Replacing jack plate on Tele

[jello1950]

I have a 1996 made in Japan Tele that I am modifying by changing pickups & bridge and screening, also changing gold-plated hardware to chrome/steel/nickel. The ferrules won't come out easily so I might just leave them, but the jack plate is more visible. I can't see how to remove it- there are no screws holding it in there. Would this have just been knocked into place with a mallet? And now- how do I remove it? It has a sort of "lip" which might be grippable with the right tool and it might just pull out, but I'd like to know this before trying it. TIA for any help.

[Kevin]

To remove the jack cup, first remove the nut holding the jack to the cup. I'll bet the jack cup just falls out, then.

If not, take a small object and push it out from the back. Be careful not to push against the retaining clip.

Teles have a small piece of metal with a hole in the center that is compressed into the wood behind the jack cup. The jack goes through that piece of metal and through the jack cup, where it is tightened to the cup by means of the nut. The only thing holding the jack cup to the body is that little nut holding the jack on....

To remove ferrules, heat them slightly with a soldering iron to soften the finish around them (not melt the finish). You can then either push them out from the front with a 1/8" drill bit (if you do this, only push them enough to raise them above the paint where you can grab them with pliers -- you don't want hot pieces of metal rolling around your guitar) or screw a small drywall screw into the hole just enough so that you can grab it with pliers and pull them out.

[jello1950]

Thanks for that- I got it off quickly after that, luckily I had a pair of longnosed pliers. I would quite like the appropriate hex nut driver to do this properly but I can't find anywhere in the UK that sells them, not on the net anyway.

With removing the ferrules, I might be brave enough to try this trick with the soldering iron. But if so, how do I install the new ones? I don't want to guess....

[Kevin]

You install the new ones the same way...

Hold them at the holes with a pair of needle nose pliers. Place the soldering iron in the ferrule and heat it just until it starts to slip into the hole.

Remove the soldering iron, but keep holding the ferrule with the pliers. Take a Phillips screwdriver and insert it into the ferrule. Take a small hammer or mallet and lightly tap the ferrule into place, removing the pliers as the ferrule settles into the hole.

Again, you just want to soften the finish enough that the ferrule moves without chipping the paint.

[jello1950]

Thanks for that- I got it off quickly after that, luckily I had a pair of longnosed pliers. I would quite like the appropriate hex nut driver to do this properly but I can't find anywhere in the UK that sells them, not on the net anyway.

With removing the ferrules, I might be brave enough to try this trick with the soldering iron. But if so, how do I install the new ones? I don't want to guess....

[spangler41]

Neutrik makes a jack that is barrel-shaped that has a square plate. It fits the Tele jack hole and you screw the square plate to the body much like a Les Paul.

The benefits are several: the jack is locking and has a release button to unplug your cable, It is a stereo shorting jack which can be used to activate the battery if you have active pickups, it is very solid and strong, it is easy to install, it is not expensive.

I have used these in several of my "Texacasters" with excellent results.