Need a certain output jack.

Hopkins

Hopkins

Commercial User
Nov 17, 2010
13,967
7,031
4,881
43
Houston Tx
Disclosures
Owner/Builder @Hopkins Guitars
#1
I have a customer who has a a Tele style guitar with a Fishman piezo bridge. He has it wired to a TRS jack with the tele pickups wired to the Tip and the Fishman wired to the sleeve. He uses a Y cable to get the pickup signal to his main rig and the bridge to an acoustic preamp. He combines this setup with a looper pedal to great affect.

What he wants me to do is to install the Fishman bridge on another Tele. The problem is the guitar has EMG pickups and the TRS jack is used to switch the battery ground. He would rather not have the guitar drilled for another output jack. So does anyone know of a switching jack that can be used to open the battery circuit, while leaving the Tip and Sleeve for the pickup/piezo signal? Or is there just no way around drilling for another output?
 
#2
Hopkins said:
I have a customer who has a a Tele style guitar with a Fishman piezo bridge. He has it wired to a TRS jack with the tele pickups wired to the Tip and the Fishman wired to the sleeve. He uses a Y cable to get the pickup signal to his main rig and the bridge to an acoustic preamp. He combines this setup with a looper pedal to great affect.

What he wants me to do is to install the Fishman bridge on another Tele. The problem is the guitar has EMG pickups and the TRS jack is used to switch the battery ground. He would rather not have the guitar drilled for another output jack. So does anyone know of a switching jack that can be used to open the battery circuit, while leaving the Tip and Sleeve for the pickup/piezo signal? Or is there just no way around drilling for another output?
Click to expand...

Yes there is such a jack. I don't know who makes them but my Alembic has one. They are sort of black plastic looking cube with a whole bunch of contacts inside it. They are pretty common around various things (but not usually instruments) And the reason is they are really kind of crappy jacks compared to say a standard switchcraft. But the key is that they do have an extra set of contacts for the battery and they work with a little plastic bump that rides on the plug so the power switch is totally isolated from the jack.

Note that this is a standard panel mount jack (like a switchcraft) and won't replace a barrel jack.

Good luck.
 
#3
bassbenj said:
Yes there is such a jack. I don't know who makes them but my Alembic has one. They are sort of black plastic looking cube with a whole bunch of contacts inside it. They are pretty common around various things (but not usually instruments) And the reason is they are really kind of crappy jacks compared to say a standard switchcraft. But the key is that they do have an extra set of contacts for the battery and they work with a little plastic bump that rides on the plug so the power switch is totally isolated from the jack.

Note that this is a standard panel mount jack (like a switchcraft) and won't replace a barrel jack.

Good luck.
Click to expand...

I don't know how much I trust using one of those plastic jacks on a guitar. I am not sure how it will hold up.
 
#4
If you don't want to use those cheap plastic jacks, what you want is a TRS jack with an isolated switching circuit. It will look like a normal open-frame panel-mount TRS jack, but there will be some extra contacts on the side, that get switched by a piece of plastic that the cable pushes on, when it is inserted.

I'll look for one on Mouser, if you can't find the right jack in a catalog.

Btw, I'm assuming that the second signal is output on the ring, not the sleeve?
 
#5
Hopkins said:
I don't know how much I trust using one of those plastic jacks on a guitar. I am not sure how it will hold up.
Click to expand...

I know the feeling! But all I can say is my Alembic has one and it's held up for years in spite of my extreme skepticism! :)

Note, I've been looking for a replacement for it because I use the TRS for phantom power on my basses and this weird jack with the isolated power makes using that system difficult so I was looking at jacks hoping for some kind of solution but found none.
 
#6
line6man said:
If you don't want to use those cheap plastic jacks, what you want is a TRS jack with an isolated switching circuit. It will look like a normal open-frame panel-mount TRS jack, but there will be some extra contacts on the side, that get switched by a piece of plastic that the cable pushes on, when it is inserted.

I'll look for one on Mouser, if you can't find the right jack in a catalog.

Btw, I'm assuming that the second signal is output on the ring, not the sleeve?
Click to expand...


Yes, the ring. I always get those terms mixed up. I've found what you are talking about on a switchcraft jack but only a TS jack. I've had no luck finding one on a TRS jack
 
#7
I've used these...
P0072.jpg

in all sorts of builds over the years and they are fine. In fact I've had one in my main gigging bass for several years.

The other stereo + switch jack that comes to mind is the one in the piezo equiped parker fly guitars. I've replaced a few back when I was doing a lot of tech work. They are a barrel jack, and you'll have to order it as a spare part from Parker I'd think. The early piezo parkers actually had a switch grafted on to the side of an otherwise standard barrel jack...
fly-jack-1997.jpg


and I'm not sure this would fit in a tele's side hole. But, if memory serves, the replacement part is specially made with an extra isolated lug that switches to earth so it is the same size as a regular barrel jack.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ex-tension
#8
RobbieK said:
I've used these...
P0072.jpg

in all sorts of builds over the years and they are fine. In fact I've had one in my main gigging bass for several years.

