Jacks

The input jack on the right suffered from intermittent connection. It couldn't click properly once a cable was connected. Notice its shorter main prong; this is typical of '80s guitars. The replacement jack (left, HOSCO brand, available @ Davis GMC) is a Japanese product & it sports a significantly longer main prong to ensure a secured connection each time. For those of us who are still reluctant to replace the default components of our guitars, we should keep in mind the fact that along the way, product design improved & we should embrace improvement as opposed to blind infatuation.

Epi jack

Spent last evening addressing poor connectivity in my Old Glory Les Paul. The input jack kept crackling & reducing power to the amp making my distortion sound very wimpy. The contact spray treatment didn't really cure my woes, it went well briefly. So out came the screwdriver to see what's the real bother & saw some oxidation in the input jack tunnel itself. I resorted to physically polishing the affected area & that was the remedy. Everything was back to normal thereafter. 

Taking this opportunity to show you the Epiphone pride extending into the instrument's input jack but I have a feeling that this component won't last the miles. Anyway, we know there are other more durable, lasting options out there so that etched Epiphone label speaks nothing about quality. 

Budget compromise

This is a Gibson guitar. It is an economical model & does not feature a separate input jack, it's incorporated into the pickguard. Many of us will just yank the cable off but because it's mounted this way, we are actually pulling the pickguard away from the body as well. The restrain here are the screws. Done repeatedly, it'll warp the pickguard. So the proper way to unplug is to actually press the pickguard down while pulling the cable away which many of us aren't used to doing. So, there. 

Tweaks: Kiesel DC

Was at Beez's last Saturday. Caught in the downpour (trapped at the bus stop for more than 20min) but still managed to get there.

Forgive the fuzz but that's the Kiesel DC's new input jack right there. The old one was crackling, after several bouts with the contact spray, it was still problematic so it made way for this Switchcraft version.

While at it, told Beez to swap out the default capacitor with the Emerson one here. Beez insisted on not cutting the wires away, he told me I would need a good working length should I decide to remove it into another guitar. So, like the true pro that he is, he managed to insulate the exposed parts (blue) as seen above. Awesome.

This guitar was set for a 20" radius & it might be the reason why I snagged on strings during fast picking runs. It was re-set to a 16" setting when I reached home.

OK, all done! Spent time with it on Sunday morning putting the Angry Driver pedal to good use. More on this to come. 

The telecaster of death (no country music allowed)

Death by corrosion- this Switchcraft input jack belongs to my Fender American Standard Telecaster & recently it went dead. It's not about a superior brand name when it comes to parts deterioration; it will happen, it's a matter of time. You just need to know where to get the replacement parts that best fit your needs. So in addition to the dead pots & switches, it's off to Beez's...

Here it is, my sonic Telecaster of death is now back to life (forgive the pun). Considering it's only the second time the parts died & required replacement since 1998, I must say it's well taken care of. Oh by the way, when I bought this guitar back at Swee Lee before the turn of the century, I recall this salesperson who attended to me then said clearly, "Telecasters are for country music only." Screw that, of course. Thanks Beez, for the exceptional workmanship.

New jack

My Ibanez's RGR08 input jack suddenly went dead. Despite some tampering, it just won't carry the signals through...

So it was off to Master Beez's who had the new (Gotoh) input jack done in a matter of minutes.

While I was at it, the Orange Drop cap was installed as well. Beez had the suitable value there as the guitar is an active unit.

Beez has a new homepage up & going, please click here: Look for Beez!