Stupid question - stereo jacks

[Giglawyer]

I have been trying to get away from using 9v batteries in builds - save the earth and all that.  Anyway, I have several stereo jacks just sitting in a bin looking sad an lonely.  I have some builds to box up, and I was wondering - why can't I use a stereo jack wired like a mono jack?  I mean, why can't I just wire the tip and the sleeve and ignore the ring.  Wouldn't it act like mono jack then? 

Any thoughts? 

[italianguy63]

No problem doing that.

[italianguy63]

If you have no other use.. put them on the input side, and use the ring/sleeve on the ground side of the battery as a "switch."  It ensures the battery won't drain unless the pedal is jacked into and being used.  (sorry, forgot you are battery free!  Ignore this).  MC

[vigilante397]

No problem doing that.

+1

I've broken off the ring connector in stereo jacks to use them as mono, but they can still be used without doing so. Just don't use the ring connector.

[Mark Hammer]

If you are making pedals for your own personal use, then maybe you might consider using the ring connection as a means of feeding power through your pedals.  That is, if the input and output jacks are stereo, then the third connector can simply carry +9v from one pedal to another, without requiring additional pedals to have power jacks.

[therecordingart]

If you are making pedals for your own personal use, then maybe you might consider using the ring connection as a means of feeding power through your pedals.  That is, if the input and output jacks are stereo, then the third connector can simply carry +9v from one pedal to another, without requiring additional pedals to have power jacks.

This is an awesome idea.

[pappasmurfsharem]

If you are making pedals for your own personal use, then maybe you might consider using the ring connection as a means of feeding power through your pedals.  That is, if the input and output jacks are stereo, then the third connector can simply carry +9v from one pedal to another, without requiring additional pedals to have power jacks.

Downside, Certain pedals would always have to be first and have the initial power jack.

If you plug in anything but a stereo cable. you will short 9v to ground.

any pedals that were first would not be able to have the stereo power on the input as a guitar would short their connections to ground.

Which also results in if you had specific pedals you changed in front of your chain, Dirt then Booster or vice versa. You could not flip flip since the inputs wouldn't have the 9 v connection.

Than if you say did have a mono input and stereo output the next pedal would HAVE to be setup to have stereo power input.

Basically you could never change the order of your first pedal without building a "later in chain version with passthrough power" and a "First in Chain"

[Giglawyer]

If you are making pedals for your own personal use, then maybe you might consider using the ring connection as a means of feeding power through your pedals.  That is, if the input and output jacks are stereo, then the third connector can simply carry +9v from one pedal to another, without requiring additional pedals to have power jacks.

This is an awesome idea.

+1.  I never thought of this.

[Giglawyer]

If you are making pedals for your own personal use, then maybe you might consider using the ring connection as a means of feeding power through your pedals.  That is, if the input and output jacks are stereo, then the third connector can simply carry +9v from one pedal to another, without requiring additional pedals to have power jacks.

Downside, Certain pedals would always have to be first and have the initial power jack.

If you plug in anything but a stereo cable. you will short 9v to ground.

any pedals that were first would not be able to have the stereo power on the input as a guitar would short their connections to ground.

Which also results in if you had specific pedals you changed in front of your chain, Dirt then Booster or vice versa. You could not flip flip since the inputs wouldn't have the 9 v connection.

Than if you say did have a mono input and stereo output the next pedal would HAVE to be setup to have stereo power input.

Basically you could never change the order of your first pedal without building a "later in chain version with passthrough power" and a "First in Chain"

Ahhh...there's always a catch.

[pappasmurfsharem]

If you are making pedals for your own personal use, then maybe you might consider using the ring connection as a means of feeding power through your pedals.  That is, if the input and output jacks are stereo, then the third connector can simply carry +9v from one pedal to another, without requiring additional pedals to have power jacks.

Downside, Certain pedals would always have to be first and have the initial power jack.

