Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I have tried to fix this several times. all wires seem to be in the right place, soldered, but still I get the jack cutting out on me most of the time when the toggle switch is in the down position. I have not recorded with my Ric much because of this. I fix it then the next time I get it out of the case it's shorting out again. A total bummer! Anybody else have this happening to them? What do i do to fix it? Bend the jack prongs in tighter? Help. Frank.

Frank. I would think that replacing the switch is in order here.

This Rick 360/6 in brand new, kept in the case, studio guitar, used maybe 10 times on tracks by myself. Are the switches that cheesy they break and short out with very little use?

You seem to be hinting that RIC puts cheap switches in their guitars, and the answer is that NOTHING on Rickenbacker guitars could be even remotely termed "cheesy". They are a well-crafted, class act all the way.

The switches are made by Switchcraft in the US and are high grade. But somehow a bad one must have gotten through. So replace it and you won't have to worry. Is the guitar still under warranty? Call RIC and get authorization to send it back for repair if you don't want to be bothered with it.

I have a local luthier I can take it to who will fix it, now I know what the problem may be. Seriously, this Ric is a studio guitar and used maybe 10 times by me on tracks in the past 2 years, kept in the case the rest of the time. Thanks.

As Frank himself notes, it's not the switch- it's the jack. Obviously the switching contact of it is bent, most likely from an oddly shaped or sized plug as so many inexpensive Asian ones are.

The guitar works in stereo all the way up to the mono jack; when you plug into it, the switch shunts it to mono. Pop the jack assembly off, rebend the contacts, visually checking the contacts, even using the cord that likely caused this, and you're good to go.