Input/Output Guitar Instrument Jacks and Oxidation

2

200man

Power User
What are folks thoughts on this one?

In the past I had 1 or 2 guitars and played them frequently so was never an issue.
Now for whatever reason I have a good number and some of them sit in the case for extended periods.
A friend said back in the old days there was this product they used for the contacts on the tv channel selection knob, something like tv lube that he swore by, but hasn’t seen it for a while.

Maybe I should’ve first duckduckgo’d it? :)
 
+1. Deoxit works great for both jacks and pots. My usual method is to spray a 25 caliber nylon rifle bore cleaning brush with Deoxit, scrub the jack back and forth a few times, then wipe out any remaining gunk with a cotton swab. Works like a charm. If you're on a gig, a rolled up dollar bill and a bit of vodka works pretty well in a pinch too.
 
Oh that’s just plain smart. I worried about the application and the nylon brush makes perfect sense.
Thank you sir!
 
+1 for Deoxit. It works way better than the stuff that used to pass for "tuner cleaner" back in the day.

Sometimes you need something a little stronger, though. In that case, there's no substitute for burnishing the contacts of the jack with a very fine abrasive. Say, 800-grit sandpaper.
 
Rex said:
Sometimes you need something a little stronger, though. In that case, there's no substitute for burnishing the contacts of the jack with a very fine abrasive. Say, 800-grit sandpaper.
Click to expand...
I prefer #0000 steel wool.
 
t0aj15 said:
I prefer #0000 steel wool.
Click to expand...
That works, too. But you have to police the area to make sure that loose strands of steel wool don’t cling to the jack, get into the pots, or do anything else to short out things that you don’t want shorted out.
 
Rex said:
That works, too. But you have to police the area to make sure that loose strands of steel wool don’t cling to the jack, get into the pots, or do anything else to short out things that you don’t want shorted out.
Click to expand...
If it comes to that you could use either a magnet, canned air or a vacuum, as it is I've been using steel wool for decades and it's NEVER caused a problem.
 
Yep. Scotchbrite over steel wool any day. IMHO steel wool has no business being anywhere near anything electronic. It's just a mess to work with.
 
200man said:
-some do not like scratching the surface as it strips the plating
Click to expand...
Fixed it fo ya.
Just for your general fund of knowledge: You can't strip an alloy. An alloy is two or more metals blended together.

... and plating is meant to prevent corrosion with varying degrees of effect, but every time you insert/extract a a cable, you're effectively grinding away at any plating or other protective coating that might be put there. Such components can't last forever. There are limits.
 
USMC_Trev said:
Fixed it fo ya.
Just for your general fund of knowledge: You can't strip an alloy. An alloy is two or more metals blended together.

... and plating is meant to prevent corrosion with varying degrees of effect, but every time you insert/extract a a cable, you're effectively grinding away at any plating or other protective coating that might be put there. Such components can't last forever. There are limits.
Click to expand...
Thanks!
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom