Fender Blues Jr: Input Jack replacement

Get rid of that (probably already broken) plastic input jack and replace it with a real switchcraft shunting jack.

[@BMeanies]

A friend and I did this fix the other night and it worked great…How Fender could use such garbage components it’s beyond me..but I will say my input jack did last from 2003 to a few weeks ago…thanks tor this extremely helpful video

[@giulioluzzardi7632]

Your video has given me the courage to change a plastic input on a Champ 12 from the 80s which also used 2 plastic sockets.

[@rambunctiousone9096]

Glad I found you. Used the switchcraft shunted model and worked great with no hum issues with or without cord plugged in. Bought 3 because, I have 3 Blues Jr in the practice room!

[@robertsundberg2306]

Thanks for your helpful video on replacing the plastic jack in these amps! Great, detailed instruction that helped me through the ordeal and the wiring instructions were spot-on! Amp sounds great again and will look forward to many years of use - without replacing another 1/4 jack!

[@RickKeefer]

Thank you!!! Just did this to my 6 month old Blues Junior. $5 part and less than 90 minutes to install--works great!

[@pcollins5334]

i’ve got an old blues jr i bought maybe back in 1992(?) that needs this done. so thank you for this straight forward video 🤙🏼😊

[@georgethompson9145]

Thanks a bunch for this video. It addresses something I was a bit dubious about on my BJr'. I followed the instructions to the letter and have successfully switched the plastic jack for a Switchcraft L12A shunted jack. My BJr' is a green board made in the USA version, also with a ground nut on the chassis. As there was a debate on whether the green board version needs an isolation washer or not I didn't want to take a chance so added one anyway I had bought the jack with the long thread to this end.

[@daveman_50]

I just performed this mod... carefully following your instructions. It's the first time I've ever worked on amp guts. It came out great. Thanks! (I got the amp for free because.... "it doesn't work anymore". We'll see about that... :) I had a friend change a tube socket and tube, and I did this part. A few bucks later, good to go!)

[@videotherapy5052]

I just want to thank you for this video. I was able to help my friend replace his input jack on his blues Jr 4 that he snapped off for under 10 bucks. Works like a charm. Thanks a lot.

[@Jimmyp9]

Hi, What type and model Jack did you replace it with? Did you ground it to the chassis or need fiber washers and insulation bushings or? I'm still trying to figure out whether it could be grounded to the chassis or not it looks like he can do it here and nobody has said not to so... ;-)

[@videotherapy5052]

@@Jimmyp9 I got this from Amazon Switchcraft 12A 1/4-Inch Jack with Tip Shunt PNT Mount As for the repair, I can't remember exactly what I did because this was about a year and a half ago but all I needed was some Wire, Solder and this jack and it worked out great.

[@Jimmyp9]

@@videotherapy5052 Thanks for the reply. Did it need any type of insulation bushing or anything? And it just went metal to metal on the chassis with no issue?

[@videotherapy5052]

@@Jimmyp9 No . Just used the hardware that came with the jack and I was good to go!

[@giulioluzzardi7632]

The viddy helped and is going to keep helping Guitar players for years, thanks. I don't have that amp but just for showing us the wiring tips I thankyou.

[@FreddyT69]

Very helpful for DIY! Had same problem. Got it done perfectly Thanks a lot!

[@yourvideos5892]

had same issue, what a knucklehead design. front to back pressure can dislodge the assembly from the board. a quick fix for me was to cut a piece of plastic to fill the gap between the jack and the frame of the amp. it works fine for now, will replace when it completely fails

[@timhanrahan9461]

Thanks for the video. I tried a 2 pole jack on my Squire 15 as it was a 2 wire connection - didnt work. I guess I need a 3 pole jack and shunt from ground?

[@jonmichael02302]

YOU'RE THE BEST! THANK YOU! Just curious, what gauge wire did you use? Looks amazing!

[@bobt7484]

I did this a few years ago. I'm pretty sure I needed to use a jack with a long thread, which looks like what you may have used. I had a 'standard' 1/4" Switchcraft jack, but when installed, there weren't enough threads to comfortably secure a washer and a nut on. Just a heads up for anyone that may be doing this down the road.

[@catekatz5855]

Thanks for this video- exactly what I was looking for. I repair guitars and other fretted instruments and usually don’t do amp repair but a regular client of mine brought me his Blues JR with a broken jack. Your video shows it’s a little more invasive than just swapping out a jack on a guitar, so I’m glad I watched your video. My question is: what if my multimeter shows the caps holding voltage? Then what do I do? (This is what has kept me from getting into amp repair in the first place- I don’t want to get shocked or electrocuted!) I’ve seen voltage discharge sticks for sale on Stewmac- should I invest?

