Looking for some advice ..
The nut on my strat output jack keeps loosening, which is a bit annoying. At the moment I am just finger tightening.
I can see a few tightening tools on the internet, from high to low cost .. jack the gripper - which seems a bit rough and ready, and pricey; jacktight - a more professionally finished jack the gripper, and cheaper; and bullet - there seem mixed views on how effective this lowest cost tool is.
Once I have the right tool to do the job, I think I'll use a thread locker, there is a blue liquid I used on car components which seemed to work ok.
Any advice/feedback on what others use would be greatly appreciated.
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As above ^^^
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If all that's correct, you need to tighten the nut with a proper socket and a T-bar or a ratchet handle, while holding the jack in exactly the right position - with the contact pointing directly downwards, or it won't go back into the hole correctly - using a cloth, while you tighten the nut.
Before you tighten it, put some superglue on the thread - I find it easiest to undo the nut until it nearly comes off and drip some glue into the gap, rather than take it right off and have to re-fit the nut with wet superglue around. Superglue not threadlock because you want it *really* stuck. Then tighten it up as hard as you can with the socket handle. Really as hard as you can - I've never stripped a Switchcraft yet doing it.
This sounds complicated, but it's worth it - if you do all this, it will never come loose again. Ever. Not even with the abuse they get on schools guitars... which is where I developed this method .
In the unlikely event you ever need to replace the jack (even though Switchcrafts last decades) you can heat the nut with a soldering iron and it will break the glue - but be careful you don't get the fumes in your eyes.
"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
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Then as ICBM said ...good quality jack....star washer ....1/2" (or 12mm if not switchcraft) socket.
Star washer is the best 20p you'll ever spend!
I use the Cruz socket tool (and we sell them too) and they are brilliant with lots of uses and will last forever (£14)
Jack the gripper is a very good tool but not what you need here - it is so useful with a 335 or an acoustic jack
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"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
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein