruby layout if you want. It's a good amp, I ALWAYS use it when I'm playing at home without a drummer.

would be really good if you could send or post

Hey, I haven't had internet for a few days. I've sent you a PM with it. I hope you like this amp, it's cool.

[kristoffereide]

Get perf and just build the ROG-version. An amazing sounding little thing

[Top Top]

I just built a ruby, and after accidentally hooking up the power supply backwards and blowing a cap (which was exciting in itself - loud pop, smoke, fibrous stuff everywhere), and replacing said cap, I also had the "solid tone."

I thought it was some other component that had gone bad in the disaster, but after going through one by one and replacing each component, I could not actually figure it out what it was - it kept oscillating after each one was replaced. I think it was a small bridge between two pins on the 386 (though the thing was working fine on battery before I decided to blow it up with the power supply).

The last component I replaced was the transistor, but I had to de-solder and resolder a bunch of stuff to get that one in (I did the perf layout on a home-made punched cardboard circuit board). I did notice oscillation when I touched some pins on the 386, my guess is that was actually the cause and it got aggravated and alleviated with my de-soldering and re-soldering...

Moral of the long story - check the pins on your 386 to make sure that none of them are bridged that shouldn't be. Also check the layout against the schematic as best you can to make sure again that pins are not bridged that shouldn't be in the layout.

Now that everything is straightened out - I have a different type of "solid tone" - the pretty solid guitar tone that the ruby produces - it sounds surprisingly good for a little amp - better than any other batter powered amp I have used. Now I just want to find a slightly better/more efficient 5" speaker than the one I am using that was gutted from a toy drum machine.

[raulgrell]

Careful when using some layouts: I've seen variations (and becasue of this, wasted 2 perfectly good Dist+ builds) between solder-side view and component side view... basically means there's a chance your IC is literally upside down...

[rich gallagher]

i just built my first amp - a ruby- it works fine with my strat (though there is some hum and the volumer may not be as loud as it should be) - when i plug it in to my cigar box guitar with disc piezo pickups all i get is this obnoxiously loud noise like an air horn - the cigarbox guitar works fine with my store bought amps - i am new at this electronic stuff - help

[Quackzed]

on the one i built, when the battery gets low, if i turn the volume past a certain point i get a tone that goes up or down depending on how far past that point i turn it up... the lower the battery the lower the volume before 'farty tone' comes in... check the voltage on the battery or adapter your using, and check that your volume pot is wired right...
works with an 8 ohm speaker, at 4 ohms ruby is often unhappy.

[Top Top]

I've also found oscilation problems with the ruby when my ground wires were not high enough gauge.

[mmaatt25]

Hi,

I built a Ruby yesterday using the perf layout at ROG, worked first time. It's a great little amp, I'm running it through my Blues Junior original speaker (12" eminence 8ohm) and sounds really good.

I would suggest using the perfboard and ROG's layout. I think perfboard is better than stripboard, I've always had problems with vero layouts!!

Keep trying it's worth the effort to get it working.