Official Luthiers Forum!

Hi everybody,
what is your preference for end pin jacks for acoustic guitars?

I’ve previously installed different types of conventional end pin jacks, but most are not heavy duty enough for some working musicans, so for these people I’ve installed the Takamine variety. They have a flange which is cast as part of the end pin body, with holes for screwing it to the outside of the instrument, so the whole thing becomes quite solid. I’ve not seen one of these come lose, yet. It is however quite large and bulky and not exactly unitnrusive with the screw holes and all… My local distributor is also sold out, so I have to order some.

So what is your preference, and why?

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Rian Gitar og Mandolin

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Only ever used the fishman switchjack for acoustics, I like it and think it is plently sturdy.
If I had any problems with loosening (which has not been an issue) I would just use some loctite.

Thanks, guys.

Tony, the pup going on this guitar is a Fishman soundhole thing (not my preference, but...). I also sometimes do repairs and pick-up installations on factory guitars, so I was interested in hearing what people like to put those. Personally, I don't have much trouble with conventional endpin jacks like the Switchcraft, but some people wear their guitars harder than others, you know.

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Rian Gitar og Mandolin

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The Fishman or Baggs style jack (whether Switchcraft or Italian made) will work perfectly fine and should not come loose so long as they are installed correctly (or at least how I determine to be correct, whether official or not). I'd say 90%+ of the jacks that I see are not installed this way though, and will be prone to problems.

A lot of folks drill or ream the hole to 1/2". That's the first mistake - they should fit snug in to a 15/32" hole, and 1/2" holes can lead to several problems. Second, the outer nut should be tightened quite tightly against the large diameter face of the main section. If the inner nuts are set so that said face is set inside the surface of the finish and the outer nut and washer simply tighten against the body, that thin washer is bearing down only on it's edge, and the nut is flexing it in to a big void in the center. This can cause finish cracking, end wedges popping loose, and leave it prone to coming loose when repeatedly put under loads and occasional jarring of a strap and cable. These problems are notably worse when using a 1/2" hole.

So the trick is to adjust the inner nuts so that at the time the outer nut is tightened hard against the face of the large diameter, it is also tight enough against the body to keep it from easily moving. Setting the inside nut or nuts to just the right position will involve pulling it in and out a few times, but it generally takes less than a minute or two to get it right. When tightening the outer nut you should feel it start to tighten gradually against the body, and just about when it feels tight enough you should then feel it come to a hard sudden stop against the said face. Then you make sure it's torqued down, and you will be firmly securing the nut and washer without putting undue load on the finish or wood.

Jacks tightened this way, I have never seen come loose. Then make a little rubber wrench to tighten the button, and it should be fine. There are some pics and descriptions of the tools and process around the middle of the first post in this discussion -
http://www.luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10102&t=10006

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Eschew obfuscation, espouse elucidation.