The other stereo + switch jack that comes to mind is the one in the piezo equiped parker fly guitars. I've replaced a few back when I was doing a lot of tech work. They are a barrel jack, and you'll have to order it as a spare part from Parker I'd think. The early piezo parkers actually had a switch grafted on to the side of an otherwise standard barrel jack...
fly-jack-1997.jpg


and I'm not sure this would fit in a tele's side hole. But, if memory serves, the replacement part is specially made with an extra isolated lug that switches to earth so it is the same size as a regular barrel jack.
Click to expand...

That first jack would probably be fine, if I could find it with the correct switching. All I have found in a TRS jack have "break" connections on the tip, ring, or both. The only jacks I have found with an isolated "make" connection are TS jacks. If someone has a link to the proper jack I would really appreciate it.
 
Last edited:
#9
Hopkins said:
That first jack would probably be fine, if I could find it with the correct switching. All I have found in a TRS jack have "break" connections on the tip, ring, or both. The only jacks I have found with an isolated "make" connection are TS jacks. If someone has a link to the proper jack I would really appreciate it.
Click to expand...

These would help:
Jack - Switchcraft, 1/4", Mono, 2-Conductor, Double Open Circuit
Jack - Stereo, 1/4", PC Mount, for Fender® Amps '88 - '99

Fender Fishman Output Jack (005-6055-000): Guitar Parts Factory - Jacks
 
#10
ex-tension said:
These would help:
Jack - Switchcraft, 1/4", Mono, 2-Conductor, Double Open Circuit
Jack - Stereo, 1/4", PC Mount, for Fender® Amps '88 - '99

Fender Fishman Output Jack (005-6055-000): Guitar Parts Factory - Jacks
Click to expand...

That Fender Fishman Jack looks like it will work, but I cannot find any information as to how it switches. The Switchcraft is only a TS jack not a TRS Jack. I went ahead and ordered the Fender Fishman jack, I will find out Friday if it works

Thanks for the link
 
#13
that black plastic jack I posted has an isolated dpdt switch. I can get these from a couple of local hobby electronics stores for just a few dollars: Altronics and Jaycar. should be easy enough to find them in their catalogue...
 
#14
RobbieK said:
that black plastic jack I posted has an isolated dpdt switch. I can get these from a couple of local hobby electronics stores for just a few dollars: Altronics and Jaycar. should be easy enough to find them in their catalogue...
Click to expand...

I ordered one on Amazon prime for 8 bucks shipped. Considering it looks like what I need, I don't mind the price
 
#15
bassbenj said:
I know the feeling! But all I can say is my Alembic has one and it's held up for years in spite of my extreme skepticism! :)

Note, I've been looking for a replacement for it because I use the TRS for phantom power on my basses and this weird jack with the isolated power makes using that system difficult so I was looking at jacks hoping for some kind of solution but found none.
Click to expand...

Didn't the old Alembics use a standard D5M 5-pin XLR panel socket and D5F plugs?
 
#17
40Hz said:
Didn't the old Alembics use a standard D5M 5-pin XLR panel socket and D5F plugs?
Click to expand...
Yep, they also provide power for the circuit. (connected to an external power supply)
The 1/4 output is battery powered and was usually wired stereo. (TRS with separate bridge/neck pickup outputs)
Iirc think the standard today is mono wiring, I rewired mine to mono for use with a single wireless system.
Batteries (two 9V blocks) do drain extremely fast in these basses though, best to use them with the power supply :)

This is the 1/4 Switchcraft Jack Alembic uses: http://www.alembic.com/support/PF6_quarter-inch-wiring.pdf
 
  • Like
Reactions: 40Hz
#18
FC Bass said:
Yep, they also provide power for the circuit. (connected to an external power supply)
The 1/4 output is battery powered and was usually wired stereo. (TRS with separate bridge/neck pickup outputs)
Iirc think the standard today is mono wiring, I rewired mine to mono for use with a single wireless system.
Batteries (two 9V blocks) do drain extremely fast in these basses though, best to use them with the power supply :)

This is the 1/4 Switchcraft Jack Alembic uses: http://www.alembic.com/support/PF6_quarter-inch-wiring.pdf
Click to expand...

Yes indeed. I remember how they ate batteries such that it was impractical to run an Alembic on them.
 
#20
40Hz said:
Didn't the old Alembics use a standard D5M 5-pin XLR panel socket and D5F plugs?
Click to expand...
Yes, they did. But I didn't want weird plugs and cables. I wanted virtually any bass to run with remote power and no batteries. Yet, I also wanted to
to be able to switch back to batteries in an emergencY! The usual Use of ring as a switch does this since all you do is short the battery clip and then
Feed power in the ring line of a TRS cable works great (except when power circuits are isolated!)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back