What cables work well with Hamer Barell jacks?

[Hfan]

After replacing the barell jack on my Studio (US made 151 Switchcraft) and finding I still have a very intermittent issue of loss of all volume (exactly as if the jack connections are shorted) and then reflowing all solder points, playing with an alligator cable to try and isolate it etc etc I finally did a search and evidently this is an old problem here..lots of old threads on the HFC.  Short of installing a Les Paul type jack (I like the looks of the Barell and do not want to drill) it sounds like some cables are better than ever, the key being a true 1/4" spec cable plug.

So what cables play well with the barell jack? All the specs I find advertise 1/4" plugs but from what I have read some are smaller.

I read that silent tip plugs are a main offender and of course that is what I have around.

Is Planet Waves still a go to? They were recommended in past threads.

Or I could roll my own. Some  genuine switchcraft 1/4" plugs (US made I assume) and some decent cable and I could make my own. Recommendations welcome on cable as well. Mogami 2524 maybe?  Easy process I assume or not worth the trouble? That cable is $1 a foot.

Thanks!

[Jakeboy]

Those barrel jacks, while uniquely Hamer, seem to fail often. When mine went bad on my Artist, cables made no difference. 

That said, I use Bill Lawrence cable with BL or George L ends with no issues....if the jack is good.....these are solderless and very easy to make.

Years ago I also had Butch Ammons down at Bayou Audio make me a couple out of Canare cable and Neutrik plugs that work well. Fair prices too and top quality.

[hamerhead]

Mogami. Never had a problem.

[BubbaVO]

Planet Waves...I have had no problems with the cables with compression springs

 

https://www.amazon.com/Planet-Waves-Instrument-Compression-Springs/dp/B004X9FF0O/ref=sr_1_2?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1499348295&sr=1-2&keywords=planet+waves+cable+compression+springs

[Hfan]

Good info, thanks guys. The jack is a brand new US made Switchcraft 151. And if I have to replace one every once in a while no big deal.

Actually the few that I have swapped on my Hamers where probably not all bad, the culprit all along could have been the plug size. I just assumed a jack issue.

 

[ArnieZ]

The jack is an American 1/4'" anything metric will not work well Switchcraft 1/4" plugs work well

ArnieZ

[Hfan]

39 minutes ago, ArnieZ said:

The jack is an American 1/4'" anything metric will not work well Switchcraft 1/4" plugs work well

ArnieZ

Yup and  all cables I see offered claim to be 1/4".

Maybe I'll just find some reasonably priced cable and buy the Switchcraft plugs and make my own.  The Mogami cables looks nice but are big bucks, more than I want to spend.

The planet waves cables are not too expensive and probably what it would cost me to build my own, not counting time invested. I just searched unsuccessfully for that Bill Lawrence cable ..there are two Bill Lawrences..some guy wound up with Bill Lawrence USA as opposed to the original Bill Lawrence (RIP) whose wife Becky was selling the original pickups at some point last I heard.

Edit: the George L stuff is easier to find Amazon sells it. I'm surprised at the price of bulk cable.

[cmatthes]

I have had best results with the Planet Waves stuff with the compression springs, but the regular ones work fine.  I usually use Lava Cables on my post-2003 Hamers, but they don't play so well with my Cruisebass.  Found that out at a gig!

[Hfan]

I'm just glad I did a search, I was ready to  replace all the pots thinking I had an intermittent short in one of them. I have had a few different sets of pickups in it and assumed I fried one at some point.

Then in the course of searching I read a thread that said that Hamer used these pots that had a nice gradual taper and that are probably pretty much unobtainable now. Would have ended badly ha ha.

Thanks again.

[tomteriffic]

Had one fall clean out of the guitar at a gig once.  i wasn't putting any sort of stress on it and *pop*.

Hamer was making free replacements available when the problem surfaced.  I remember Kim Keller sending me a handful.  He said at the time that they had sourced a newerbettercoolerfaster replacement part.  Don't know if that's true, but I made the replacements as needed and never had a cable-fussy jack after that.  Of course, I also went to better cables so....

[benjammin308]

A little DeOxIt on the contact points inside the jack and on your cords can do wonders.  I don't know how many cord plugs I replaced before I found that stuff.

[veatch]

Arnie has it - Switchcraft for the win for true 1/4"  

How long of a cable do you want?

[Bloozguy]

On 7/7/2017 at 5:55 PM, veatch said:

Arnie has it - Switchcraft for the win for true 1/4"

I only remember this happening with Neutrik or other imported jacks.

The Switchcraft 151 has a 0.253" diameter hole and all Switchcraft 1/4" plugs are specified at exactly 0.250" diamter. Neutrik 1/4" plugs are 0.248" in diameter.

Perhaps 0.003" clearance is OK but 0.005" is too sloppy, particularly when the internal parts of the jack may be a little worn.

[hamerhead]

^^^^ Spoken like a true machinist.

[HAMERMAN]

If possible stick to right angle Switchcraft's and loop them through the guitar strap, everything will last much longer this way.