false alarm, i forgot to solder 4 and 5 together on the 12ax7's so only half of each preamp valve was getting any juice...haha
everything is gold now!!

so i built my Lightning and quadruple checked everything...turned it on...and...nothing but a couple of very quiet pops through the speaker that turn into a very quiet hum.  The volume pots don't increase the level of the hum much at all, though you can hear a slight sound of the movement of the pot if you listen closely.  In fact, the hum is so quiet (even with volume and master all the way up) that you have to listen hard for it.  Plugging in a guitar to either input provides no changes.
1.  Voltages coming in and out of PT, OT, choke are all at proper levels.  All transformers remain rather cool to the touch.  B+ is good
2.  all tubes (including the rectifier) get full voltage and heat up fine
3.  none of the pots really do anything to add or decrease sound from the speaker.....there is none!
4.  i can get a crackle when i probe every solder joint starting after the last preamp socket...and this crackle is increased/decreased by turning the volume/master pots.

so i am pretty sure this is a problem in the preamp section, but for the life of me i have no idea what the issue is.  all of the preamp tubes are good (checked elsewhere) so it is a wiring issue for sure through nothing is touching where it shouldn't, to my knowledge.


if anyone has any suggestions please let me know!