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Post by LTB on Apr 14, 2020 18:39:54 GMT -5
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Post by Leftee on Apr 15, 2020 11:21:14 GMT -5
These have been around a couple years (at least). I started using them in builds in 2018.
As one might guess... I like ‘em!
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Post by LTB on Apr 15, 2020 14:23:06 GMT -5
These have been around a couple years (at least). I started using them in builds in 2018. As one might guess... I like ‘em! I know they will make good contact but is it hard to unplug the cable plug from it? I have had a couple Jacks I have really had to yank pretty hard in the past. One was on an Acoustic Electric and the other on a pedalboard. |
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Post by Leftee on Apr 15, 2020 14:26:40 GMT -5
These have been around a couple years (at least). I started using them in builds in 2018. As one might guess... I like ‘em! I know they will make good contact but is it hard to unplug the cable plug from it? I have had a couple Jacks I have really had to yank pretty hard in the past. One was on an Acoustic Electric and the other on a pedalboard. They grip a little firmer but it’s not that noticeable. It certainly isn’t a hinderance. |
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Post by LTB on Apr 15, 2020 15:14:27 GMT -5
I know they will make good contact but is it hard to unplug the cable plug from it? I have had a couple Jacks I have really had to yank pretty hard in the past. One was on an Acoustic Electric and the other on a pedalboard. They grip a little firmer but it’s not that noticeable. It certainly isn’t a hinderance. Great! I prefer that over feeling like they will fall out LOL  |
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Post by Peegoo 🏁 on Apr 15, 2020 16:00:04 GMT -5
I've not tried these. The ones Stooge Mac used to sell were cheaply made imports; they had white plastic insulator discs, like the ones Radio Shack used to sell. Nice to see the tan phenolic fiber discs on these.
I've been a long-time fan of the Switchcraft jack.
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Post by ProzaKc on Apr 15, 2020 16:13:44 GMT -5
Switched out all the electronics in a Stratocaster and added one of the Puretone jacks. I like it. Nice secure fit
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Post by Leftee on Apr 15, 2020 16:17:37 GMT -5
I've not tried these. The ones Stooge Mac used to sell were cheaply made imports; they had white plastic insulator discs, like the ones Radio Shack used to sell. Nice to see the tan phenolic fiber discs on these. I've been a long-time fan of the Switchcraft jack. All the ones I bought from stewy were the phenolic. |
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Post by Pinetree on Apr 15, 2020 16:24:53 GMT -5
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Post by Peegoo 🏁 on Apr 15, 2020 16:40:46 GMT -5
Yeah, they're selling Switchcraft again.
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Post by funkykikuchiyo on Apr 15, 2020 21:37:07 GMT -5
Seems like a strange sales pitch. The extra contact arms only make sense if you've never tried troubleshooting an old jack. Two contacts will get dirty and oxidize just as fast as one will, and will still need cleaning from time to time, which really only works out to about once a decade.
I can only see two potential reasons to use them: 1) the lack of the bent around contact a la Switchcraft might let it fit in tighter quarters than usual, 2) it might torque less to the side when plugging in/out, which COULD be useful for archtops with the jack mounted to the pickguard, or other bizarre choices for jack placement. But, if they're stiff going in and out, that might not really be helpful after all.
The switchcraft jack might be the supreme example of "if it ain't broke..." I've had plenty of guitars from the 50s and 60s on my bench with them, and a light cleaning with 800 grit sand paper is all they ever need.
Other red flags: "allows for increased current handling at 500 volts for high current applications"... I wish they could know the difference between voltage and current. Yeah, if it is rated for high voltage I guess it means it can handle high current as well, I'm not really sure how the testing works on these, but still... not very professional at the least. "as a result, high and low frequencies are greatly improved creating a much more balanced sound while eliminating frequency spikes." I see no reason to believe this. Bear in mind that the thickness of the wire in your pickup is in the neighborhood of human hair (42 awg, IIRC, is nominally .0028"), and the very low voltage created by a passive pickup requires very little of the wiring and connections - we only use wiring as thick as we do for durability sake. A decent clean connection with any measurable surface area would be more than enough. If you start measuring the contact points in your switch(es), in the pots (remember the wiper sitting against a carbon trace inside), and corresponding connections on the amp end, it is DEEPLY implausible that there would be an audible difference installing one of these. If a jack is dirty you CAN have a bit of series resistance that is audible, but... dude, just clean the jack and move on with life.
