I've tried to make the Bazz Fuss from http://home-wrecker.com/electra.html about 5 times. Should I stop trying to make the same curcuit? or should I just quit altogether?

~Alex

No mate, you need to learn how to debug You're obviously doing something wrong, so find out what it is and fix it Could you take some pictures of the top & bottom of your board, maybe one of us can see what you're doing wrong like that.

See it as a learning experience and use the knoledge you gain so you don't make the same mistake again

NEVER SAY DIE BROTHER !!!
 
I'm not familiar with that effect, but I'm sure someone out there can help you get to the bottom of the problem.
It's probably something simple or maybe even an error on the schematic.

http://www.diystompboxes.com/pedals/debug.html


This link describes the audio probe, how it works and how you can make one.  It works great for DIY debugging or repairing broken effects.   I fixed a junk colorsound pedal with it.  Check it out.

Which includes transistor pinouts and, for that circuit...as simple/low parts as it looks, more complicated than you might think.
 Getting the right diodes [that one uses a Darlingtransistor?], in there and everything right is tricky...you can probably isolate [using audio probe or *signal injector] which stage the problem is.
 *signal injector can be as simple as a probe connected to your body [thumbuzz injector], I use it like all the time.
 For signal injector, hookup the amp to the output of the effect...when you connect yourself to the output connection you will hear a thumbuzz [if not grab the other end of a live amp cable for an example of what it sounds like].
 Once the output's connected and your'e getting the injected signal to appear at the amp [and hear it throguh the speakers] work from part to part [in the signal chain] from the output to the input...basically touch everything that isn't ground [won't hurt to touch ground or +] or V+ [where the battery connects.
 Check at the collector [top' lead] and base [middle lead] of each transistor...if the base doesn't buzz a little gainier or louder than the collector [or doesn't sound at all] then the transistor is not amplifying or is misbiased to being shut off.
 First one's a B, [first one you build that doesn't work right off....you've hit where the learning curve and what you need to know to debug crossover...Check reads out at GEO, about biasing transistors, printing out 'technology of' articles there is instrumental to learning how these things work or not.
 The Bazz Fuzz IIRC has the pin voltages in the text, write down your transistor pin voltages and post them here with the pin voltage text from ROG on the Bazz Fuzz. IF your Bazz is reading 'off' voltages of say 10% + or - of whats listed [maybe more tolerance there I dono really] then your biasing is off and there's most likely a wiring issue that causes it.
 If the voltages are within close to the listed 'right' ones, your transistors are biased and should amplify the signal [if the signal in/out is wired correctly]
 To understand how these things work and don't work...Read, then read more, then read again.