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Last weekend, the nut came off the jack of my Ibanez Artcore AF85, an archtop with two f-holes. I fished the jack out. It's a two-pickup model but only one white wire was attached to the jack. I plugged it in to see what would happen and it sounded fine. (In retrospect, I had the pickup selector set for the neck pickup only) So I unplugged the jack, ran it back through the guitar and out the hole, put the nut on, and felt quite proud of myself. (My tool kit is a screwdriver.) I played the guitar for days and didn't think about the jack. (When I practice, I rarely plug in.) Yesterday I wanted to record something and when I plugged in, I got a godawful buzz. And no amp sound. It's like the connection wasn't being made. I unscrewed the nut and took the jack back out. Plugged it in that way (-for old times' sake, I guess.) Same buzz.
I'll have to call a shop and speak to a tech. What can I expect to hear? Is this a big (-and by big I mean expensive) deal? Thanks.
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07-05-2013 09:29 AM
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It just sounds like the solder connections became 'corrupted' over the week somehow, maybe after their 'surgery' and replacement. Sounds to me like it was all going down on one level or another. Anyway, I doubt it'll be any major job for a tech to repair. IIRC, renewing the connections overall would run about $35-40 around here (and a bit more if it involves any new parts). From personal experience, I'd also make sure that you test it at the store before you leave. Good luck.
Last edited by ooglybong; 07-05-2013 at 12:29 PM.
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When I was doing work in a shop it would have been a minimal bench charge... if it is a customer I knew I would do it for free and tell him to get the fuc# out of my store! LOL
At home I fix these things in about 5 min because I have to wait for my soldering iron to heat up.
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Thanks, guys. I'll call a local shop and see if the tech is there today and how busy he is....
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They're routine enough, and if you took this opportunity to learn it yourself (youtube or just google) it's a REALLY useful thing to know. The stock production guitars' biggest weakness in in the electronics. Empower yourself!
David
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Hope you have solved the problem.
If not first thing would be to identify the hot and the ground tabs.
Here is an example of an Ibanez wiring diagram (just an example, not sure if it applies to your model):
http://www.guitarnucleus.com/gitschems/ibanezAF120.jpg
In the jack´s drawing the hot tab is at the left and the hot wire seems to be the White one.
then at the ground tab you have two wires connected, one coming from the string ground, which is normally attached to the tailpiece, and the second is the ground wire that should have continuity and comes from the switch, touches the pots and then finally goes to the ground tab.
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Thanks for that. The diagram is cool, though it's probably a lot harder for me to follow than it is for you!
Originally Posted by gcb
I'm taking it to a shop Monday morning. Only one wire is soldered to the jack now, so the other must be retrieved and attached. Maybe the soldering of the one that is still attached could be double-checked to make sure it's solid. I hope that's all that needs to be done.
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This is not a bad idea. Just buy a $50 tele to practice on. Originally Posted by TruthHertz
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Where I'm from (Miami), the cost of a jack replacement on a solidbody guitar would come to around $40-$50 as one of the previous posters suggested; however, the price goes up around here when the hollowbody has no rear access panel and the electronics need to be fished out.
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That's good advice but I think it would cost more to buy a good soldering gun than to have the guitar repaired by someone who has one and knows how to use it. You're right, it is do-able but I don't see me doing it now. Originally Posted by TruthHertz
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Agree.Only one wire is soldered to the jack now, so the other must be retrieved and attached. Maybe the soldering of the one that is still attached could be double-checked to make sure it's solid. I hope that's all that needs to be done.
However, sometimes in the course of fishing and inspecting the inside of archtops one can unsolder other elements of the circuit or cause them to touch in manner that creates a short.
Anyway, as others said, in the worst scenario, if after soldering the loose wire/wires a problem persists, all that would be neccesary is to take the circuit out for proper checking.
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I have a loose jack on one of my archtops; I occasionally tighten it finger-tight but haven't tried to do anything more as I am not sure how to secure it from the f hole to get a good torque on it without spinning the wiring off. I would appreciate any tips on securing through the f hole. I have considered using needle-nose pliers externally, using "reverse pressure" to force them open, putting pressure on the inside of the socket and using an open-end wrench to tighten the nut; I did this years ago on a Bassman head with success but the wiring was much more easily accessed on the amp if I messed up. Any advice?
