Nick's Tone Bender is broken -- please help!

[moose]

I don't like the look of those frayed ground/shield wires on the footswitch. Battery pushing against wires may be pulling that mess down and on to the switch.

[Nick]

Thanks all. I've isolated the jack sockets, and have rejiggled the position of the battery in various different ways, but now whenever I try to put the pedal back together, it just cuts out altogether. Again, it's fine with the top half 'resting' in place, but as soon as I firmly push it down so that the holes for the screws are aligned, the sound cuts out completely.
The dodgy frayed wiring seems reasonably stable (for now), as I wasn't able to create any problems by nudging it about while plugged in...

edit: jiggled with the battery some more (this time it's back on its side again), and the input/output wiring is tucked underneath the battery, and the pedal is now fastened back together properly and sounds good. Time will tell as to whether it lasts, but I feel like the issue must be somewhere there.

[resynthesis]

Another guess :) Have you checked continuity of input and output cables? Maybe tucking them under the battery is holding a damaged cable in place. If the cable is damaged input level may be low. Are they solid core cables?

[Nick]

Ah, that's a good idea. The cables are stranded. If/when it breaks down next, then that'll be the first thing I try!

[Nick]

Guess whose Tone Bender stopped working again

This time I removed the battery cover to jiggle around with the wiring, to see whether that might cause it to snap back to life without actually dismantling the pedal this time, but hasn't shown any signs at all.

[daCod]

Guess whose Tone Bender stopped working again

This time I removed the battery cover to jiggle around with the wiring, to see whether that might cause it to snap back to life without actually dismantling the pedal this time, but hasn't shown any signs at all.

surprised nobody has asked this yet - why are you playing it? aren't you just supposed to look and admire old fuzz boxes?

[Nick]

Guess whose Tone Bender stopped working again

This time I removed the battery cover to jiggle around with the wiring, to see whether that might cause it to snap back to life without actually dismantling the pedal this time, but hasn't shown any signs at all.

surprised nobody has asked this yet - why are you playing it? aren't you just supposed to look and admire old fuzz boxes?

My next-door neighbour keeps slamming his kitchen cabinets or something into the wall that we share, and fuzzboxes are the only way I can think of exacting revenge for this upon him. The good news is that I have four Fuzzrites here, for the same purpose, but ideally I'd like to get this MKI working for when aforementioned Fuzzrites need a break

[Electric Warrior]

Guess whose Tone Bender stopped working again

This time I removed the battery cover to jiggle around with the wiring, to see whether that might cause it to snap back to life without actually dismantling the pedal this time, but hasn't shown any signs at all.

surprised nobody has asked this yet - why are you playing it? aren't you just supposed to look and admire old fuzz boxes?

It belongs in a museum!

[daCod]

Love it

My vote is there’s a ghost in the machine. Crazy you can’t replicate the issue no matter how hard you try. Maybe it is a dodgy temperamental or possibly slowly dying component. Especially since messing about with the wires doesn’t do anything.

[Spook]

I had a loose "terminal" leg on a fuzz face once, just like your tb it came to life and died at will.....was a pita to figure out.
I bent it a bit to keep it connected and put a drop of superglue,

i feel your pain