So.. its been more than more than a week since the MSEGQ7 chips arrived, and I finally worked out what was wrong.
When the chips arrived, they came with this new breadboard I had ordered as shown [above](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/arduino/original/4X/b/6/8/b681b80d8fcdfde75769dcf819076e7ad809dff8.jpeg above.)
I had given up on the MSGEQ7, and currently have built a system that uses the prebuilt analyser as well as my own bias circuit (because my kid asked for them both), which I can change with a DPDT switch that I already have in the guitar. (busy working on the PCB design)
Tonight I was trying something else, and ran into the same problem I mentioned above with:
i noticed part of the breadboard had no power on one side of the chip... Still not sure what.. But stripped it all down and decided to go to bed and try again today.
And it turns out.. on the new breadboard, the rails do NOT go straight across, and are split in the middle so there is no connection to the one side.... I quickly rebuilt my MSGEQ7 circuit... and I get the SAME output as on the pre-built...
I'm going to go sit in a corner now and rock myself to sleep