1st stripboard, please help

[Dr Satan]

It's possible you've got a bad switch too. I highly recommend getting some test leads, you can pick them up at Radio Shack, Northern Handyman, or online from Mammoth or any number of other suppliers. This will give you the ability to bypass things and find where the signal stops. Even a cheap test light/probe from the auto parts store should work. Another thing is you may want to scratch up the surface under your input and output jacks on the inside of the enclosure, so that you've got shiny metal there since you are relying on the case for ground connectivity between different points in the circuit.

[bigmufffuzzwizz]

I circled what I'm talking about. Green is the lead connecting Output jack sleeve to Dc jack Gnd lug. Red is Output jack tip connecting to what looks like Dc jack 9v+ main lug. If that's what you did clip it out, could be what's causing your effect not to work. Everything else looks correct including how you've wired the volume pot.
I'm a big advocate of a test rig. This allows you make sure your circuit is working and cross that off your list as a possibility when debugging. Lots of examples over on Madbean's forum.

[pulsewidthmod]

I circled what I'm talking about. Green is the lead connecting Output jack sleeve to Dc jack Gnd lug. Red is Output jack tip connecting to what looks like Dc jack 9v+ main lug. If that's what you did clip it out, could be what's causing your effect not to work. Everything else looks correct including how you've wired the volume pot.
I'm a big advocate of a test rig. This allows you make sure your circuit is working and cross that off your list as a possibility when debugging. Lots of examples over on Madbean's forum.

I'm looking at my pedal now and I don't see the lead you've circled in red. i Might have already removed it. I've tried rewiring the board a couple of times. I've got a breadboard with jumper cables. I'm gonna check out the madbeans forum.

I have a feeling too that it's a grounding issue. I'm very good at soldering, so I know that I haven't overheated the transistors.

It's possible you've got a bad switch too. I highly recommend getting some test leads, you can pick them up at Radio Shack, Northern Handyman, or online from Mammoth or any number of other suppliers. This will give you the ability to bypass things and find where the signal stops. Even a cheap test light/probe from the auto parts store should work. Another thing is you may want to scratch up the surface under your input and output jacks on the inside of the enclosure, so that you've got shiny metal there since you are relying on the case for ground connectivity between different points in the circuit.

I've ot a multimeter and test leas; I just need to learn how to use them. (looking into it right now)

[Officer Bukowski]

Yep I'm looking at it and it's pretty clear that you have ground wired to the tip of your output jack. Unless I'm totally crazy.

[pulsewidthmod]

Yep I'm looking at it and it's pretty clear that you have ground wired to the tip of your output jack. Unless I'm totally crazy.

I might have had it that way because i've been trying to rewire this a couple of time ... but here is how it looks now

I have tested my soldering, none of the strips connect.

I've also tested the switch, it is fine.

I'm looking into how to test potentiometers now, because if it's not the pots, the switch, the wiring, then i'm gonna test the transistors. Is this proper logic for troubleshooting?

[Dr Satan]

Yes I think you're on the right track. But I'm going to derail you for just a moment and ask the obvious, are you getting power to the circuit? I've only assumed that the LED came on when you clicked the switch. You said you have a meter, so first thing would be to check to see that the 9v from the power jack is getting to the board, and is the right polarity. There should be a setting on your meter for DC Volts, how it is labeled varies from meter to meter, but DCV or a solid line above a dotted line with a V before it is typical annotation. The range needs to be above 9 volts, again meters vary from manufacturer to manufacturer so I don't know what options you have. I've got 3 meters right here beside me and they are all different.

And honestly I would run a wire from the ground of the power jack to the board. Right now your path to ground is through a piece of wire, 2 jacks, the housing, and a jumper. With it all chained together like that, you are dependent on every part to work so that the pedal will work at all.

[lotus_eater]

Have you tried probing it?
http://www.diystompboxes.com/pedals/debug.html
I'm in the process of making one right now, seems pretty helpful if the problem is in your strip-board.

[pulsewidthmod]

Yes I think you're on the right track. But I'm going to derail you for just a moment and ask the obvious, are you getting power to the circuit? I've only assumed that the LED came on when you clicked the switch. You said you have a meter, so first thing would be to check to see that the 9v from the power jack is getting to the board, and is the right polarity. There should be a setting on your meter for DC Volts, how it is labeled varies from meter to meter, but DCV or a solid line above a dotted line with a V before it is typical annotation. The range needs to be above 9 volts, again meters vary from manufacturer to manufacturer so I don't know what options you have. I've got 3 meters right here beside me and they are all different.

And honestly I would run a wire from the ground of the power jack to the board. Right now your path to ground is through a piece of wire, 2 jacks, the housing, and a jumper. With it all chained together like that, you are dependent on every part to work so that the pedal will work at all.

Yes, the LED does come on. I'm gonna try measuring like you said.

Have you tried probing it?
http://www.diystompboxes.com/pedals/debug.html
I'm in the process of making one right now, seems pretty helpful if the problem is in your strip-board.

i haven't and i don't have a probe but i'm looking to make one now.

i even tried flipping a transistor with no luck; i'lll measure the power and then make a probe. thanks guys ... i'll post my findings

[pulsewidthmod]

Well, it's working now. I made a probe and quite frankly, I don't know what the problem was.. On to make some cables and a distortion 2.

[bigmufffuzzwizz]

I'll admit with however many pedals under my belt, I still manage to plug the in/out cables in wrong here and there. Good that it's working!

[pulsewidthmod]

it's working ... i had to switch the 2N2907. But I"ve still got a grounding issue and it doesn't sound like the demo video Devi did. I need to build myself a pedal harness thingy.

Yes, i just said thingy.

I was only building this to get my feet wet with building a vero circuit. I'll return to it later when I actually have an enclosure for it.