Forming the "football" jack plate

Liam

Junior Member
Messages
30
Well I insisted on going with the football jack plate, but now I can't seem to form it correctly to the contour.

Initially, I screwed it down on a 2x4 with a small screwdriver handle between the wood and the plate. Came out a bit too arched. But I tried flattening out a bit with a mallet, and now, it does matches a lot better, but the edges of the plate still have notable space between it and the body.

Anyway, figured I'd just make a mock-up of the contour and mallet it into shape, but if there's any more simple and easier tips out there, I'd love to hear them.
 
I got pissed, gave up, and stole the football jack off my Peavey beater.  :glasses10:  Works great!
 
Well I made a maple form of the body's side jack area, and tried a few different things.

The current problem area is at the outer edges, they stick up, away from the body. Hammering it to the form didn't work. I tried placing toothpicks at both of the inner edges (against the inside of both screws... btw, using stainless sheet metal screws for the forming, not the ones that came with the plate), and torquing it down to the form, hoping to bend the outer tabs down. Only ended up busting off the screw heads.

My newest attempt is to screw the plate down with a washer in the center of the plate (where the hole for the jack is) on the form, then torque down the tabs, and leave it sit for a few days.

If there wasn't a black finish on it, I'd heat it, hammer and vice-grip it to hell, but even the methods I've already used have it looking pretty worn (hoping a magic marker will make it look at least halfway decent for the build finish).

The least significant parts always seem to cause the biggest problems.

 
The least significant parts always seem to cause the biggest problems.

You got that right!  That doesn't just go for guitars either....
 
guitlouie said:
The least significant parts always seem to cause the biggest problems.

You got that right!  That doesn't just go for guitars either....

...after watching my wife get horribly ill from a ruptured appendix, I agree completely.

(All better now, but we were scared for a couple of days.)
 
i ran into the same problem on my build so i stuck mine in a thick sock and used two small pairs of channellocks and bent it little by little.  it fits perfectly now.
 
Yeah, pliers.... I have some different kinds of padding around here, bits of leather, bits of mousepads, bits of webbing from army surplus belts... I can't remember what I used to keep the teeth marks off, but I bent the corners down just so. Maybe Stewart-MacDonald will sell you a $249 Jack-O-Matic?
 
or...spooning michael jackson.

what you can do is make a form for your jackplate that mimicks your guitar, except that arround the edges where the jackplate will lay on, you need to grind, file or sand that area down a little bit, at a steeper angle, then screw it into that form and beat the shit out of it , sorta
 
Alfang said:
or...spooning michael jackson.

what you can do is make a form for your jackplate that mimicks your guitar, except that arround the edges where the jackplate will lay on, you need to grind, file or sand that area down a little bit, at a steeper angle, then screw it into that form and beat the shite out of it , sorta

I actually thought of that after trying my last attempt (my last post).

I ended up using some plastic strips instead of toothpicks against the inside edge of the screw holes, and torqued it down with some seriously hardened sheet metal screws. Butchered the hell out of the plate, but it now forms accordingly.

Definitely going with the 1/2" jack next time.
 
Except, 1/2" jacks cost $10 instead of $5, and there's no way to re-bend the contact arm to get through one more gig when they wear out. I consider jack wear to be like changing strings or fret wear or something, it's just an inevitable part of maintenance. I've had to replace two 1/2" jacks in less than a year on my only (non-Warmoth)  guitar that uses them - I'm strongly considering breaking out the ol' Dremel and digging a hole for a real, manly jack. 1/2" jacks are suitable for wall candy, not work guitars.
 
Great point! I actually have a 1/2" jack laying around and you're right, no access at all. Also, I just had to re-bend the contact on my Jazz bass last week (of course, now it eventually spits out the plug. lol! ).
 
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