Major Tom seeks ground control New Rick jack issue

[majortom58]

I know that Ricks can have bugs--I really played it today for the first time. The standard jack works fine using both pickups, or using bridge alone. Using the neck pickup with fully seated cable, no sound. I pulled it out about 1/8 of an inch, so it's not secure--and neck pickup works. So--I'm figuring the jack is not seated deep enough to use a standard cable. Used several cables, same thing. Now, I'm not sending it back, so I want to intelligently explain the issue, and find a local Rick technician to do warranty work. Ideas, suggestions, experience???

The sound itself is great, and I would not expect to be using the neck pickup alone often--but.

Would a rational work-around be to use the stereo jack, and just dead end one signal of the Y, since you wouldn't be using 2 pickups?

Thanks, Major Tom [yeah, it's true]

[johnhall]

The jack contacts are bent, most likely from an oddly shaped or oversized plug made in Asia.

The bass is always working in stereo; when you insert the plug into the standard jack, it engages a small switch that shunts it to mono.

It's easy to fix. Just pull the jack assembly out of the guitar, insert a cord and observe how the contacts move. You'll see where it's not making contact and a little bend with needlenose pliers will put the contact back where it belongs.

[majortom58]

The jack contacts are bent, most likely from an oddly shaped or oversized plug made in Asia.

The bass is always working in stereo; when you insert the plug into the standard jack, it engages a small switch that shunts it to mono.

It's easy to fix. Just pull the jack assembly out of the guitar, insert a cord and observe how the contacts move. You'll see where it's not making contact and a little bend with needlenose pliers will put the contact back where it belongs.

Yikes! I think this sounds logical, and I hate to do it. There's something in me that doesn't mind tinkering with a $300 Indonesian Tele that squirms at doing this on a Rick. It was a Monster cable and another that was "no-name." I thought Monster Cables were good. I'll get the best cable I can in the future. Suggestions, anyone??

[johnhall]

The Monster cables are just fine; that's what I use. I'd take a look at that no name cable as the possible culprit.

[1965]

Monster is ok, but have always seemed overpriced to me. Check out their home theatre stuff and you can easily be spending $1000 on cables. Try Planet Waves.

[johnhall]

Monster is ok, but have always seemed overpriced to me.

Hmm. Looking at Musicians Fiend right now . . .

Monster Cable basic straight cable 12Ft . . . $19.99

Planet Waves basic straight cable 10Ft . . . $24.99

At least until recently, Monster replaced cables no questions asked; in other words, the last cable you'll ever buy.

[majortom58]

The jack contacts are bent, most likely from an oddly shaped or oversized plug made in Asia.

The bass is always working in stereo; when you insert the plug into the standard jack, it engages a small switch that shunts it to mono.

It's easy to fix. Just pull the jack assembly out of the guitar, insert a cord and observe how the contacts move. You'll see where it's not making contact and a little bend with needlenose pliers will put the contact back where it belongs.

It was ...The Soap...

I mean the cable

Actually, John, you were right. I got a Mogami Gold cable, and a short Planet Waves top of the line one--which my bass instructor uses, and he knows something. Both slide tightly but without problem, and both make a very authoritative "click" when fully engaged. After that, no need for surgery on the Rick. Neck pickup works fine alone.

I find using a tuner picking up the airwaves near the strings works more surely than one plugged into the jack. Seems to get fewer "garbage" responses. But, what do I know?

[majortom58]

A complete and through examination of this cable issue led me to discover that part of the problem was with the cables, and part with the way I was using a new amp which had two imputs, and nothing wrong with the Rick. The no-name and Monster cables will work, if carefully inserted into the correct input of the tube amp _and_ the Rick. That being said, the Monster cable is ok, the no-name is full of all kind of fuzz and crackle, and the Mogami is noticeably the best, with the Planet Waves close. But it must have something to do with the kind of signal coming from the pickups--a much stronger one than my Standard American Tele. I'm sure you audio/physics gurus can explain it better, [and you are welcome to] but those High Gains must be awesome. The clean cable is really worth it, even to my relatively tin ears. This is the best comparison I can give: Pete Kennedy, a real guitar hero, [and great instructor] was given a sterling silver pick by a friend, and used it it while playing "8 Miles High" at the Iron Horse in Northampton, MA, about a year and a half ago. He started playing harmonics on the 1st course [High E]. The pings coming out of the strings surprised even him, visibly. My wife and I noticed, and commented about it to him after. He said, "You noticed that, too?" We indicated that we couldn't miss it--it was that stark, and my wife doesn't play any instrument.
That's what it was like between the Mogami and the no-name--and I could hear no real difference between the Mogami and no-name on same settings, same tube amp, playing a very nice American Standard Tele, and none at all between the Monster, Mogami, and Planet Waves. Subjective, but that's how I heard it.