Scratchy jack. Always replace or just re-solder

[MMcC]

Whenever a jack seems like it's on the way out, I buy a new one and have my friend install it for me.

Is that always necessary? Can re-soldering alone get the scratchiness/shorting out taken care of?

The current problem is my Stingray. Those jacks seem harder to find.

[SnakeKappele]

Ever try spraying a little Deoxit on it? It sounds like the contacts are dirty.

[fu22ba55]

Wrap a little 200 grit sandpaper around a dowel, drop it in there and give it a few turns. That cleans up the contacts and does wonders.

And sometimes all you need to do is open it up and bend the contacts a bit so they make better contact.

[Bassamatic]

Since a jack has no moving parts, it will hardly ever wear out until the spring contact loses its springiness. Even then, you only have to bend it inward a little and it is like new.

It CAN get a little dirty or oxidized. If you clean it with a little fine sandpaper as described above, or perhaps just work your cable plug in and out a few fast times while twisting it you will quiet it up.

Be sure it is the jack and not the cable!

[bassbenj]

Originally Posted by MMcC

Whenever a jack seems like it's on the way out, I buy a new one and have my friend install it for me.

Is that always necessary? Can re-soldering alone get the scratchiness/shorting out taken care of?

The current problem is my Stingray. Those jacks seem harder to find.

Typically, resoldering isn't the problem. While the poof-can contact cleaner and sandpaper thing cn help, the real problem is that contacts have lost some springyness. This is common for many jacks, especially cheap ones and the styles often used on the sides of guitars.

If you pull the jack out, you actually can get into the back of the plastic housing with a sharp thin tool to bend the contacts out a bit and get more pressure. Some sanding and spraying at that time can' hurt. But the truth is that once the contacts start to lose spring they will continue to do so so the first few fixes will be OK but after a while you'll just have to solder in a new jack.

And the bad news is that there really isn't any quality substitute that doesn't loose spring in that style jack.

[ThreeBeanSalad]

[Off Topic]

Scratchy Jack was the name of my old beagle...

[/Off Topic]

[SnakeKappele]

If the jack is bent, bend it back (it will break somewhere along the line but you may outlive it!).

If the jack is dirty, use some kind of tuner cleaner (I am now a Deoxit fan).

When your car gets dirty do you sand the dirt off or wash it?

Plus, the cleaners often help keep the contacts clean longer.

[Chrisk-K]

My US P's jack was scratchy. Deoxit instantly solved the problem.

[MMcC]

Originally Posted by SnakeKappele

If the jack is bent, bend it back (it will break somewhere along the line but you may outlive it!).

If the jack is dirty, use some kind of tuner cleaner (I am now a Deoxit fan).

When your car gets dirty do you sand the dirt off or wash it?

Plus, the cleaners often help keep the contacts clean longer.

I've never washed my car.

Thanks for all the replies. I'll see what I can do.