Switchcraft Jacks - Open vs Enclosed?

[Steve Mavronis]

Any pros and cons to either style jack? I have both and wondering which would be best overall in the Hammond 1590B enclosure I'm using. I know there is more room with the open type and easier to clean but guitar cable plugs fits a lot tighter and harder to pull out but maybe that's a good thing. The plastic enclosed style has way thinner metal contact and lugs so i was wondering how they'd hold up.

[GibsonGM]

My opinion...the harder it goes in, the better the contact and less loosening up over time.
BUT, the insulated type are better at avoiding ground loops - lets you ground where you want rather than be forced to ground via the jacks (ground loops).

Overall, tho, I've always used open, metal type with no issue. 

[Steve Mavronis]

Well my problem at the moment with the enclosed mono and stereo switchcraft jacks is identifying the correct lugs to solder the wires too.

Mono: and Stereo:

I'm going off this fine guide but the illustrations show open style jacks:

http://gaussmarkov.net/wordpress/thoughts/wiring-up-a-1590b/

[MikeH]

Plug a patch cable in and use your continuity checker/Ohm meter to match them up.

[Processaurus]

The open ones have a better feel, the plastic enclosed ones are a little wimpier feeling.  But you can get stuff in the box closer to them, and also not have to worry about shorts from things touching the contacts.

Another pro of the open jacks is they are harder to damage by stepping on the plugs, and can easily be bent back into shape if anything happens.

[slotbot]

Plug a patch cable in and use your continuity checker/Ohm meter to match them up.

^^this is the fool proof way

but im also 99.99%  positive for the both the mono and stereo jack the lug that is in the "corner" on an 45 degree angle is the sleeve. (the lower left lug in the mono picture).

Now look at the mono jack... the non sleeve one is tip. (ok i know thats obvious). now the lug in that position on the stereo is also the tip. and the last one is ring.

So in your picture for stereo, sleeve is teh upper left, ring is the right and tip is the bottom lug.

[Paul Marossy]

I like the Switchcraft open types. They are more heavy duty, they hold the cables more firmly and they cost 1/2 as much as the Switchcraft enclosed types.

[G. Hoffman]

I've opened up 40 and 50 year old Strats and Teles with the original Switchcraft #11 jacks (the open ones) that are still 100% functional, even after having been used pretty much every day for that 40 to 50 years.  Sure, you might need to bend the contact back into place, but it will work once you do, and you won't break the contact doing so.  I've opened up guitars with 6 month old enclosed jacks from Switchcraft that were already wreaked. 

I don't think there is any question, if you can use an open Switchcraft jack (#11, #12A, etc.), you should.


Gabriel

[philbinator1]

    Just a thought, if you're worried about shorts, why not put heat-shrink over the metal tags.  You could even cover the
contact legs too, leaving the 'inside' part of the legs free to make contact with the guitar lead. 

But yeah I have trouble with the enclosed ones too..only use the salvaged ones I have in an emergency 

[Speeddemon]

I personally like the smoother feel of the closed Switchcraft ones better. I even bend my open ones a bit, so that they relieve the jack a bit easier, without being too loose, to mimmick the closed ones' feel.

If you look at the back of the closed ones, there are small letters, T, R and S near the lug that represents Tip, Ring or Sleeve.

[The Tone God]

I prefer enclosed. I have seen failures with the open versions. The riveted bushing sometimes moves or breaks causing a bad connection and sometimes the whole jack falls apart. Also sometimes the insulating wafers break making shorts or the jack falling apart. Either happens through over tightening, over soldering, or a impact through an inserted plug.

I haven't seen a failure with the enclosed jacks.

Andrew

[Paul Marossy]

I prefer enclosed. I have seen failures with the open versions. The riveted bushing sometimes moves or breaks causing a bad connection and sometimes the whole jack falls apart. Also sometimes the insulating wafers break making shorts or the jack falling apart. Either happens through over tightening, over soldering, or a impact through an inserted plug.

I haven't seen a failure with the enclosed jacks.

Andrew

Geez, you'd have to be a real brute to screw up one of those Switchcraft open jacks. I can't see ever doing it. 

[The Tone God]

Geez, you'd have to be a real brute to screw up one of those Switchcraft open jacks. I can't see ever doing it. 

Switchcraft seems to have gone through some manufacturing changes through out the years. At one point they were using these thin and weak plastic wafers for the insulation. Just one good whack and the jack would be in bits. The older ones with the fibre material have been the best in open frames and stood the test of time. Just look at all those old guitars and amps that have them.

Also at one point the crimp joint they used to connect the bushing to the assembly was split into strips, probably to make it easier for the machine to press fit the part, where the older/better ones were a continuous metal ring. The strips were weak and even the slightest tightening beyond a point would cause the strip(s) to loosen and the jack would be useless because the parts weren't being held together tightly. The continuous ring style would support its own structure under force since it was joined together as one piece.

I haven't used an open frames for awhile so they may have changed back. I'm sure their failure rate was high and may have been forced to make changes. My advice would not be avoid them at all costs but just be on the look out for low quality feeling pieces.

