I got fed up with DIY jacks

[WhenBoredomPeaks]

I feel like the weakest link in my builds is the input/output jack.
In most of my builds the female screw/nut gets loose after a while.
They lack the smooth feel of plugging into a commercial build.
Sometimes i try more expensive Alpha jacks but they are too strong and you feel like destroying the box while plugging out. And they still miss the feel of the pros.
I have a few jacks who are too tight (the hole is actually thinner than the standard) for my patch cables in my DIY modular synth build, i can't plug out of them without almost ripping off the panel.
I generally use the cheapest jacks, they look like this:



I am pretty sure that a lot of you guys were been through this, have any of you found good DIY jacks?

[lonewolf]

switchcraft is probably the best but costs more $$$ .. a locking washer on the inside will help keeping it from working loose

[LucifersTrip]

+1 for Switchcraft. 

Why skimp on the part that actually makes connection with the instrument and is unplugged/plugged a ton of times

A good indication of a crap jack is the cheap flanging on the back. There shouldn't be any splits or cracks

[deadastronaut]

+1 ^   

i had some cheap jacks  and the sleeve would shred through when tightening...

i use nuetriks only now,  but yeah they are tight, but i like that, i can see how that would be a pain on panels though..

use rca's...

[Ark Angel HFB]

as far as the feel of jacks go... you guys do know that you can take a pair of pliers and very genitally bend the tip arm how every you want to get the plug to have the feel you want.

And a washer on the outside nut goes a long way to letting you tighten the nut enough to keep it tight for a very long time.

[deadastronaut]

indeed.

[haveyouseenhim]

as far as the feel of jacks go... you guys do know that you can take a pair of pliers and very genitally bend the tip arm how every you want to get the plug to have the feel you want.

And a washer on the outside nut goes a long way to letting you tighten the nut enough to keep it tight for a very long time.

Also if you are out of stereo jacks you can take a mono switching jack and bend the little switching tab to make a ring connection.

[Mark Hammer]

I bought a used rack patch bay for twenty bucks.  It had 96 plastic jacks similar to these: http://www.alliedelec.com/search/productdetail.aspx?sku=70088589

Given how many studios have migrated to the digital domain, vast patch bays are diminishing in number, bringing a lot of similar units up for 2nd hand sale.  The jacks are usually mounted 4 to a card: two for the front and two for the back.  You DO have a bit of solder sucking ahead of you, but it's a decent price for a decent jack.

[Govmnt_Lacky]

...you can take a pair of pliers and very genitally bend the tip...

Confucius say:

"Never use plier to bend genitally!"   

[DougH]

You sound like you were using the same jacks they sell at my local surplus place. I tried those on a few things and had to replace every one due to the threads stripping. I have not had one problem with Switchcraft jacks- none, nada, zip. I have been using those for 14 years without one iota of a problem. I would suggest giving them a try.

[garcho]

+1 @ Switchcraft and Neutrik - mo' money mo' better   

Have you looked inside some "commercial" pedals with jacks you like?

[audiolife]

I agree totally! The radio shack ones will literally disintegrate when soldering the connections on to them.

[timd]

The Radio Shack ones are pretty bad and don't seem to hold solder well. I've had many cold solder joint issues with those. Now I use the Tayda jacks that look similar to the RS ones:

http://www.taydaelectronics.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/220x/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/A/-/A-4556_2.jpg

They hold solder well and you can bend the tip up or down with your thumb to get the desired resistance so you don't have any issues with patch cables.

[davent]

The cheapest jack = the most expensive jack after you've spent the time replacing it with the quality one you should have used first plus spending the time trying to figure out what's up with the pedal... that's if it made it past  tightening the jack down in the enclosure and not spinning 'round endlessly.

That being said I buy Neutriks here (Canada) for <60¢ each for monos and <70¢ for stereos, never had an issue with them. Also never had problems with any of the various Neutrik/Rean plastic enclosed jacks. And of course Switchcrafts are on this list.

http://www.e-sonic.com/acc/products.aspx?partID=NYS229&partIDExt=319&command=detail
http://www.e-sonic.com/acc/products.aspx?partID=NYS230&partIDExt=319&command=detail

dave

[Paul Marossy]

That being said I buy Neutriks here (Canada) for <60¢ each for monos and <70¢ for stereos, never had an issue with them. Also never had problems with any of the various Neutrik/Rean plastic enclosed jacks.

I also like the Neutrik jacks. Never had a problem with them. They are cheaper than the Switchcraft jacks and IMO just about as good.

[pinkjimiphoton]

as far as the feel of jacks go... you guys do know that you can take a pair of pliers and very genitally bend the tip arm how every you want to get the plug to have the feel you want.

And a washer on the outside nut goes a long way to letting you tighten the nut enough to keep it tight for a very long time.

Also if you are out of stereo jacks you can take a mono switching jack and bend the little switching tab to make a ring connection.

i do it all the time.

i use them cheap-ass tayda plastic ones, too, like .46c a piece, and wire the second conductor as a switch. them things actually seem to work REALLY well, best "cheap" jacks i've used.

[ashcat_lt]

I bought a used rack patch bay for twenty bucks.  It had 96 plastic jacks similar to these: http://www.alliedelec.com/search/productdetail.aspx?sku=70088589

Given how many studios have migrated to the digital domain, vast patch bays are diminishing in number, bringing a lot of similar units up for 2nd hand sale.  The jacks are usually mounted 4 to a card: two for the front and two for the back.  You DO have a bit of solder sucking ahead of you, but it's a decent price for a decent jack.

I did exactly this.  Big problem I had was that - with the one I had at least - there is only one nut for every four jacks.  Mouser sells the nuts for almost nothing, though.

[Jdansti]

...you can take a pair of pliers and very genitally bend the tip...

Confucius say:

"Never use plier to bend genitally!"   

Wish I'd told my urologist about that. 

[deadastronaut]

moral of the story is

buy cheap, pay twice..


@mike :  can you still walk? ...

[haveyouseenhim]

@mike :  can you still walk? ...

Huh?