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Please help: I'm having troubles on how to add a jack to the box to plug in.

Hi,
I want to electrify my CBG, but the jacks I have aren't long enough to go through the side of the box so that I can screw them in properly.
I want the jacks to be on the bottom edge (much like a regular 6-string guitar). But, when I drill the proper diameter hole in that part, the jack stem (the threaded part) is not long enough and I can't screw it in.
I can't find any jacks that have a longer threaded stem.
Any suggestions?
Thanks

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What I do is drill a larger hole first but leaving enough material left to hold the jack..then I drill the correct size hole all the way through...kind of like a recessed larger hole big enough for the washer and nut....hope this helps...check out some pics of CBG .......it is possible to do the larger hole from the inside of the box, but that can be a tad more difficult.....
i recently had a similar issue , i bought a long stem mono input jack from jaycar electronics ,
it was about 1-1.5" long , cost me about $5
you could drill a big hole - big enough for all the jack socket to pass throught then use a jack plate - or make one - the jack socket fits to the jack plate then the jack plate is screwed to the guitar body / box

I use a chisel and shave off enough layers of the plywood from the inside till I can thread the nut on. I have also done the recesed hole as described above on a box with composite sides, for the large hole I used a spade bit, then drilled the smaller hole all the way thru.
A lot of people use the little "drawer pulls" that you can find cheap in any hardware store:
http://www.cigarboxnation.com/photo/cbg503-2?context=user
I use the plate as shown.
I cut a notch in the cover for the wire to pass through, put my microphone inside the box, close the cover and play. If I don't use an amplifier (I rarely use an amplifier) then I remove the microphone from the cigar box. Works for me.
Long jacks are sometimes hard to find so a jack plate easily solves the problem. John D

Small recessed door pulls work well. The fit into a 3/4 inch hole. Drilling the 3/8 in or so hole in the small pull w/o loosing a finger is another matter! Do NOT hold it with your hand! I drill a 3/4 in hole in some scrap wood, push the pull into that , then drill through the pull. Sorry I do not know how to import a pic here from my page, but if ya look at my photos, you will see them in use.(and lots of other's as well, got the idea in here of course!)
I did exactly what Michael R Cossey recomended in his reply. A real basic countersink. Worked well.
Thanks for the tip. Where do you suggest a good place to buy a quality yet economic jack plate would be?
Please post a link, if you would.
thanks so much for your help.



John Drake said:
Long jacks are sometimes hard to find so a jack plate easily solves the problem. John D

I'm in Australia so probably not a great help to you. I get mine from my local guitar shop for about $ 4.50. But noticed this one on ebay from Hong Kong for only $ 3.80 including postage !! Aus dollar now hovering about the same as US dollar!

PS Just noticed after I posted that it EVEN INCLUDES THE JACK !!!


KK Dirty Money said:
Thanks for the tip. Where do you suggest a good place to buy a quality yet economic jack plate would be?
Please post a link, if you would.
thanks so much for your help.



John Drake said:
Long jacks are sometimes hard to find so a jack plate easily solves the problem. John D

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