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Post subject: 1/4" plug broke off inside amp input jack
Posted: Sun Mar 20, 2011 7:13 pm
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Hi amp gurus. My 13-yr old got her first guitar this Christmas, the Squier strat beginner package with the little Frontman amp etc. The amp got knocked over face first while the guitar was plugged in (damn dog) and the male end of the cord broke off inside the amp input jack. We got it all out, except the tiny little tip of the 1/4" plug is still inside the jack and it is stuck there. Any tips on how to get it out? I've been at it with unbent paper clips and tweezers for half an hour and I'm ready to throw in the towel. Any advice is appreciated. --Frustrated Dad


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Post subject: Re: 1/4" plug broke off inside amp input jack
Posted: Sun Mar 20, 2011 11:58 pm
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Hmmm.
I think you should just take it to get serviced.
Poking around in there is a hazard and you may end up doing more damage, which will cost more to fix.

I know how much you want to get it out so your daughter can keep on playing but you have to hand it over to the pros for situations like this.

I'm curious though, cause I've never seen the tip break off of a 1/4 inch plug. What method did you use to get the other part of it out?


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Post subject: Re: 1/4" plug broke off inside amp input jack
Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2011 5:44 am
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It sheered off a 1/4" jack plug? Must have been quite an impact..

If it was mine I'd be tempted to access the circut board where the input is located and see if you can push it out from the back. But beware - amp circuit boards (especially valve ones) can give you a potentially lethal jolt of electricity if you're not careful.. :shock:

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Post subject: Re: 1/4" plug broke off inside amp input jack
Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2011 8:21 am
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re: I'm curious though, cause I've never seen the tip break off of a 1/4 inch plug. What method did you use to get the other part of it out?

I've become an unintentional expert on the construction of the 1/4" plug :-) In this cable (the flimsy budget cable that came with the guitar pack; not a heavy duty cable) there's a rigid steel post about the diameter of 2 paper clips inside the chrome shaft of the plug. One end of this post is soldered to the braided wire of the cord. The other end is bonded inside the tip of the plug. According to my daughter (I did not see the actual trauma take place), when the amp was knocked down, the plug remained attached but was severely bent. She pulled it and the cord, chrome shaft, and steel post came out, but there was no tip attached. You know that thin black plastic band you can see just above the tip on any cord? We could see that black plastic ring inside the input jack. We got a grip on it with tweezers, pulled really hard, and the plastic ring finally popped off and came out, but the tip remains inside.

I have one more desperate attempt to make tonight. Someone in the general forum suggested trying a magnet. If that doesn't work, it's off to the repair shop we go.

I'm appreciative of all you guitar guys taking the time to address this problem. I'm a drummer, and generally accustomed to being ridiculed by guitar players. You folks have been most polite :-)


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Post subject: Re: 1/4" plug broke off inside amp input jack
Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2011 11:30 am
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This is clearly an indication that your daughter needs to upgrade to a much more substantial amp, perhaps even a tube amp. Think about how long it took the Who and Nirvana to reach a point where instruments and amps were getting trashed! :D

In all seriousness, take it to a professional, but don't be surprised if the repair cost is higher than the cost of the amp.

Best of luck!


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Post subject: Re: 1/4" plug broke off inside amp input jack
Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2011 2:06 pm
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Mooman1964 wrote:
I'm a drummer, and generally accustomed to being ridiculed by guitar players.


I like drummers...




... they always deliver the pizza in 30 mins or less.

:lol: Just kidding!

Welcome to the forum.

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Post subject: Re: 1/4" plug broke off inside amp input jack
Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2011 2:15 pm
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Mooman1964 wrote:

I'm appreciative of all you guitar guys taking the time to address this problem. I'm a drummer, and generally accustomed to being ridiculed by guitar players. You folks have been most polite :-)


That's because we didn't know you were a drummer.. :wink:

Why is a drum machine better than a real drummer?

With a machine you only have to punch the tempo in once..

Sorry.. I'm sure you've heard them all.. With guitarists, it's normally jokes about girlfriends (or the lack of them..)

Take the amp apart - it's solid state and won't kill you if its unplugged from the mains. It really is a 5 second job once you've got at the input jack socket..

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Last edited by adey on Mon Mar 21, 2011 2:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Post subject: Re: 1/4" plug broke off inside amp input jack
Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2011 2:32 pm
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adey wrote:
Mooman1964 wrote:
Take the amp apart - it's solid state and won't kill you if its unplugged from the mains. It really is a 5 second job once you've got at the input jack socket..


Re-thinking all the facts, I agree with Moonman. I'm so use to working on tube amps that I've become accustom to thinking that everything is dangerous.
But yes, with solid state amps, the risk is much lower, BUT you must try to keep from touching anything you don't have to. The risk may be lower, but I imagine it's still very present.