[@TerryMasri]

Since I am not an expert, I share my knowledge with you with a great deal of precautionary advice. You should only do this after consulting with an expert or doing your own research to confirm safety. According to many amp techs online, in order to discharge these large Filter Caps on the BJ without using specialized equipment, you simply attach a jumper cable from the positive + terminal of the cap to the metal ground chassis and wait a few seconds. That's what I do when I work on my BJ. I first test the voltage with a multimeter, then I jump the + side of the cap to the ground and wait, then test voltage again. I do this even if the initial multimeter voltage reading was very low or zero as a precautionary measure. Redundancy is better than experiencing an involuntary auto-electroconvulsive therapy! LOL Sadly if you search for how to specifically do this (without) special equip on KZbin, you won't find anything. However, if you watch enough BJ repair videos on YT, you're bound to run into a few demonstrating this very method. BE SAFE!

[@TerryMasri]

I wonder if anyone knows if the SwitchCraft input jack needs to be isolated on a 1997 green board BJ?

[@Maniak5100]

Thank You!

[@recycledsound]

You're welcome!

[@thomasrastovski3395]

Hi! This was a very helpful video! I’m about to do this operation on my fender blues junior 4. I need to know a couple things before I begin. What type of wire did you use between the input and the board, and what size plastic washers should I put between the jack and the chassis? Thank you very much.

[@recycledsound]

Not subject to a lot of movement, you can use 20ga, even 22ga stranded or solid core wire. I used 22ga solid. As for the washers, really whatever you can find with a 1/4” dia. I.D. It can be plastic or fiber… whatever prevents electrical contact with the chassis.

[@ebandcamp]

Thanks !

[@garyp5522]

Great Video... I do not know why fender did not do this in the first place.

[@badbearstudios2175]

Because it fails at the wiring instead of a box jack that plugs directly into the circuit.

[@Jimmyp9]

Hi, What specific model input jack did you put in? I know you said switchcraft but, was it a type 13E maybe? Does "Pure tone" make a version usable for this fix? It needs a ground cut off or something when you pull the plug out right? Great video ... Mostly easy to understand thanks again

[@luciennecolombo8782]

Which all metal switch craft jack did you use?? Make and size. Thank you in advance.

[@daveman_50]

Switchcraft 1/4" Mono 2-Conductor Input Jack, Tip Shunt, Long Bushing (Type L12A)

[@pcollins5334]

@@daveman_50 dude thank you for this. i was about to go down a rabbit hole 🤙🏼😊

[@adamyates1102]

I just installed the shunting jack in mine, but seem to have a grounding issue thats really noticeable when I plug my guitar. Kind of goes when I touch the strings. Any idea how I can fix that?

[@adamyates1102]

For anyone having the same problem. The jack being in contact with the chassis was causing a ground loop. I fixed that by putting two plastic washers in between the jack and plated chassis

[@gregperrine4614]

A metal switchcraft style shunting jack needs to be isolated from the chassis to prevent this. Your plastic washers did the trick!

[@hollidjm]

Hi. Just wondering why you didn’t use shielded cable ? Also that link on the ground on the underside of the board - doesn’t the PCB track link the pins anyway? And finally does the jack need insulating from the chassis? In the video you say no but in one of the replies it says insulation is needed? Thanks.

[@hollidjm]

@Greg P thank you

[@TerryMasri]

I'm a bit confused! I don't see in the new installation you made how the Hot section of the jack gets grounded when the cable is unplugged? I know you mentioned the switching function of the jack takes care of that, but all I see the switching part is only connected to the primary and secondary ground terminals and not the hot one, the same way the internals of the OEM plastic input jack are designed (I opened mine up and looked inside). So the only secondary ground connection for the hot section is through the circuitboard as it seems to me. Like I said, I'm confused!

[@smokepeddler]

So did you have to run a jumper on the circuit board or just on the switch or both? In the beginning of the video you showed a jumper on the board. Then at the end you showed the jumper on the jack and it looked like there was not one on the board.

[@recycledsound]

No jumpers on the board!

[@smokepeddler]

@@recycledsound thank you so much!

[@mattmarion6442]

You're right. He does show a jumper on the PCB, though it isn't necessary. kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y5qXfoVqjLV3d9E

[@battyjr]

I've unscrewed all the screws and I still can't get it out of the cabinet... am i missing something?

[@recycledsound]

Could simply be stuck in the cab??

[@battyjr]

@@recycledsound it was, thanks for the response! I just didn't wanna force anything I wasn't supposed to. :D but I got it out.

[@badbearstudios2175]

People! Adding wires to a jack causes even more problems. Wires move and vibrate and will fail waaay sooner than the box jack. Damn. And I’m an actual Fender tech, not just some guy with a card table and a soldering gun. Ps, you do not have to remove the speaker pcb. Plastic is not the enemy here.

[@recycledsound]

Oh yes it is! Apparently you don’t get too many VOX and Fenders with failed plastic jacks across your card table?? It’s not just an all too common failure, but like tube sockets on a pcb board, it’s the cheap way out!