Problems with DIY DS-1 Keeley mod.

[earthwormjim]

Well I just finished putting together my Keeley DS-1 using directions here: http://www.geocities.com/overdrivesp.../keeleyds1.htm

It really just doesn't sound right. It's very very very muddy sounding, as if there's no treble at all. The level and distortion knobs respond like expected, but the tone knob doesn't really seem to do much of anything.

It goes from fuzzy muddy, to less fuzzy muddy.

Tone wise, it sounds a lot like I have the tone knob on my guitar rolled all the way back ( at like 1).

About the only difference I can see, is that I used a blue LED for the diode clipping. I think Keeley uses a red LED. Would that make any difference? I know there's a different potential difference between the two.

[axemanrio]

It is impossible to tell what the problem is if you did not test the pedal at every stage of adding the mods.

[earthwormjim]

Well I went over the capacitors for the umpteenth time, and noticed I had put a 220pf in C11, which you're not supposed to change it's capacitor.

Evidently while putting the pedal together originally, I had put the 220pf that should have gone into C7 into C11 (they're next to each other). I did put a 220pf cap into C7 though.

Restoring C11's original capacitor fixed the pedal.

The pedal sounds pretty good, tons better than stock. Nice Nirvana tones.

People use a keeley DS-1 a lot as a booster, but it seems to boost way too much imo (not transparent enough). I prefer my modded SD-1 for boosting.