So yeah, take it apart and try to get it out yourself, because getting it serviced is for sure gonna cost more than the amp is worth.

If you can't get it out, or don't want to take any risks, then just go out and buy your daughter a new amp. A BETTER AMP!!

Happy Playing! FOR THE BOTH OF YOU!


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Post subject: Re: 1/4" plug broke off inside amp input jack
Posted: Tue Mar 22, 2011 5:11 am
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Thanks again for all the responses. Especially the pizza delivery joke! I've heard (and been the butt of) a lot f drummer jokes, but that one was new for me. Of course, I'm sure you know what they call a drummer with half a brain... Gifted!

Anyway, I'm sad to report the amp goes to the shop tonight. That tip is plain stuck. It won't shake out, a magnet won't move it, paper clips and tweezers and skinny needle nose pliers won't get at it. It's a real puzzle. The easy path, I thought, would be from the back, and that would've worked back in my day when the female input jack was just a spring clip, but on this amp the input jack is a sealed plastic component, surface-soldered onto a circuit card. No way to open it from behind. So, I give up.

Thanks for the hints and thoughts. I posted my problem here and also in the general Fender lounge forum and the responses have been thoughtful and entertaining. As a drummer trolling around on a guitarist forum, let me say Thank You! You Fender folks are alright!


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Post subject: Re: 1/4" plug broke off inside amp input jack
Posted: Tue Mar 22, 2011 5:32 am
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Hey man,I like drummers,they're usually the only ones in a band with enough muscles to haul the PA gear around. :D not like us skinny guitar players.
Good luck with the amp!


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Post subject: Re: 1/4" plug broke off inside amp input jack
Posted: Tue Mar 22, 2011 6:04 am
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Well, you gave it a try - so fair play..

Those sealed input jack sockets are a nightmare. Hope the young lady is up and running again soon.

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Post subject: Re: 1/4" plug broke off inside amp input jack
Posted: Tue Mar 22, 2011 5:22 pm
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Get her a mustang 1 she will like it. :D plug is at the top too!! :lol:

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Post subject: Re: 1/4" plug broke off inside amp input jack
Posted: Sun Mar 27, 2011 5:58 pm
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Problem is solved, daughter is rockin' again, and I didn't buy her a Marshall or big tube Fender, although she liked those suggestions. The solution was going at it from the back, as was suggested, but it was no job for an amateur. A good friend is an electronics guru. [Aside: he's the dude that actually builds Harpejjis, in his lab/shop. If you haven't seen the Harpejji, check it out: www.marcodi.com.] Took the amp to him, he spent 5 minutes poking around and finally said, "Dang, that thing is STUCK." So, he wound up removing the back of the amp, removing the handle, and pulling out the entire guts. Still no way to get to the jack. He de-soldered the jack component, removed it from the board, and lo and behold, you can remove the component cover from the underside. Took off that little plastic cover and the tip fell out. Soldered the jack assembly back to the board, slid the guts back into place, replaced a dozen screws and and all those faceplate nuts, and we're back in business. Total cost: 1 six pack Guinness stout (which I forgot to bring and still owe him). Knowing a guy with a top notch electronics shop at his house: priceless. Thanks John!!!!


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Post subject: Re: 1/4" plug broke off inside amp input jack
Posted: Sun Mar 27, 2011 9:08 pm
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Mooman1964 wrote:
Problem is solved, daughter is rockin' again, and I didn't buy her a Marshall or big tube Fender, although she liked those suggestions. The solution was going at it from the back, as was suggested, but it was no job for an amateur. A good friend is an electronics guru. [Aside: he's the dude that actually builds Harpejjis, in his lab/shop. If you haven't seen the Harpejji, check it out: http://www.marcodi.com.] Took the amp to him, he spent 5 minutes poking around and finally said, "Dang, that thing is STUCK." So, he wound up removing the back of the amp, removing the handle, and pulling out the entire guts. Still no way to get to the jack. He de-soldered the jack component, removed it from the board, and lo and behold, you can remove the component cover from the underside. Took off that little plastic cover and the tip fell out. Soldered the jack assembly back to the board, slid the guts back into place, replaced a dozen screws and and all those faceplate nuts, and we're back in business. Total cost: 1 six pack Guinness stout (which I forgot to bring and still owe him). Knowing a guy with a top notch electronics shop at his house: priceless. Thanks John!!!!



The only suggestion that I can add to this is: Get her a quality cable to plug the guitar in with. The cable that comes with those package deals is junk. But, I'm sure you already thought about that.

Art


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Post subject: Re: 1/4" plug broke off inside amp input jack
Posted: Sun Mar 27, 2011 10:51 pm
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Mooman1964 wrote:
Knowing a guy with a top notch electronics shop at his house: priceless.


+1!

:lol:

Arjay

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