Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Hi All,

Played my second gig with the Ric last night (still loving the sound!), but did experience a minor problem, was happily playing when the volume seemed to drop (fairly significantly) I touched the lead into the jack socket and it made quite a loud pop, then went totally silent (for a nano second but seemed like an eternity) and then popped again and normal service was resumed.

I had noticed that the socket seemed a little sluggish soon after buying it, and also it came back to me that the guy who sold it to me was fairly insistent that I gave him a call 5 minutes before my arrival, I didn't call him until I was outside his house and when he answered the door he did seem a bit red faced and flustered (hope he wasn't up to anything else ) and said he wanted a bit of notice so that he could "get the bass plugged in"? Call me cynical but it got me wondering whether he knew there was a minor fault with it - if he did I'd rather he just told me so I could sort it out - no great shakes....

So to my query, I'm a mechanical engineer by trade and was thinking about sourcing a new socket such as this: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mono-Jack-Soc ... 085wt_1163 and then fitting it - my soldering skills used to be good, although I haven't tried soldering anything for around 12 years or so!? Do you think this is a straightforward enough job? Are there any pitfalls to watch out for? Does it sound feasible that the socket is faulty? Would the part listed be suitable as a direct replacement?

Lastly, I'm confident it's not the lead - new Neutrik Professional Right Angled jacks and Klotz AC110 Cabling - recently purchased (within 3 months) and perfect with all my other basses.

Any help and advice greatly appreciated (as always)!

Cheers, Pete

You seem to know your way around the electronics, it's a straightforward job.
RIC has the schematics you need on their site if you would get in trouble with the wires.
Pay attention though: one socket is mono, the other is a stereo.

http://www.rickenbacker.com/service_g_schematics.asp

I assume you've already checked that the jack tabs are getting a good connection when the cable is plugged in...

And try a spray of contact cleaner before getting a whole new jack. It could just be dirty...

badeggs wrote: And try a spray of contact cleaner before getting a whole new jack. It could just be dirty...

+1

It doesn't take much foreign material or oxidation to blow a sound connection. A bit of very fine emery cloth (sandpaper w/cloth backing) wrapped around a 1/4" jack, inserted, and twisted (pencil or other item with similar OD will suffice) can also restore an oxidized contact.

Cheers guys - I have to say I hadn't considered trying to clean it! Often pays to ask before jumping in feet first!

I'll give that a go and see how I get on.

Peter, pull the screws holding the jack plate in and carefully wiggle it out. Study the mono jack, inserting the cable and removing it, to see how it works and what switches when in each position. Then take needle-nose pliers and bend the contacts so they grip the inserted plug with more tension. I think that will improve things for you.