Dumb Question about Jacks

[Platefire]

Is there any difference in what we call a normal mono input jack for guitars and amps? I'm thinking there isn't, but I just had to ask to resolve my doubt because I'm going replace jacks in a couple of guitars. I'm thinking a normal 1/4" mono Switchcraft will work in a Hondo P bass Copy and a Kramer Focus 1000. Platefire

[tubesornothing]

no diff, 1/4" mono is the one for guitars.

[Platefire]

Ok, thanks for confirming that. Plate

[jjasilli]

Note that you can run into inconvenient sizing issues.  Cheap jacks often have a smaller Outside diameter; a good quality Switchcraft jack may not fit through the existing hole.  I usually use a step-bit, hand held, to gently ream out the hole, and not crack the finish.  Also the wall thickness of the guitar body might require use of a jack with a longer threaded shaft.  This is mostly an issue with archtop and other rear-routed guitars.

[G._Hoffman]

The vast majority of guitars use a Switchcraft #11 (or a cheap imitation, which I recommend people replace as a matter of course), or a version of the #11 with a longer thread for some guitars (teles and the like).  You also see the long barrel jacks sometimes, but they suck so you should avoid them if you can!


Gabriel

[Platefire]

Well I tore down the bass tonight and didn't see any problem with the jack. Was fooling around looking at it anf before I knew it the ground wire from the bridge broke off at the solder joint and then one of the wires from the pickup broke off at it's solder. Problem is I didn't notice where they were connected at before they broke off. I looked at standard P-bass wiring diagrams but apparently Hondo wired theirs a little different. On the hondo the cap is wired from the center term of the tone pot to the input term of the volume which is different from standard P bass. Not knowing exactly what to do I wired the ground from bridge to the ground term on the jack and the lose pu wire to the center term of the tone pot where one end of the cap is connected to.
The bass works but the tone control is acting more like a volume than a tone. I decided not to do anymore until I did a little research first.

This bass was having a intermident cut out problem, so I'm thinking the wires that easily broke off might have been the problem. If I can just figure out how to wire it back up correctly with the off the wall hondo wiring, I think I might have solved the intermident cut out problem. Plate

[G._Hoffman]

The pickup wire should be going to the VOLUME pot.  Usually one of the outer lugs.  And unless someone has done so before, you need to replace that jack.  The ones they use in cheap instruments are junk, and they always get bent out of shape, which causes intermittent connections.  The cheap crap wires don't help, but the jack is almost certainly the problem.


Gabriel

[Platefire]

Gabriel

Attached is a sketch of what I got and also standard P-bass wiring. I'm thinking of buying the Ste-Mac
Wiring kit that has everything you need. The pickup leads are so small. Thinking about another pickup.
The Bass Playes almost as good a my Fender P-bass, its just neck heavy--has nice brass bridge saddles-not bad for a Hondo. I use to own the bass and gave it to a friend. He likes the bass and wants to get the intermitant cut outs fixed. Plate

[Shrapnel]

I would have to say that your red wire connects up with the cap on the volume control.  From what I can tell here, the only difference is the cap and the tone pot swap position in their series connection. I think the wire off the bridge goes to ground. (if it has continuity with a circuit checker with the bridge, I'm pretty sure it goes to ground.)

[Platefire]

Shrapnel

That was the same connection point I was thinking but reconnecting all the old stuff may be unsless---My friend is wanting all new. I'm looking at a complete re-wire and new pickups. I'm looking at DiMarzio DP127's replacement for P bass. These are Humbuckers! From my limited understanding, I think I would need to change the pots from 250K to 500K and probably use a different value cap? Plate

[G._Hoffman]

Shrapnel

That was the same connection point I was thinking but reconnecting all the old stuff may be unsless---My friend is wanting all new. I'm looking at a complete re-wire and new pickups. I'm looking at DiMarzio DP127's replacement for P bass. These are Humbuckers! From my limited understanding, I think I would need to change the pots from 250K to 500K and probably use a different value cap? Plate

All P bass pickups are hum canceling (well, all the split coil pickups are - the really old single coil ones are not).  250K pots are traditional, but you can use either.

I really like the DiMarzio P 122 (Model P) - it's one of the better "traditional" sounding P bass pickups out there.  And yes, that red wire goes to the same lug as the cap on the volume pot.


