Slow Loris - Single Diode Set-Up Help

[Stratosfear]

I'm building a Slow Loris (2015 PCB - not the brand new one) which I was planning on doing with one diode on either side, similar to Keeley's Mighty Mouse Mod. I've built it up with 1  1N914 on one side and 1 LED on the other.

Everything seems to be working correctly but I'm not hearing any difference between when I switch back and forth.  Two questions that I was wondering that I haven't seen addressed in other forum posts:

- In hooking up one diode I have left the other pads open (not jumped) - Is this the correct approach? Does it matter which diode position I have the single diode in and which is open? [ Currently I have the LED in D2 with D1 open and I have the 1N914 in D5 with D4 open. ]

- When toggling back and forth, I would assume that with the switch set to the single LED that the LED would light up when playing like a normal two LED situation? [ Currently the LED is not lighting which is part of what has me second guessing how I've wired the single diodes. ]

Any help is most appreciated, thanks so much!

[WormBoy]

- In hooking up one diode I have left the other pads open (not jumped) - Is this the correct approach? Does it matter which diode position I have the single diode in and which is open? [ Currently I have the LED in D2 with D1 open and I have the 1N914 in D5 with D4 open. ]

Yes, that is correct (jumping would connect your signal directly to ground, so there will be no sound at all). No, it does not matter (assuming that the opamp clips symmetrically). Note that one-diode clipping will be pretty asymmetrical. Much of the clipping you hear will be coming from the opamp. The single LED will shave off a little bit off one side of the waveform, the silicon will shave off a bit more on one side of the waveform, and the other side might end up being clipped by the JFET buffer ... You should hear some difference between the settings, but it will not be as much as with 2 LEDs vs 2 Si. Why did you choose this particular arrangement? (I cannot find the details of Keeley's mod).

- When toggling back and forth, I would assume that with the switch set to the single LED that the LED would light up when playing like a normal two LED situation? [ Currently the LED is not lighting which is part of what has me second guessing how I've wired the single diodes. ]

That would be my guess as well: I would expect the LED to light, at least a bit, and at least with some amount of drive from the gain pot. Maybe the first thing to check is whether your switch is soldered in correctlty, and making good contact.

Edit: found Keeley's Rat mod. He indeed seems to cut out one diode in "Mighty mouse mode" (and probably leave one Si).