Input jack repair - tool won't fit

randerson

I'm trying to repair a loose input jack on a 3/4 size Harley Benton electric. However the distance between the outside of the jack and the inside wall of the recessed plate is too small for my tool to get in there. It fits the actual washer OK but the wall of the socket is too wide to fit inside the recessed plate (even though I'm using an actual guitar (Groovetech jack and pot) tool that has thin walls.

Does anyone have advice on this please? 

PS it is not a strat style input plate more like a tele style on the side of the body

ICBM

You may have to use some fine-nose pliers, unless you can get at the jack from the inside and turn it in the opposite direction. The worst case might be two small flat-bladed screwdrivers held like chopsticks…

Make sure you’ve got a shakeproof washer on the inside, and if necessary use threadlock (superglue or nail varnish if you have to), so you don’t have to get it too tight for it not to come loose again.

If none of this works, replace the whole thing with an Electrosocket or a Les Paul-style jack plate.

randerson

ICBM said:

You may have to use some fine-nose pliers, unless you can get at the jack from the inside and turn it in the opposite direction. The worst case might be two small flat-bladed screwdrivers held like chopsticks…

Make sure you’ve got a shakeproof washer on the inside, and if necessary use threadlock (superglue or nail varnish if you have to), so you don’t have to get it too tight for it not to come loose again.

If none of this works, replace the whole thing with an Electrosocket or a Les Paul-style jack plate.

Great advice, thanks!

prowla

You’ll be needing an output jack repair tool then!

BillDL

You're talking about the thin stamped metal plates with the dish recess?  They are a pain.  I ground off the outside edges of a pair of cheap pliers from Asda so they fitted down the sides of the nut.  Generally I just used them to hold the nut while I tightened the socket from the reverse side, but more recently I ground down a standard socket until the walls were very thin.  I have rubbery tape wrapped around the top end for enough grip to hand-tighten nuts in that kind of plate.

randerson

BillDL said:

You're talking about the thin stamped metal plates with the dish recess?  They are a pain.  I ground off the outside edges of a pair of cheap pliers from Asda so they fitted down the sides of the nut.  Generally I just used them to hold the nut while I tightened the socket from the reverse side, but more recently I ground down a standard socket until the walls were very thin.  I have rubbery tape wrapped around the top end for enough grip to hand-tighten nuts in that kind of plate.

Great idea thx