If you plug in anything but a stereo cable. you will short 9v to ground.

any pedals that were first would not be able to have the stereo power on the input as a guitar would short their connections to ground.

Which also results in if you had specific pedals you changed in front of your chain, Dirt then Booster or vice versa. You could not flip flip since the inputs wouldn't have the 9 v connection.

Than if you say did have a mono input and stereo output the next pedal would HAVE to be setup to have stereo power input.

Basically you could never change the order of your first pedal without building a "later in chain version with passthrough power" and a "First in Chain"

Ahhh...there's always a catch.

Actually I suppose you could circumvent most of the problems by have a "power pedal" that was always first. had a mono guitar input and powered output. Then you can arrange all you want since that box would be dedicated to provide power.

You'd still have to contend with always using stereo cable. Then you'd have to have another box to stop the output of power so you don't ground the 9V going into the amp.

[wavley]

An old guitar tech once taught me a trick with stereo jacks and guitars, you wire the sleeve and ring together and the tip normally.  No more ground buzzes from wiggling cables or loose nuts and it holds the cable in the guitar better.  I do it to all my guitars now.

[Mark Hammer]

I concur that: a) there is a catch, and b) you don't get something for nothing.

Waaaaaayyyyyyy back in the old days, someone had a little piece in POLYPHONY, maybe around 1982 or 1982, about something he did with his MXR pedals.  I've described it here before, but its been a few years, so I'll describe it again.  Essentially, he removed the output jack from some of them, took the retaining nut off the input jack, slipped the threaded part through the hole where the output jack used to be, and then put the retaining nut on the inside of the first pedal, such that the input jack physically joined pedal 1 & 2.

IF one was to use a series of 1590A, or B, or BB, or whatever, AND you drill the jack holes at the exact same height for all of them, then one could do the same thing as what that fellow did for his MXR (1590B-based) pedals.

Obviously ONE of the pedals has to have somewhere to insert power into the constellation, but it would be solid, compact, and wouldn't need cables.

[Govmnt_Lacky]

...you wire the sleeve and ring together and the tip normally....and it holds the cable in the guitar better.  I do it to all my guitars now.

Huh??

How does this help with the tension on the input jack?

Also, if you really want to prevent loops/hum from loose nuts.... just wire BOTH jacks Sleeves to V- 

[wavley]

...you wire the sleeve and ring together and the tip normally....and it holds the cable in the guitar better.  I do it to all my guitars now.

Huh??

How does this help with the tension on the input jack?

Also, if you really want to prevent loops/hum from loose nuts.... just wire BOTH jacks Sleeves to V- 

I was talking about guitars, there's no V- in a guitar.  I don't know about you, but I've known A LOT of guitar players that have that annoying intermittent buzz from a worn out or loose jack in their guitar, the ring connection adds a spring contact to the sleeve of the cable so it's not just relying on the sleeve for contact.  Plus I've seen quite a few guitars that rely on the ground connection of the jack sleeve to the control plate, the nut goes loose and you start to loose your ground.  Personally, I also really like the solid feel when I plug in because it has two springs pushing on the jack instead of one.

[pappasmurfsharem]

...you wire the sleeve and ring together and the tip normally....and it holds the cable in the guitar better.  I do it to all my guitars now.

Huh??

How does this help with the tension on the input jack?

Also, if you really want to prevent loops/hum from loose nuts.... just wire BOTH jacks Sleeves to V- 

Its not about the tension on the plug.

Its that the sleeve doesn't always get solid contact with the sleeve of the plug, Where as the Ring has more mechanical contact than the sleeve.

At least that's what I think he's saying.

[thelonious]

I've known A LOT of guitar players that have that annoying intermittent buzz

Me too. But most of them have another beer and it's fixed.

...but seriously, that is a good idea. I've heard of doing that in pedals, but not in a guitar before.

