Affinity Strat jack output fix

builttospill

I’m attempting my first output jack replacement on an old crappy affinity squire Strat, I’ve read up on the basics and have watched quite a few vids online. The wires in the jack cavity are blue and black could anyone tell me which wire is the hot and which is the ground? Many thanks 

poopot

Take the scratch plate off and see where the two wires run to... 

 I would guess that the black wire is “shield” and the blue wire is “hot”... but you never know!. Someone could have rewired it before you got it!...

builttospill

poopot said:

Take the scratch plate off and see where the two wires run to... 

 I would guess that the black wire is “shield” and the blue wire is “hot”... but you never know!. Someone could have rewired it before you got it!...

Thanks for that!

thegummy

Just wire them to the same places on the new jack socket as they are on the old one

ICBM

thegummy said:

Just wire them to the same places on the new jack socket as they are on the old one

If it's the usual Squier Strat jack repair that may no longer be an option .

The important points are:

Use only a Switchcraft jack - all other jacks are crap - they're not that much more expensive.

Make sure it has a shakeproof washer on the inside, which will help stop it coming loose. (You may have to buy this separately.)

Make sure the contact is pointing directly down into the cavity - if it's not, it may press against the wood which will stop the plug going in properly.

Before you tighten it, put a small amount of superglue on the threads - it's easiest to do this with the nut already just on the thread but still a gap between the jack and the plate, so you don't have to fumble with things that have superglue on them...

Hold the jack with a cloth to protect your hand, and tighten the nut with a box spanner or a socket - *really* tight. One reason for using a Switchcraft is because they're strong enough to withstand this, whereas cheap jacks often aren't.

If you do all this - which isn't as complicated as it sounds, although if you've never done it before it's probably worth practising without the superglue - then it will never break again. I've done this to hundreds of guitars, including every school guitar I've worked on, because the jack having come loose and broken the wires is always the fault! Not one has ever come back.

prowla

If youy've got a multimeter, you can see which one is connected to the guitar's bridge.
(My guess is it's the black!)
Another option is to plug a cable into an amp and touch the wires to the end and sleeve of the jack plug and see what sounds come out.
It should be perfectly OK to do that (but don't turn the amp up to max!), as the voltages are miniscule and you're only doing what the jack connection does anyway.

builttospill

Thanks for all your comments, so I’ve taken a gut shot. It appears the black wire that is in the jack output cavity is soldered to the top of the volume pot and the blue wire is soldered to one of the lugs on the same pot, please see attached image. Would you be able to tell which is the hot or ground from picture? Many Thanks

https://imgur.com/gallery/V0go1

ICBM

Black is ground, blue is hot.

Check that the ground terminal on the pot is properly soldered to the plain wire that runs to it - the upper one in the pic - it doesn't look like it is.

If you can it would be better to replace both the blue and the very flimsy ground wire with a piece of shielded cable - this usually makes the most difference to noise in a Strat-type guitar other than full shielding.

builttospill

That’s brilliant @ICBM thanks for your swift reply. Basically the guitar is only for my 8 year old to trash up further and to give me a little experience with a soldering iron again. Really appreciate the advice.

builttospill

I am assuming the guitar would be safe to use after my soldering adventure and if I left it as it was? Re flimsy wiring in cavity

ICBM

builttospill said:

I am assuming the guitar would be safe to use after my soldering adventure and if I left it as it was? Re flimsy wiring in cavity

Yes, using thicker wire or shielded cable is only for reliability and noise reduction.

The safety aspect of an electric guitar is not actually from the guitar itself - it's the *amp* that needs to be safe.

prowla

builttospill said:

Thanks for all your comments, so I’ve taken a gut shot. It appears the black wire that is in the jack output cavity is soldered to the top of the volume pot and the blue wire is soldered to one of the lugs on the same pot, please see attached image. Would you be able to tell which is the hot or ground from picture? Many Thanks

https://imgur.com/gallery/V0go1

All of the pots bodies should be connected to earth, so the black one is indeed earth.

prowla

builttospill said:

I am assuming the guitar would be safe to use after my soldering adventure and if I left it as it was? Re flimsy wiring in cavity

As mentioned earlier, the voltages here are minimal.

Flink_Poyd

ICBM said:

thegummy said:

Just wire them to the same places on the new jack socket as they are on the old one

If it's the usual Squier Strat jack repair that may no longer be an option .

The important points are:

Use only a Switchcraft jack - all other jacks are crap - they're not that much more expensive.

Make sure it has a shakeproof washer on the inside, which will help stop it coming loose. (You may have to buy this separately.)

Make sure the contact is pointing directly down into the cavity - if it's not, it may press against the wood which will stop the plug going in properly.

Before you tighten it, put a small amount of superglue on the threads - it's easiest to do this with the nut already just on the thread but still a gap between the jack and the plate, so you don't have to fumble with things that have superglue on them...

Hold the jack with a cloth to protect your hand, and tighten the nut with a box spanner or a socket - *really* tight. One reason for using a Switchcraft is because they're strong enough to withstand this, whereas cheap jacks often aren't.

If you do all this - which isn't as complicated as it sounds, although if you've never done it before it's probably worth practising without the superglue - then it will never break again. I've done this to hundreds of guitars, including every school guitar I've worked on, because the jack having come loose and broken the wires is always the fault! Not one has ever come back.

What size would the retaining nut be for a 1/4 inch jack? 

Got one on a DI box without a nut and havent got a socket that fits it.

ICBM

Flink_Poyd said:

What size would the retaining nut be for a 1/4 inch jack? 

Got one on a DI box without a nut and havent got a socket that fits it.

1/2" - if it's an American-made jack. If it's a far-east one, slightly smaller - there are very slightly different several sizes, and more than one thread as well...

Flink_Poyd

ICBM said:

Flink_Poyd said:

What size would the retaining nut be for a 1/4 inch jack? 

Got one on a DI box without a nut and havent got a socket that fits it.

1/2" - if it's an American-made jack. If it's a far-east one, slightly smaller - there are very slightly different several sizes, and more than one thread as well...

Teased the one on my Strat off and it's 12mm. 

builttospill

Hi All I fixed it! My first soldering attempt I even managed to tin the wires before main soldering job... guitar actually sounds alright. I think the intonation and truss rod needs slight adjustment. Thanks all