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Wrnchbndr
Wholenote
Posts: 353
Formerly Known As: WRNCHBNDR
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Post by Wrnchbndr on Apr 16, 2020 1:03:59 GMT -5
I'm gonna be a nay sayer for different reasons. I am a Switchcraft fan and with few exceptions like clearance issues (that larger than average bendy around thingy), I'll stick to them. If there were superior material specs, this could be a good thing but they'd trumpet these thing if there were. A good switchcraft jack will last for many years. The failure of a properly installed switchcraft jack is for one of two reasons. Either the plating has worn off the connection points or there is corrosion between the multiple layers of how the jack is manufactured -- It could also be dirty. All lookalike jacks are built with multiple parts assembled and put into a press. A pressed together electrical connection is not optimal and these new jacks have the same weakness. The pressing process fractures the plating and oxidation begins. The worn plating on the contacts is simply wear and parts just wear out. Once the plating is gone, the transitional plating or the base metal is much less corrosion resistant and an intermittent connection results. Removing the oxidation can restore the connection but the oxidation will return. A new jack is the optimal action for a permanent repair. The reason I like Switchcraft jacks is the proven durability. The base metal of Switchcraft jacks seems to be very good as I've never seen a nut strip or the tip contact strength weaken. They're probably not made of the best alloy but they're better than every other jack I've seen. Two contacts are not better than one if you understand electricity. A good Switchcraft jack holds a jack quite well. I don't want my jack held in place any tighter or require additional force to remove the jack which will more than likely cause me to damage cables.
Run the cable around the guitar strap and then to the output jack on the instrument. This'll prevent you from pulling out the jack by accident. Also run the cable around the handle of your guitar amp and then to the input of your amp. This'll protect your cable from pulling out of the amp, protect your jack on the amp from violence, and protect the weak link of the solder connections in the jack.
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Post by Pinetree on Apr 16, 2020 2:28:15 GMT -5
When I get a guitar through here, I normally put a drop or two of blue Loctite on the threads, because the first thing that happens when they come loose... especially on a Stratocaster, is the guy sticks his socket on there and twists the jack, the wire, and perhaps pulls it loose.
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Post by LTB on Apr 19, 2020 2:07:33 GMT -5
Thanks guys. I will just still to the tried and true switchcraft jacks
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Post by Leftee on Apr 19, 2020 9:24:31 GMT -5
I'll still use the Pure Tone moving forward. Do they sound any different? Nope. But I like their design. I guess I'll see if they hold up. They *look* like they should.
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Post by funkykikuchiyo on Apr 19, 2020 12:33:48 GMT -5
I'll still use the Pure Tone moving forward. Do they sound any different? Nope. But I like their design. I guess I'll see if they hold up. They *look* like they should. Yeah, nothing about the jack looks bad to me. And, it isn't being sold for an inflated price, unless you're looking at bulk (other vendors can sell the switchcraft ones much cheaper when ordering in larger quantities). I'm sure they have a different tactile feel in putting the cable in, and if you like 'em, then you like 'em no further explanation needed. My only beef was with the rather over the top claims about improved tone and reliability as compared to the switchcrafts. Although, in further consideration it is POSSIBLE that for an amp output or the jack on a cabinet they MIGHT deliver some small amount of what they promise. Of course, I've seen PA systems with ridiculously high RMS run just fine with 1/4" prior to these things, but I would still put it in the realm of possibility. |
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Post by Leftee on Apr 19, 2020 13:27:18 GMT -5
Yeah, I stopped buying into the gold-plated cork-sniffery a few years ago. I found out for myself how stupid it was. 😂
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Post by funkykikuchiyo on Apr 19, 2020 15:58:35 GMT -5
Yeah, I stopped buying into the gold-plated cork-sniffery a few years ago. I found out for myself how stupid it was. 😂 I think the worst thing I ever saw was for home stereo audiophiles, and it was one of those hardware store outlets, but some fancy $80 version designed to give such clean, perfect power to your hi-fi. It was a passive unit, no buffering or conditioning, so who knows exactly what they did differently. The thing that gets me is that any possibility of it having an effect would be blunted by the fact that the power is going through all sorts of house wiring, municipal lines, transformers, and who knows what else before it hits your wall outlet anyway. |
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