[wavley]

...you wire the sleeve and ring together and the tip normally....and it holds the cable in the guitar better.  I do it to all my guitars now.

Huh??

How does this help with the tension on the input jack?

Also, if you really want to prevent loops/hum from loose nuts.... just wire BOTH jacks Sleeves to V-  

Its not about the tension on the plug.

Its that the sleeve doesn't always get solid contact with the sleeve of the plug, Where as the Ring has more mechanical contact than the sleeve.

At least that's what I think he's saying.

Yep, that's what I'm saying.  I'm just very bad at communicating my thoughts sometimes.

I've known A LOT of guitar players that have that annoying intermittent buzz

Me too. But most of them have another beer and it's fixed.

...but seriously, that is a good idea. I've heard of doing that in pedals, but not in a guitar before.

Another beer usually fixes most annoying sound problems (to the drinker of the beer anyway)

[vigilante397]

I concur that: a) there is a catch, and b) you don't get something for nothing.

Waaaaaayyyyyyy back in the old days, someone had a little piece in POLYPHONY, maybe around 1982 or 1982, about something he did with his MXR pedals.  I've described it here before, but its been a few years, so I'll describe it again.  Essentially, he removed the output jack from some of them, took the retaining nut off the input jack, slipped the threaded part through the hole where the output jack used to be, and then put the retaining nut on the inside of the first pedal, such that the input jack physically joined pedal 1 & 2.

IF one was to use a series of 1590A, or B, or BB, or whatever, AND you drill the jack holes at the exact same height for all of them, then one could do the same thing as what that fellow did for his MXR (1590B-based) pedals.

Obviously ONE of the pedals has to have somewhere to insert power into the constellation, but it would be solid, compact, and wouldn't need cables.

I thought about this, but decided against it largely based on the fact that I change my pedals out a lot to tweak my sound, or sometimes I just want to grab one pedal to take to practice rather than my whole board.

Though I also thought about getting all the effects I really needed (basically overdrive, delay, boost, reverb) and putting them in one big enclosure (like a 1032L), effectively making an analog multi-fx pedal. Decided against it for the same reasons listed above.

[GGBB]

...you wire the sleeve and ring together and the tip normally....and it holds the cable in the guitar better.  I do it to all my guitars now.

Huh??

How does this help with the tension on the input jack?

Also, if you really want to prevent loops/hum from loose nuts.... just wire BOTH jacks Sleeves to V- 

Its not about the tension on the plug.

Its that the sleeve doesn't always get solid contact with the sleeve of the plug, Where as the Ring has more mechanical contact than the sleeve.

At least that's what I think he's saying.

Its not about the tension on the plug.

Its that when you have BOTH sleeves connected to V-, the V- for the one jack (typically output) does not rely on both jacks properly contacting the enclosure.  So loose nuts can't lift it.  It also provides redundancy should one of the sleeve to V- wires detach.  No hum from loose nuts ever.

At least that's what I think he's saying.

[davent]

I concur that: a) there is a catch, and b) you don't get something for nothing.

Waaaaaayyyyyyy back in the old days, someone had a little piece in POLYPHONY, maybe around 1982 or 1982, about something he did with his MXR pedals.  I've described it here before, but its been a few years, so I'll describe it again.  Essentially, he removed the output jack from some of them, took the retaining nut off the input jack, slipped the threaded part through the hole where the output jack used to be, and then put the retaining nut on the inside of the first pedal, such that the input jack physically joined pedal 1 & 2.

IF one was to use a series of 1590A, or B, or BB, or whatever, AND you drill the jack holes at the exact same height for all of them, then one could do the same thing that fellow did for his MXR (1590B-based) pedals.

Obviously ONE of the pedals has to have somewhere to insert power into the constellation, but it would be solid, compact, and wouldn't need cables.

I'm having trouble picturing this... with the non-parallel sides of the Hammonds you'd end up with a circle/hoop of side by side pedals, what am i missing here?
dave