Notes_Norton Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 The nuts that hold the output jacks in place on both my Casino and my ES-330 get a little loose from time to time. (Nothing drastic.) I finger tighten them with the plugs inserted in the guitar (so to minimize any twisting of the jacks) they but they eventually come loose again. I know that they don't need to be tight for the plug to make a good electrical connection with the jack, but just the fact that they work themselves loose from time to time bugs me a little. I'm afraid to tighten them too much, for fear of turning the entire jack and then twisting the wires inside the guitar. So I'm wondering.... 1) Is there a special tool that holds the jack from twisting while the retaining nut is tightened? 2) Is there another method (short of taking it to a luthier)? 3) Is it something I just have to live with? Thanks, Notes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RotcanX Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 I have come to the conclusion that the jacks Epiphone uses have a universal tendency to go loose all the time. I get guys coming in with loose jacks all the time, and half the time they've managed to twist the wires off in their half-assed attempts to tighten them. Sometimes the barrel is so loose that it spins in the phenolic base and is therefore impossible to tighten properly. If I were you I'd go for a Switchcraft and solve the problem once and for all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garyelcrrt1281733995 Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 Tighten the nut down, then drip one drop of clear nail polish onto the nut/threads. You can remove it anytime with nail polish remover, but it will holed the nut in place forever until you do... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcwillow777 Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 1) Is there a special tool that holds the jack from twisting while the retaining nut is tightened? Thanks' date=' Notes[/quote'] No there isn't. I emailed Stewmac about this same problem and they said they didn't know of anything. What I did to hold the jack in place was take a piece of wire, fairly heavy gauge, and bend it at a 90 degree angle. Then I pushed it down through the jack and turned it until the wire made contact with the tip of the jack. Then I tightened the nut as I held the wire to hold the jack from turning. It worked pretty good. I did put new switchcraft jacks in my Dot and Sherry though, and I have not had a problem with them coming loose. If you do get a switchcraft jack, make sure you get one that has a longer shaft. The first time I tried this I didn't have one and the standard shaft was too short, so I couldn't get the washer on and the jack came loose all the time. Longer jack = no problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glenn c Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 You could use Loc-Tite. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpdesign Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 I've seen a special wrench that goes into the output jack to hold it in place while tightening. unfortunately I can't remember where. maybe an ad in Guitar World? It does exist somewhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carverman Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 What I did to hold the jack in place was take a piece of wire' date=' fairly heavy gauge, and bend it at a 90 degree angle. Then I pushed it down through the jack and turned it until the wire made contact with the tip of the jack. Then I tightened the nut as I held the wire to hold the jack from turning. It worked pretty good. If you do get a switchcraft jack, make sure you get one that has a longer shaft. The first time I tried this I didn't have one and the standard shaft was too short, so I couldn't get the washer on and the jack came loose all the time. Longer jack = no problem.[/quote'] I had the same problem of the (standard length switchcraft jacks)nuts coming off and the jacks going inside on my Emperors which have a very thick sides. The problem is because the nut barely holds onto the threads. I did manage to get mine on and put a tiny bit of loc-tite thread locker 242 which is the medium strength, NOT the 262 high strength! This seems to work. However, it might be a bit of a problem to remove the nut if the jack ever needs to be replaced. On the Broadway, I ordered a extra long switchcraft jack from guitarpartsresource.com and it had enough threads showing beyond the nut that a normal wrench tightening is all it needs. I used a bent coat hanger on the ones I replaced and like you said, bend it until touches the tip of the jack while tightening on the nut. Better than have the jack rotate on you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidg3333 Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 nyet on loctite, da on finger nail polish or equivalent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eddiebaby Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 I used a flat blade screwdriver that just fit inside the hole. Just put enough pressure to hold the jack and tighten the nut with a wrench. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 Blue loctite. You can get it at an auto parts store and it's removable. Just loosen the nut, add a tiny drop to the threads and re-tighten. It will stay there until you decide to remove it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carverman Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 Blue loctite. You can get it at an auto parts store and it's removable. Just loosen the nut' date=' add a tiny drop to the threads and re-tighten. It will stay there until you decide to remove it.[/quote'] This is what I used Dave. I don't have any wimmen around the house anymore and I don't as a rule, use nail polish, although it's probably not a bad idea to keep my fingernails from breaking on the picking hand. The blue loctite (242) is advertised on the package as "removable. I used it on the nuts that fasten the pots on my archtops. Recently I had to loosen one off, and the nut DID loosen. It depends on your preference. The red stuff (262) is for securing nuts on vehicles which then require lots of force to remove, should never be used on guitars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted March 8, 2008 Share Posted March 8, 2008 There's also a green loctite that is "self-wicking". It is applied to a secure joint and seeps into the threads and penetrates. That stuff is pretty hard to remove. The red is also tough stuff. The blue is like a paint. It can be flicked off with a fingernail where it is visible outside the nut. I like the blue for anything you want to disassemble later. I used blue loctite on my Schaller straplocks. They were backing off where the nut tightens the part on the strap. Since I loctited them ... no more loosening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Notes_Norton Posted March 9, 2008 Author Share Posted March 9, 2008 Thanks for the tips. I haven't decided which way to go (March is a heavy gigging month here in South Florida), but there are many good suggestions here. Notes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JEPI Posted March 9, 2008 Share Posted March 9, 2008 I have come to the conclusion that the jacks Epiphone uses have a universal tendency to go loose all the time. I get guys coming in with loose jacks all the time' date=' and half the time they've managed to twist the wires off in their half-assed attempts to tighten them. Sometimes the barrel is so loose that it spins in the phenolic base and is therefore impossible to tighten properly. If I were you I'd go for a Switchcraft and solve the problem once and for all.[/quote'] I guess I've been fortunate to have had the problem...But, if switchcraft makes the longer shafted type and it still doesn't stay tight how about a very thin lock washer. Is it garyelcrrt who is the auto guy here...do they make thin line lock washer??...........J Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcwillow777 Posted March 9, 2008 Share Posted March 9, 2008 I guess I've been fortunate to have had the problem...But' date=' if switchcraft makes the longer shafted type and it still doesn't stay tight how about a very thin lock washer. Is it garyelcrrt who is the auto guy here...do they make thin line lock washer??...........J[/quote'] You can get the star washers to put on the inside of the jack. I don't know about a thin lock washer, but personally I wouldn't put one on, just for the cosmetics. But that is just me. I have 2 of the long shaft switchcrafts in use now, one is in a Dot and the other in a Sheraton, and neither one of them has come loose since I put them in severa; mpnths ago. I didn't use the star washers either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garyelcrrt1281733995 Posted March 9, 2008 Share Posted March 9, 2008 I think its got more to do with the motion of plugging/unplugging and how many times you do that. I've only had a loose jack on one solid body, but every hollowbody and semi-hollow seems to get the condition eventually. I've always counted it as "characteristic of the model" as we used to see about problems that weren't warranty related. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom nair Posted March 9, 2008 Share Posted March 9, 2008 My brand new sheraton had the same problem from the getgo. I replaced all the the wires and parts when I put in 57 pickups. No problems since. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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