Bass problem

[Emre Tufekci]

Hi Tim,

I ordered new cables with right angles and the music shop repaired the worn out jack input. I have to say they were very professional and courteous. When I went back and told them the brand new bass I just purchased had a wornout jack input they took it to their onsite repair shop and replaced it in 15 minutes.

They explained to me the same things that was said earlier that a lot of players "test" the basses and that means a lot of plugging and unplugging over the years. They were adamant about making it right.

Great customer support, I would definitely recommend them to anybody.

Thanks for the help and information

Cheers,
Emre

[Tim Bishop]

Originally Posted by Emre Tufekci

Hi Tim,

I have to say they were very professional and courteous. When I went back and told them the brand new bass I just purchased had a wornout jack input they took it to their onsite repair shop and replaced it in 15 minutes.

They explained to me the same things that was said earlier that a lot of players "test" the basses and that means a lot of plugging and unplugging over the years. They were adamant about making it right.

That's great! Glad to hear you are up and running.

[Tim Bishop]

Originally Posted by Emre Tufekci

Hi Tim,

I have to say they were very professional and courteous. When I went back and told them the brand new bass I just purchased had a wornout jack input they took it to their onsite repair shop and replaced it in 15 minutes.

BTW - do you know if they replaced the jack with the same barrel jack Ken uses? Just curious as I would be surprised to hear they had an extra barrel jack laying around given they fixed it in 15 minutes.

Replacing the barrel jacks in a Smith bass is very easy and would only take about 5 minutes (tops) or less to replace.

[Emre Tufekci]

They didnt have the orginals but they explained that the replacement they were using was same quality and and up to spec. I looked at their work before they closed it up and it was very clean.

Emre

[Tim Bishop]

Originally Posted by Emre Tufekci

They didnt have the orginals but they explained that the replacement they were using was same quality and and up to spec. I looked at their work before they closed it up and it was very clean.

Emre

That's what I suspected. The original barrel jack has a connector-end design that inserts and connects to the circuit. This is why it is a very clean, quick and easy re-installation using the original barrel jack. So, now I wonder if they cut and spliced the wires from the old barrel jack to the newer replacement 1/4 jack? Make sense?

[Emre Tufekci]

I think they had a similar unit that inserted as well.

[Gilbert Zarate]

Glad I found this as I don't want to be encountering issues with my jack due to using Monster cables. I currently use an angled 'bass' Monster cable. Should I stop using it asap? If so, what do you all use or recommend.

This leads me to another question, is Monster cable just a big gimmick? I personally have always liked them because their cables felt beefy but I guess this could easily simply be extra rubber wrapping to give the perception that your getting more gauge wiring. I do know that Monster headphones of just about any kind are almost all just a big fat gimmick(IMO).

Sorry for the noob'esque question, but honestly never knew that Monster made their cables just a tad bigger for a tighter fit and of course I don't want to have issues with my Smith as a result of that.

[Tim Bishop]

Originally Posted by Gilbert Zarate

Glad I found this as I don't want to be encountering issues with my jack due to using Monster cables. I currently use an angled 'bass' Monster cable. Should I stop using it asap? If so, what do you all use or recommend.

This leads me to another question, is Monster cable just a big gimmick? I personally have always liked them because their cables felt beefy but I guess this could easily simply be extra rubber wrapping to give the perception that your getting more gauge wiring. I do know that Monster headphones of just about any kind are almost all just a big fat gimmick(IMO).

Sorry for the noob'esque question, but honestly never knew that Monster made their cables just a tad bigger for a tighter fit and of course I don't want to have issues with my Smith as a result of that.

I've been using Monster Cables with Smith Basses for 15 years and have never had an issue. I even use straight 1/4 plug ends into my Smiths, however, I am also VERY careful with how I return my bass back to the stand when left plugged in (particularly with the straight 1/4 plug ends). I think the angled plug ends are better because they mitigate the risk of damage to the jack from taking an unexpected hit while a straight 1/4 plug is still plugged into the bass.

I know George L's are a recommended cord to use with Smiths, so, maybe that would be a better option for you if you are in doubt. If you do encounter an input jack issue in the future, it's certainly a simple and easy fix.

Also, periodically clean your cord tips with a good contact cleaner. Same for the input jack (NOTE: Do not spray the cleaner into the jack!). You can use a Q-Tip lightly sprayed with contact cleaner to clean inside input jack. Dirty cord tips and jacks can contribute and/or be the cause of intermittant sound issues (i.e. sound cutting in and out or scratchy sounding).