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I take a chopstick (because it's tapered), a pencil could do it I suppose, and reach it into the input jack opening, attach the jack inside the guitar but make sure there's a star-type lock washer between the jack and inside wall of the guitar. On the outside of the guitar I put a thin washer. The chopstick holds it in place until the presssure locks the lock washer in place. Use a spanner and not pliers. Originally Posted by ah.clem
That works for me.
I just did a repair on a Yunzhi guitar, and was surprized to find that the strings were not grounded in any way. I like to replace Chinese jacks with Switchcraft pieces. They're built much better for such a crucial and well used location.
For the OP, since you can see where the original wire was and where it came loose, you shouldn't need a wiring diagram to locate the problem. Reconnect: Put the wire against the jack tab opening- with the tip of a soldering iron touching the jack until the solder flows liquid. Make sure there's a good mechanical connection (their factory mistake in the first place). The solder flows, remove the heat and wait a minute. You're done.
You can buy pieces to practice without your guitar if you want.
Anyway...
You'll be playing soon either way
David
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Monday I took my guitar (Artcore AF 85) to a guitar tech and he fixed it. He replaced the jack outright because mine was too loose.
As for the jack nut (on a guitar such as mine, where they tend to come loose) he recommended nail hardener. I told him I had heard some players use Super Glue but he thought that "too aggressive." He said auto mechanics use something blue for nuts that deal with a lot of vibration but he forgot the name of it. He said the nail hardener--which is clear--works fine.
He also told me I should loop my cable inside the strap near the back pin and run it down to the jack hole, as this puts less pressure on the jack. (If, for example, you step on the cable, it doesn't pull at the hole because you've looped it over the strap pin and left a little slack...)
Because I've changed the kind of strings I play (-gong from flatwounds to roundwounds again), he adjusted the truss rod and lowered the action. Whole thing cost $45 and I'm good with that--guitar plays better and sounds better.
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Locktite. The blue stuff. Superglue will make it very difficult to get back into in the event of repairs and incur the wrath of your tech, and since it's dissolved with acetone, that will go right through a nitro finish and do a job on anything surrounding, yeah I'd avoid it. Nail polish is good. Good advice and you were taken care of well.
Have fun with the guitar again
David
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This is a bit pricey, but it will do the job: Originally Posted by ah.clem
STEWMAC.COM : Pictures of Jack The Gripper
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Put a chopstick (et al) in the jack and then push the stick to the side so you are pressing the jack body perpendicular against the hole ... then it can't turn and you can use a wrench to tighten the nut without it spinning. You are just pressing the jack against the sides of the hole so it can't turn. Does that make sense? Originally Posted by ah.clem
As for the question from the OP: you can fish the jack out of the f-hole with a stiff but flexible wire (solid core insulated copper wire works well). Then thread that same wire through the jack hole from the outside, then out the f-hole, thread the jack on the wire, bend / kink the end of the wire coming out of the f-hole so the jack can't slide off, then pull the wire through the jack hole. Put the nut back on, and when you are done push the wire through the f-hole and pull it out.Last edited by spiral; 07-10-2013 at 04:11 PM.
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One time I fished the jack out of an f-hole with hemostats. Worked great for reinstalling the jack too.
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To hold the Jack steady for nut adjustment I introduce a metal knitting needle thorough the f hole into the rear of the Jack and carefully guide it through the Jack hole in the rim from the guitar inside. Take the needle point from the outside and pull until the needle taper pressses the jack to the rim wall. Once the nut is adjusted push the needle inside again towards the F hole. You have to slightly curve the needle to do this.
Never used adhesive to secure nuts.
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Thanks for the advice, folks! I will give the chopstick a go as I have them around the kitchen. Great idea on the locktite, too. I may take the time to replace with a Switchcraft. The Chinese jack does feel like a much less positive connection than I get on my Fender basses. It plays fine, but not the lock-in I'm used to.
The StewMac "Jack the Gripper" is pretty much what I did by expanding needle nose pliers in the jack and then tightening the nut back in the day.Last edited by ah.clem; 07-10-2013 at 04:37 PM.
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