Jack socket hole and earthing question

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I could faff around and experiment but someone here will know the answer straight off.  My Heritage has the long barrel type socket which is an awful contraption and stops you removing the pots easily.  My preferred option is to fit a Les Paul type jack plate and an ordinary Switchcraft socket.  Simple question: What size do I need to bore the hole out to?

Second question:  I can't see any evidence of the bridge/strings being earthed.  This guitar has been messed around around with but am I right in thinking there would have been a wire wedged in next to one of the tailpiece bushings?  There's a messy repair job but I think there used to be a hole through to the control cavity.
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71956
    1 - 7/8" or 22mm. You can just about get away with 3/4" or 19mm but it's very tight.

     2 - yes, there needs to be a ground wire to either the bridge or tailpiece. If there's neither you'll need to pull the stud insert and fit one. I'm guessing this the same guitar with the loose stud, and it's the treble side one.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • SteveRobinsonSteveRobinson Frets: 6914
    tFB Trader
    ICBM said:
     I'm guessing this the same guitar with the loose stud, and it's the treble side one.
    I hope you haven't epoxied it in yet!
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  • FunkfingersFunkfingers Frets: 14321
    uncledick said:
    Second question:  I can't see any evidence of the bridge/strings being earthed.  This guitar has been messed around around with but am I right in thinking there would have been a wire wedged in next to one of the tailpiece bushings?  There's a messy repair job but I think there used to be a hole through to the control cavity.
    Some manufacturers of aftermarket active pickup systems recommend that the bridge ground wire not be connected. Smart guitar techs insulate the disconnected end and tuck it away somewhere in the control cavity.
    Be seeing you.
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71956
    ICBM said:
     I'm guessing this the same guitar with the loose stud, and it's the treble side one.
    I hope you haven't epoxied it in yet!
    Exactly...

    If so you'll need to drill from the treble side bridge stud hole to the pickup cavity, or to the wiring tunnel which can be easier since the angle downwards can be steeper.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • ICBM said:
    ICBM said:
     I'm guessing this the same guitar with the loose stud, and it's the treble side one.
    I hope you haven't epoxied it in yet!
    Exactly...

    If so you'll need to drill from the treble side bridge stud hole to the pickup cavity, or to the wiring tunnel which can be easier since the angle downwards can be steeper.
    Fortunately all stripped and nothing glued yet.  The stud hole looks to have had a previous glueing attempt using something like a Pritt stick as it's all gooey so will need a good clean which will probably reveal the hole for the earth wire.  Somebody's updated the original Schallers to SD59s - which sound great btw - but managed to break the pickup rings in doing so.  Thankfully I picked up a set of LP plastics at the Kempton show for a tenner so I'm currently looking at the bare shell ready for the rebuild.  I bought it at the Bristol show having tried loads of R8s and the feel and resonance meant it had to come home.  It's obviously done a fair bit of gigging and I reckon somebody (with the skills of an ape) thought it was time for a rebuild and upgrade, which is where it went wrong and they chopped it in.  Confident that it'll be an excellent guitar when I'm done :)

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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71956
    In that case, try to keep the epoxy away from the side where the ground wire is, you don't want to get it in between the metal surfaces and stop them making contact. If it was me, I would leave plenty of bare wire - enough that it bends right around the bottom of the insert and up the other side, that will help to both make the connection and tighten the fit of the hole.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • FelineGuitarsFelineGuitars Frets: 11496
    tFB Trader
    If replacing the barrel jack to a quality open skeletal type : First glue in a 12mm or 1/2" dowel into the old hole . 
    Then mark the centre of that dowel and use a 22mm forstner or similar to drill out the new hole using the centre marking or indent as a guide for the bigger drill.

    Many guitars have a re-sale value. Some you'll never want to sell.
    Stockist of: Earvana & Graphtech nuts, Faber Tonepros & Gotoh hardware, Fatcat bridges. Highwood Saddles.

    Pickups from BKP, Oil City & Monty's pickups.

      Expert guitar repairs and upgrades - fretwork our speciality! www.felineguitars.com.  Facebook too!

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  • FunkfingersFunkfingers Frets: 14321
    Unless you have tools to perform the socket hole job, it is probably wiser to take the work to a pro.

    The barrel jack socket should be available in several lengths. Would a shorter one solve the problem?


    Be seeing you.
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71956
    Barrel jacks are just crap. They very often fail because the contacts become loose or corroded and they cannot be re-tensioned, or even cleaned properly.

    Why they have become a choice for many higher-end brands I have no idea.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • Unless you have tools to perform the socket hole job, it is probably wiser to take the work to a pro.

    The barrel jack socket should be available in several lengths. Would a shorter one solve the problem?


    I asked the question because I wanted to make sure I had the tools lined up.  I've been drilling holes and soldering wires for over 50 years so I'm sure I'll cope.  

    To answer your second point, basically no, the tone pot comes right to the edge of the cavity so any internal protrusion is going to be in the way.  On top of that, the internal face which the nut butts up against is at about 45 deg to the axis of the jack so it was a bodge from day one.  Fitting an open type jack will sort all those compromises.
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