Can a barrel output jack be replaced with a standard jack?

[arbiterusa]

Am I obligated to use a barrel jack or can I use the standard type? Thanks.

I had the same idea as you. You COULD use a standard type, they work the same.

So I went for it. Here's my story:

I tried drilling the hole out, after pulling the barrel jack, to put in a regular one. Did a VERY significant amount of damage to the side of the bass, took about a half a second. The bit grabbed some of the hard, plasticky sealer undercoat and that was the ballgame. I worked for five years as a luthier and the head finish guy at SCGC, so I'm not an idiot, it's just an incredibly difficult thing to do right.

In addition, I didn't think something through - even if I'd drilled it out successfully, at least on the bass I have there's no flat surface to mount the jackplate.

A few days of wood and resin work, a complete refinish and a new barrel jack and that bass is back in business, but I'm not going to try that again.

It was stupid and utterly avoidable, and I'll simply replace the jack every couple of years.

Get a Switchcraft barrel jack, there may be better ones out there but do not use an imported one.

Oh yeah. Absolutely this. The imports will fail within months under light usage.

 

[Paco Leon]

I've done it a couple of times. Step drill bit and and a round file plus a recessed jack plate and customary Switchcarft recessed jack plate..ova;, square, whatever fits. Just enlarge the 1/2" hole to accommodate the Switchcraft jack and install the outside plate accordingly. measure twice, drill once. Same for outside screws.