DefJef
THBC Moderator
Due to musical differences I've decided I can't work with myself any more.
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Post by DefJef on Nov 28, 2019 11:07:05 GMT
Anyone else have this issue? I recently noticed two very different tip shapes on my jacks. The one on the right is a guitar cable but it will fit and work in anything with a jack socket. The one on the left is a patch cable. It will work in a guitar socket but will only work in some effects pedals. It's got to be said that the effects pedals that it doesn't like tend to be the newer cheaper brands - Kokko, Mosky etc, although I have no trouble with them in Joyo/Harley Benton effects. It's never been a problem on any older pedals. So maybe this is a sign of dodgy jack sockets rather than dodgy jack plugs. But the question has to remain: why make it a different shape? What were they trying to solve by reinventing the wheel? Or do they work really well in something that the ones on the right fail to do? I can only make the one on the left work by partly pulling the jack out of the socket or putting a 2mm collar of heat shrink tubing around the bottom of the metal part so that it won't insert so far. One of them even managed to grab the internal clip and bend it as I pulled the jack out. More repairs. So annoying. I guess I might be able to screw a slightly overlong nut onto the effects pedals's socket to achieve a similar compensation. It's like the sockets are too deep for the plugs.
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3,457 posts
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Post by LeoThunder on Nov 28, 2019 11:20:52 GMT
All the jacks I have, from my first ever guitar cable from 1981 (yes, it still works) to the one I bought from Thomann two years ago and including those of my VOX Amplugs or the various stereo jacks coming with my headphones are of the short kind on the right of the picture.
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Post by blindwilly3fingers on Nov 28, 2019 12:29:01 GMT
I've just checked all my cables, all the guitar cables are the same as the one on the right. I have a dozen stagg patch cables black they are the same, I have half a dozen multi coloured patch cables cheap from China and again they are the same as are the decent quality sonicake ones that came with the pedals. I also have the staggered/offset gold coloured connectors and they are the same. My coloured ones don't have the pimples like the green one you posted a pic of. Every guitar cable, patch cable and connector so far has worked perfectly with no problems in any amp, guitar or pedal. I also have two extension cables with a male jack and female socket and they are the same. You must have a dodgy batch DefJef they are strange I thought all 1/4 Jack's were bog standard worldwide?
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DefJef
THBC Moderator
Due to musical differences I've decided I can't work with myself any more.
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Post by DefJef on Nov 28, 2019 13:41:34 GMT
Yes that's what I have blindwilly3fingers, a set of five multicoloured ones. Had them for years and never noticed the problem until new Chinese cheapy pedals became so ubiquitous. Thanks for checking yours guys. The function is different on these pedals to that on guitar jacks. All the plug has to do on a typical guitar jack is make contact with the sprung clip. I've taken a couple of the cheapy pedals apart and the problem caused is different on both. The one that grabbed the internal clip and didn't seem to want to let go is just a spring contact. The shape of the dip in the plug was what caused it to sink into it and get caught. I was able to reshape and bend down the clip so I don't think it will happen again. The other socket seems to have a row of three pins that lift to make contact with a circuit board above them (perhaps this is the downside of these mini pedals? They are so small that the circuit boards have to be double decked instead of laid out on one layer?). It is the fact that the pins all have to be raised that is the problem The third pin sinks into that over large dip in the plug. I can't even find an example photo online and I really don't want to take that thing apart again. I will though if someone thinks there is a solution. Looks like I know what I'm getting for Christmas!
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Post by blindwilly3fingers on Nov 28, 2019 14:37:54 GMT
I read something about those on circuit board connections, I'm sure they were saying they are better than just a wired jack socket. Those sleeves look a much improved solution DefJef. It is very strange those 5 patch cables have longer ends? Has anybody else had similar cables? To be honest I've never found or heard any significant sound difference with the cheap China cables as opposed to more expensive 'better quality' cables. It's basically copper wire and pvc/rubber insulation. I know they try to sell you the gold plated audio visual connectors/cables as being better quality and more 'hifi'. I will admit I've never put them to the test.
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3,457 posts
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Post by LeoThunder on Nov 28, 2019 16:08:58 GMT
The thicker the isolation between the central hot and surrounding ground, the lower the capacitance of the cable. And of course, the same capacitance is proportional to cable length. A thinner, cheaper cable has more capacitance per unit of length. It works as a tone control, sucking high end to ground.
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3,968 posts
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Post by salteedog on Nov 29, 2019 18:20:15 GMT
I've noticed the variations in jacks too. I've one guitar that refuses to work with particular cables.
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