I haven't seen any problems with the closed frame. AFAIK then have always used the ring crimp and being that there are no insulating wafers because the contacts are on the body I haven't seen a failed contact yet. Even the old ones have held up over time without any probs.

Getting back to their use open frames are wider in diameter but with the exception of the main tip contact the body tapers to a small diameter making the space availible for wire runs and the like. The open frames are also not as long. The closed frames are smaller diameter but they take up more space and the bodies don't taper as the body holds the contacts so you can't use the space. This can be an issue in small case layouts like 1590Bs with the jacks on the side ala. ZVEX style.

Closed frame are more friendly to circuit board mounting because all the contacts come out the same point. They come with more options including internal switches that are independent of the contacts.

Andrew

[MikeH]

I haven't seen a failure with the enclosed jacks.

I'm the opposite- I've never had a problem with an open switchcraft jack (well, never with one that was less than 40 years old), but I've had to replace the open kind on more than one occasion.  Sometimes they just get loose/worn out and the contacts become dodgy.

[head_spaz]

I prefer the plastic enclosed "cliff" type jacks myself.
My reasoning is that the open style "switchcraft" connectors use a sleeve for the ground conductor. Obviously, the hole in this sleeve must be slightly larger in diameter than the plug, or the plug wouldn't fit inside the jack. This results in "clearance" between the hole and the plug, which allows the plug to rattle around inside the hole, making the connection somewhat intermittent... which causes a crackling sound when the cables are disturbed.
I understand that the other contacts work to press the plug against the wall of the sleeve... but it seems to work better in theory than it does in actual practise.

The cliff style jacks have a dedicated contact that is spring loaded and mates with the plug at all times. No crackling.
Another advantage is that you don't have to buy fiber insulating washers if you need to isolate the jack from the chassis.

YMMV

The best connection is no connector.

[G. Hoffman]

I think a distinction needs to be made between a Switchcraft #11 open jack (which has been made exactly the same since the 1950's at least, and I seriously doubt anyone has ever seen one which has been seriously damaged) and the cheap Asian knock offs that I tell my customers to replace on sight, as they are such cheap junk.  THOSE I've seen damaged in every imaginable way.  A #11, or a #12A or B, etc - never.  A #11 is a 50+ year part.  The cheap knock offs are a ≤50 day part.


Gabriel

[Steve Mavronis]

These are the parts I bought just to be clear too -

Small Bear:
Jack, 1/4 in. Mono Switchcraft #11
Jack, 1/4 in. Stereo Switchcraft #12B

Pedal Parts Plus:
6008 Switchcraft 1/4 in. Mono Enclosed Jack
6009 Switchcraft 1/4 in. Stereo Enclosed Jack

[The Tone God]

I'm the opposite- I've never had a problem with an open switchcraft jack (well, never with one that was less than 40 years old), but I've had to replace the open kind on more than one occasion.  Sometimes they just get loose/worn out and the contacts become dodgy.

Really ? Interesting. Are these Switchcraft models ? I have had to replace other closed but none of the Switchcraft ones. I find the Switchcraft ones I can clean and re-tighten the contacts if needed.

I prefer the plastic enclosed "cliff" type jacks myself.

By "cliff" I am presuming you are talking about Neturik/Rean style jacks. These are actually one of my least favoured jacks. I really dislike them on many levels. I could write pages on why I dislike them. I had a container full of these failed jacks. And funny you bring that up as I am just getting ready to replace one of these jacks in an amp after I make this post. Guess what I am putting in instead ?

I think a distinction needs to be made between a Switchcraft #11 open jack (which has been made exactly the same since the 1950's at least, and I seriously doubt anyone has ever seen one which has been seriously damaged) and the cheap Asian knock offs that I tell my customers to replace on sight, as they are such cheap junk.  THOSE I've seen damaged in every imaginable way.  A #11, or a #12A or B, etc - never.  A #11 is a 50+ year part.  The cheap knock offs are a ≤50 day part.

The bad open frames I had were actually stamped Switchcraft but this was also in a short period of time and haven't seen any failed opens since that time frame. I do have a theory that Switchcraft tried to make jacks cheaper overseas but the product was such crap that they stopped and went to something else but the overseas manufacture continued making jacks without the Switchcraft stamp. Similar to the 3PDT fiasco. I think I may stick a few open frames on my next order to investigate.

I agree, the asian knock offs are junk. Like I said beware of cheap "feeling" parts. Sometimes thats hard to do when ordering online.

Andrew

[CynicalMan]

How do you guys feel about the neutrik open jacks? I've used them for a couple of builds and I've found them reliable, although tight, but I'm getting ready for a parts order and I'd like to know if there is a large advantage to Switchcrafts.

[Paul Marossy]

How do you guys feel about the neutrik open jacks? I've used them for a couple of builds and I've found them reliable, although tight, but I'm getting ready for a parts order and I'd like to know if there is a large advantage to Switchcrafts.

I've also used Neutrik jacks. They work just as well as Switchcraft and seem to be about the same quality.