Gabriel

[Platefire]

Gabriel

Thanks, I didn't know the regular P-bass pickups were humbucker. Shouldn't be any problem using the stardard pots and cap then. Guess I'll pull the trigger on this order. Plate

[G._Hoffman]

Gabriel

Thanks, I didn't know the regular P-bass pickups were humbucker. Shouldn't be any problem using the stardard pots and cap then. Guess I'll pull the trigger on this order. Plate

That's the whole point behind the split thing - it was a way to get around the Gibson Patent.  They did a similar thing for guitar on the Electric XII 12-string.  Those pickups are kind of cool, but because the rest of that 12-string design was so mediocre they just didn't catch on.


Gabriel

[Platefire]

Ok thanks, I didn't know that bit of  history. I rememeber the split pickups on the 12 strings---what was the problem with those axes that they didn't go over?

Bernard ordered a Stu-Mac Wiring kit for P-bass. He didn't order the DiMarzio DP127's but ordered the EMG Select pickups for P-bass. Oh well, it just a Hondo bass anyway, so I'll put in whatever he wants. Plate

[G._Hoffman]

Ok thanks, I didn't know that bit of  history. I rememeber the split pickups on the 12 strings---what was the problem with those axes that they didn't go over?

Well, personally I think the biggest problem with them is a 1 5/8" nut on a twelve string.  That is simply too narrow for a twelve string.  Also, they only had six saddles, which means the octave strings were never in tune.  Oh yeah, and the fact that they were twelve strings, and twelve string electrics are of fairly limited use to anyone but The Beatles and The Birds, both of whom used Ricks.  Also, almost no one uses them live, so your unlikely to see your favorite guitar hero out there playing one.


Gabriel

[Shrapnel]

Oh yeah, and the fact that they were twelve strings, and twelve string electrics are of fairly limited use to anyone but The Beatles and The Birds, both of whom used Ricks.  Also, almost no one uses them live, so your unlikely to see your favorite guitar hero out there playing one.


Gabriel

Didn't Rush and Zepplin  have 'em too? I know they did have double neck guitars though, just can't remember the setup on 'em.

[G._Hoffman]

Oh yeah, and the fact that they were twelve strings, and twelve string electrics are of fairly limited use to anyone but The Beatles and The Birds, both of whom used Ricks.  Also, almost no one uses them live, so your unlikely to see your favorite guitar hero out there playing one.


Gabriel

Didn't Rush and Zepplin  have 'em too? I know they did have double neck guitars though, just can't remember the setup on 'em.

From time to time, but by then the Fender Electric XII was a thing of the past.  It was only made from 1965 to 1968.  Really, it just wasn't a great guitar, so it never caught on.


Gabriel

[Platefire]

I ended up getting the 500K pots for this because thats what I pulled out of there. EMG recomends using 800pf cap with 500K's but that seems a long jump from the 47pf that came with the 250K pots wiring kit.
  Talked to the customer about the brightness cap and he wants to go with 500pf and that's what was used with the old electronics that I pulled. I'll keep the new 250K's for my single coil guitars when I need a replacement. I've been busy with other stuff, hopefully I can solder it all up and see what it sounds like this week. Plate

[Platefire]

Well I finished this project this weekend. The EMG Select pickups are nice and quiet and produce that classic P=Bass sound. This Hondo is neck heavey, and because I'm doing this for a friend, I picked him up a a wide leather strap and strap locks--installed them. Can't stand a neck heavey guitar that takes a nose dive when you let go of the neck. The wide leather strap grips your shoulder well and won't let it neck dive and with the strap locks--no chance that a twisted strap will cause your strap to let go and drop your guitar. Even though this is a Honda, pretty decent looking, playing and sounding bass. Plate

[tubesornothing]

Can't stand a neck heavey guitar that takes a nose dive when you let go of the neck. The wide leather strap grips your shoulder well and won't let it neck dive and with the strap locks

Drives me freakin' nuts too.  So much so, I will never buy one again - forget it.  I hate how though the night the strap will pull on the shirt and shoulder. Grrr..

[Platefire]

  Well to be honest, I just bought one but I really love the guitar-Aria TA-50--the wide strap corrected the problem and it's not bad enough where I notice it pulling on my shoulder. I play a harp a lot lately and need my guitar neck in place ready to go when I slap my harp back in my pocket. I never was a fan of the Gibson 335 really until I bought this guitar--and now I find myself doing a lot of historical research on the 335. I just don't think I would every pay 3K for one!