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After pouring over the board and the advice of many a member, I decided on an Epi Broadway and purchased, unseen, unplayed from Guitar Center for about $600 shipped. This isn't something I normally do but they have a very generous return policy (45 days, full refund, etc). I knew it included a case and the serial indicated it's a 2012 from the Unsung factory.
It arrived yesterday in a nearly new Epiphone case, including the key. I opened the case and saw a beautiful, well cared for guitar. I picked it up and could immediately tell this was 'someone's' guitar - perfect setup, very nice frets, ideal neck relief, swapped out bridge (original included), and flatwounds. Then I went to plug it in and discovered why it was such a bargain. The input jack has seen better days. It's cracked and a bit soft but not nearing complete failure. Therein lies my dilemma...
- Do I reinforce the jack?
or
- Return it?
I can do the work myself for the cost of parts but I don't know how it will affect the sound. I'm also worried about other problems I may discover along the way. Has anyone else encountered a similar problem? How did it work out? Thanks in advance!
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12-31-2023 11:23 AM
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mine has some cracks too. Is the jack nut just loose? I carry one of those quick jack tools around with me because the nut comes loose on me.
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It was a little loose but I was able to hand tighten it. Would using a socket to tighten it more help?
Originally Posted by AllanAllen
mine has some cracks too. Is the jack nut just loose? I carry one of those quick jack tools around with me because the nut comes loose on me.
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Here's what I did to my Emperor Regent as a precaution. The jack plate is 34 x 34 mm. It might not cover your damaged area entirely. The cracks point to some degree of de-lamination. I'd take the guitar to a luthier for an inside reinforcement and tidying up. However, this looks DIY-able. I would open up the cracks with a sharp knife or dentist's probe from the area which remains under the metal jack plate. The I'd apply ultra-thin superglue to the grooves, hoping that it will seep into the de-laminated layers and stiffen them. Is the jack itself still ok?
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I use one of these. You could also pull it out and see if there’s a nut on the inside too, sometimes you need something inside for it to sit well. That could also be an “upgraded” jack that isn’t enough and doesn’t fit right.
It’s not that bad to work on these. Also by removing the jack you can see of the wood is trashed there. In which case just send it back.
https://www.stewmac.com/luthier-tool...ack-tightener/
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I'm no pro but that guitar at that price and from what you have said I'd try and keep it. Are they finish cracks or is the wood compromised? It may have taken a shot at some point. Re the loose nut, if you could get a little bit of temporary (blue) loctite on the threads and just hand tighten it gently with a socket while holding the interior section still somehow it should not come loose again. I'll let the pros chime in.
Folks like to talk bad about Guitar Center's used site and I agree the descriptions and pictures are not the best but that return policy is great. I've had good luck just having the guitar delivered to my local store and inspecting it right there.
Good luck it's a beauty and most likely totally fixable. Maybe GC will give you a partial refund?
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Amazing help, everyone. Really appreciate it.
Looks like I can pick up a plate on Amazon for less than $10 and it'll be here by Wednesday (not bad given the holiday) and then perform some surgery with Gorilla Glue in hand. That way I'll open and close it up once.
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Im a cabinetmaker not a luthier but Im not sure youd want to use Gorrilla glue... best to check with one of the many knowledgeable members here before proceeding.
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Regular wood glue is strong enough.
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The jack works fine but I want to sure it up before doing a good deal of plugging/unplugging. I took a close look and it appears the wood is pretty well intact. At least, it's not noticeable without removing the finish. I'd like to improve the strength here. I'm thinking if the wood is intact to use a super-glue to hold the poly together. If the wood is compromised, then use some wood glue. Thoughts?
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As said before, thin CA will penetrate any crevices there may be. Pushing in the jack (with a thread or hook to pull it back) will expose the walls of the jack hole. Any damage to the wood starts there. In my aeromodeling years decades ago I used Zap Thin. Now my fave for most jobs is Loctite 406.
Last edited by Gitterbug; 01-02-2024 at 04:54 PM.
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It's a beautiful guitar, stunning! I would definitely work on it to keep it. You may feel the same way.
If you're not afraid to work on it, go for it. The jack plate doesn't bother me aesthetically and firming up the jack and surrounding area will not alter the tone at all, only help.
It is widely known that Epiphone guitars often have weak jacks and switches, but once fixed, they offer some great guitars that play and sound fine to perfect. I've owned 4, and repaired 3. Usually it's a jack. I have one that is a wonderful ES339 but the switch is temperamental.
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I would add, that it would make good sense to replace that jack while you are working on it. In the photo, it looks like the same model I had to replace on my Epiphone. It loosened, and when I tightened it, the threads gave out and I then could not tighten it, it eventually fell inside the guitar!!!
I have a feeling your guitar was returned due to the damage that ensued from that faulty jack.
New jack, a lock washer inside the guitar, a bit of elbow grease, a wire tool to navigate the parts inside the guitar thru the f hole, a phone plug plugged in to the jack first to help navigate and retrieve, and something to hold the new jack from turning as you tighten up the new nut carefully and not over tightening. Using the old jack could lead you to having to do the job twice
Best of luck and get to playing that beauty.
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From the photos I'm not sure that the wood has been compromised. It looks likely to me that it's just finish cracking.
Lots of old Gibsons, Epiphones, Guilds, and so on have had a plate emplaced at the jack hole because of damage like this. If you use a straight plug into the jack, it's very possible to impose stress on the jack, causing it to rock back and forth, thereby cracking the finish. A right-angle plug, with the cable looped between the guitar strap and the body, over the bass side of the butt strap button, goes a long way toward minimizing stress at this location.
You should be able to look inside the guitar with a strong light and an inspection mirror to see whether the side is cracked. If you're concerned, take it to a repair tech - it's pretty straightforward to reinforce the side and put a metal plate in place.
Here are some pictures said to be of Jim Hall's Gibson ES175.
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Yep, definitely up for the job. I don't think it'll prove to be that difficult. All things considered, it feels like I got real lucky with a stunner of a B'way that just needs a bit of TLC. Originally Posted by Jimmy Mack
I hand tightened the nut which gave me some confidence to plug in a cable. The jack functioned just fine, no issues whatsoever. Would you still replace it while also repairing the area around the jack?
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Glad to hear.
Re: the jack, if it's the same "Epi" jack as I had, 2 of them failed, and when they do, it's often very inconvenient.
Tighten it up, check it out, and keep an eye on it. Maybe it's OK. But if you are under the hood anyway....a quality new jack will give you some POM.
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When you screw the nut back on the jack, put a small drop of Loctite Blue on the threads before you tighten.
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Just a quick update and post of appreciation...
The patient is out of surgery and fully recovered. I can't claim it's the cleanest plate install in the history of guitar repair...but I did it and the guitar is much better for it. Added bonus, the jack works perfectly, ha!
Thanks everyone for the info and encouragement.
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