Jack socket problem - please help!

[Greene]

Hello,

I'm currently in the process of drilling the holes for various bits and pieces on my thinline. I just drilled the hole for the jack socket, at the edge of the control cavity, and have realised that there is too much wood for the socket thread to reach through to the outside, so it can't be secured on, or even reached my the lead (if that makes sense?). I'm not sure if this different type of socket (click) would work, and if not, what would!? I don't want to have to fill up the hole ad make a new one!

/panicking...

[jwells393]

It's not really making sense to me. I think you need to show us or describe what type of jack you are using. Sounds like a non-typical Telecaster jack.

[Greene]

It's one of these that I have used:



The wood where I drilled the hole for it is too thick for the thread to go all the way through.

I was wondering if the above socket (more like a barrel socket) will still work.

I hope that was more succinct!

[junk mutt]

If I understand correctly you just need a longer jack socket wire. Its a simple enough job just take off the old shorter wire and replace with a longer one and solder it up.

[t3l3cast3r]

It sounds to me like he drilled a hole the size of the threaded part of the jack and he's trying to push the jack through the wood with only the washer to hold it in place. I'm thinking you will need to look into making the hole bigger and use either a jack cup or an electrosocket. Or you can use the jack plate like they use on a Les Paul.

[jwells393]

If I'm understanding you, you drilled a hole the diameter of the threaded portion of the jack you pictured above. That's not the normal way of mounting a Telecaster jack. Telecasters have a 7/8 in. diameter jack hole and use either the vintage style cup, the Electrosocket jack mount, or the football plate.

or or

Several G&L guitars use this jack which mounts into a 1/2 in. diameter hole.

......

[cnunn30]

I just drilled a hole last weekend for a "Fender" socket and I think it was 7/8" dia. If I'm wrong someone please jump in.

[PraiseCaster]

Hey Greene, lets just make sure: Look at jwells avatar. Are you utilizing a "jack-cup" like you see there, or are you just drilling a hole wide enough for the jack to fit through, and that is where the wood is too thick to permit just the jack to be mounted without the cup?

Is that what you meant?

[Greene]

Sorry, i'm not really very good at making myself clear!

I'm using a jack cup, where the thread of the actual jack is just meant to poke through, then be mounted inside the cup. The trouble is, the wood at the point where i've (accidentally) drilled the hole is 25mm, and the thread on the jack isn't long enough to go all the way through, even taking the extra depth of the cup into account.

The problem is that I can't get to the inside of the cavity to further hollow it out, as it is a thinline, and the top is already glued on.

I think i'm going to have to use a jack like the G&L that jwells posted above.

[jwells393]

Still not completely clear. What is the hole diameter? Why can't you drill the hole all the way through the sidewall into the hollow area?

Perhaps if you went into more detail on your plans you might get better answers.

[Amadhunter]

Almost sounds like your trying to put the jack in from inside the control cavity. The jack goes in from the outside of the hole you drilled. You gotta run the wires out from the inside, solder the wires outside, the threads only need to be long enough to reach through the hole in the cup. Right?

[brandt]

a photo would help a lot...

[mofugly13]

Your 7/8 diameter hole needs to be driilled all the way into the cavity, the jack does not touch the wood, it only touches the jack cup. The jack cup is secured to the wood.

[jwells393]

We're running in circles here. How about posting pictures of your body and all the jack parts you have.

I'm using a jack cup, where the thread of the actual jack is just meant to poke through, then be mounted inside the cup.

My best guess based on that is that he's only drilled the 7/8 in. hole as deep as the jack cup

[maestrovert]

Heya Greene !

my last name is Greene also...
Ron Kirn built me a couple of Teles, and kindly posted pix of the process....i've copied 3 of 'em here for ya...
the 1st & 2nd show the drilling of the 7/8"s jack hole, notice how deep the bit is going....
in the 3rd pic, notice the jack hole extends all the way into the control cavity...








hope it helps !
Rob Greene aka maestrovert

[Greene]

Thankyou very much for all your help, people! I've discovered I'm not particularly good at explaining myself.

I didn't realise the 7/8 hole was meant to be drilled all the way through to the cavity - i'd just planned to carve out a jack-cup shaped hole, and the jack wasn't reaching through...

Those pictures help a lot, Rob - now I see what i've been doing wrong!

I would've posted some photos earlier one, but a stray router bit sliced my camera cable to shreds. When I replace it, i'll show you the build. Thankyou again!

Gavin

[Greene]

Oh, I can borrow my Dad's cable. Here are some photos:

Here is my build:


This is the hole I drilled, ready to carve out what I thought I was meant to do for the jack-cup:


The jack and cup:


The cavity for the electrics is, however, too small to access anything too well:

[jwells393]

What is the hole diameter? If it's 1/2 in. you could use the jack like G&L. If you want to use the jack cup you have pictured, I'd do this .............. glue a dowel into the hole and cut it flush. Then start over and drill the 7/8 in. hole.

Good job on what you've done so far.

[Greene]

It's 1/2 inch hole, conveniently! I've ordered a G&L jack now, so it should all be solved. Thankyou!

And yeah, it's coming along okay, I hope. Still quite a lot of sanding to do, and the F-hole needs a bit of attention. Except for that, it's well on the way to being some kind of guitar! It's only my second, so i'm still learning - a lot of it as I go along!

[mgdesigns]

[quote=jwells393;1763831]
If I'm understanding you, you drilled a hole the diameter of the threaded portion of the jack you pictured above. That's not the normal way of mounting a Telecaster jack. Telecasters have a 7/8 in. diameter jack hole and use either the vintage style cup, ...

...


How does this thing work? Does the bent rectangular keeper spread out to the bored hole walls when the jack gets tightened? HMMMM.??

[maestrovert]

Originally Posted by mgdesigns

...


How does this thing work? Does the bent rectangular keeper spread out to the bored hole walls when the jack gets tightened? HMMMM.??

Yep.

i much prefer the Electrosocket design myself:

[jwells393]

Yes.............. there's a special tool available from StewMac for installing this type of jack cup. The bent retainer clip is installed on the tool and the tool un-bends it in the hole ........ forcing the corners into the wood.

Here's the tool.

......

[PraiseCaster]

Originally Posted by jwells393

Yes.............. there's a special tool available from StewMac for installing this type of jack cup. The bent retainer clip is installed on the tool and the tool un-bends it in the hole ........ forcing the corners into the wood.

Here's the tool.

......

I never knew!

Do you have that tool Jack? If yes, does it work good?

Mee, I kinda flaten out the clip a little, drive it up in where it needs to go, and then when I tighten down on the jack, it sorta helps drive those corners into the wood even more. Never had one back out yet.

[jwells393]

Do you have that tool Jack? If yes, does it work good?

It works great. At $16.54 it might be a little much if you just need to remove a loose clip and reinstall it. However if you plan to build a few guitars and like the traditional Telecaster jack cup that been used for over 60 years it's worth having in your tool box.

Here's yours truly using it........

......