My Les Paul jack is pissing me off

[lightningsmith]

Man, I've spent a grand total of more than 12 hours (I know, it's ridiculous but newbie here) installing the RS vintage kit into my Les Paul.

I followed the schematics and completed it but for some weird reason, there's no sound coming out of the amp when I plug it in.

BUT, when I unscrew the jack from the jack plate and plug in the cable without the plate, the sound is there.

I suspect this is grounding issue. Could it be that I have to pinch the 2 terminals on the side of the switch where the wire will run straight to the jack (vintage style) together? Cause I just solder the jack wire straight to the 2 terminals without pinching the 2 together like the one suggested on the schematics.

Btw, this is my first time dabbling with LP electronics, does the control pot cavity has to be closed at all times for the circuitry to work? I know this sounds like a dumb question but weird things occur and get resolved by doing simple, unexpected things, like the jack plate I just mentioned.

[aron]

my guess would be that somehow something is shorting when you place the jack into the guitar. Is the new jack larger than the old? Does it fit into the body easily?

[lightningsmith]

my guess would be that somehow something is shorting when you place the jack into the guitar. Is the new jack larger than the old? Does it fit into the body easily?

Nope, same size. What I did is solder the braided layer of the wire to the on the inner terminal of the output jack and then solder the core of the wire into the outer terminal, which I guess is how it's done on LPs?

How does shorting occur, btw? I assume it has nothing to with the 2 jack terminals of the switch not pinched together and then soldered together?

The LP's jack plate is metal, btw. Dunno if that affects anything.

[alltone]

Any metal shielding in the jack cavity that could be touching the (hot) tip when you install the jack?? Also braided exposed shield touching (hot) tip??

[lightningsmith]

Any metal shielding in the jack cavity that could be touching the (hot) tip when you install the jack?? Also braided exposed shield touching (hot) tip??

Nope, none to both. Ok, here's another thing, after I took out the jack from the jack plate and plug in the cable in that state, I took a metal ruler and have one end touching the metal jack plate (still screwed on the guitar) and the other end touching the jack with the guitar cable plugged in: as I expected, once the 2 ends are touching, the noise signal disappears - remove the ruler and the signal comes back again.

[alltone]

Should be pretty straight forward. The center conductor of your cable goes to the tip connection of the jack,the braided shield goes to the ground lug. Are you uncertain which is which? Check that you have not nicked the center conductor where it may be coming into contact with the braided ground shield.

[aron]

Use a meter and plug your cord into the guitar. Set the meter to continuity mode and see if the tip is grounded somehow. Connect one probe to the tip and the other to the sleeve. If it beeps you have a short.

[murkat]

you prbably cut the braid into the core, creating contact and shorting out.

[operanonverba]

It's probably not the best solution but you could install the jack into one of those aftermarket plastic jackplates. Most Gibbys are the creme plastic anyway although I like the metal ones. If its a ground issue with the jackplate this might do it. Try one from another Paul first.

[rooster]

Chances are, the braid is being slightly shoved over when you mount the jackplate into the body, and the tip part of the jack is shorting against it when you are plugging in the guitar. Replacing the jackplate will not fix this. What matters is the routing of the wires. Why don't you pull the jack out, take a picture of it, and post it, and someone here can tell you what's up?

rooster.