Is there an issue with my new cable?

Hattie

Hattie

Mar 5, 2017
48
206
4,551
Paris, France
#1
Hello,
been lurking here for years (I think 2016?) but it's actually my first post, so happy new year everyone.

I just received my new instrument cable and something about it is bothering me.
It has got G&H ends (pics attached) and they don't plug completely all the way into my bass. Mind you, I get a nice 'click!' when I plug it in, and it holds very well, but I can still push it deeper by approx. 0.7-1mm by hand. Is it a problem? Is it common/normal/recommended?
I notice a very small difference in volume when I play & push the jack with my hand, but at that point I'm not entirely sure it's not just my ears.
It doesn't happen with my other cable, a standard rapco with different ends but I can't remember which.

Maybe it's the slightly flatter copper end of the G&H jack?
I think I just need reassurance because I otherwise really dig the cable ...
 

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#4
Hattie said:
Thanks!
Mmm... I might just do that. It's a shame because it's supposed to be a very high end cable.
Click to expand...
Ya that is marketing, the cable market is full of it. Most cables are the same with different heads and prices.

The heads or plugs is what really maters as you found out. They are all made the same size but not the EXACT SAME size and as you learned it does not take much for them to not connect proper resulting in anger.
Switchcraft or Neutrik plugs on any cable will guarantee a fit regardless of price.

Check out Rapco's Road Hog cables, they have a fatter rubber outer cable making them very durable, I step all over them and they are guaranteed for life.
My Rapco's are over fifteen years old used weekly and are still going strong. They use Neutrik plugs.
 
#5
Can you open the control plate in the back and see the phone plug sitting in the out put jack? Seems to me, if it's in there tight, with a solid connection, you should be fine. It's just the shaft is a tiny bit longer than it needs to be to make good contact on your bass.

Or... it's really messed up and you should send it back.

Or, call the manufacturer and ask them if this is normal for their plugs to run a little long.
 
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#6
No, no back control plate I've got a standard Pbass. I could remove the whole pickguard but I don't have the appropriate tools right now.

The connection is definetly pretty solid, and the problem so far does only concern the output of the bass and not the amp's, so it might just be a matter of output jack size. It actually had me watching a couple of videos to understand how exactly these works, and I don't think 1mm or so will eventually be an issue.

I did send a message to the manufacturer, I'll see what I can get from him. I still have a few days before I can't return the cable anymore so I can wait a little bit and make up my mind.

Also I learned something today. Fascinating how it's all just a super thin structure, tiny wires and a little solder. Although I don't know what I expected. Maybe something more sophisticated? Anyway, it made me want to get experimental on the whole thing one of these days.

Thanks both of you for your help!
 
#7
I'd remove a few screws and take a look how it's seating in the output jack if it's fine, positively clicking in it place, there isn't any issues. If both ends go into your amp and seat the way they should, then the problem is with you output jack on the bass.

If it seats well when the jack on your bass is out of the body, then I'd say one of the metal fingers on your bass jack might be hitting the side of the bass, or wiring isn't letting them open up enough. Normally a slight turn is all it takes to free up the fingers if that is the case.

If the output jack is seating the 1/4 plug well, there isn't any issues with it being a touch longer.

Of course you could always put a thin washer under the pickguard, moving the output jack down a little further. You want to make sure the plug still seats right though.
 
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#8
Hello JGbassman,
I re-checked, and indeed the issue only concerns the ends in the output of the bass. I'll follow your instructions as soon as I get access to my screwdrivers. Thanks for your advice!
 
#9
Simpler to exchange it for a different manufacturer. 1/4 inch cable ends are not all the same size. Depending on the source they get their ends from the variances can be wide enough to make for a dodgy contact with some jacks.
 
#11
Do other cables do this with your bass and does this cable have the same issues with other basses or amps?
I'm thinking process of elimination checking against others.

It's one of those things that might make you crazy over the long run and worth getting it sorted before the warranty / return ends.
 
#12
Hello, just a small and final update to the issue:

I checked the output jack and as soon as I took it out I noticed that its position & orientation definetly made it scratch against the wood. There was absolutely no problem with the cable with the jack outside the bass. So I turned the jack to make it sit right in the centre of the cavity, no more issues.
I wonder why the issue appeared with this particular cable. It may be because it's way heavier than all the cheap cables I tested as well, and thus pushed more the jack against the wood.

Anyway, I don't think the issue was very serious (the connection was tight even with the 1mm gap, I was able to confirm that the sound eventually wasn't impacted at all) but I'm still glad I fixed it. I tend to be a bit OCD about these things.

Thanks everyone for your help, especially you @JGbassman :)
 
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