Cable keeps popping out of amp during gigs. Help!

[vinorange]

I once again turn to my fellow bassists in the hope for a fix.

I changed my set up to a wonderful thunderfunk 750a and s zoot 410 cab.
It's a perfect set up for me BUT during its first outing the amp spat the cable jack out 4 times.
I temp cured it by trapping the cable under the amp.

I use planet waves cables and it's the cab vibrations that wobble the cable out - not me moving the cable in any way. The input jack is soldered to a circuit board.

Is there a way of locking the jack in place? Other than gaffa tape. Or maybe that's the cure......

Any tips would be appreciated.

[obbm]

Does it do it if the amp is not on top of the cab?

[3below]

Do you have the amp in a rack case? If so, loop the cable around and through the case handle. Cable not in contact with cab, any pull / tug from bass will be on the handle rather than removing from socket. If not in a case your temp cure may be the simplest long term. If you are really determined it may be possible to bend / tweak the jack socket inside the amp so that the tip is gripped more firmly.

[TimR]

Planet Wave cables are notorious for having jacks slightly larger than standard.

Change the cable.

[vinorange]

It only spits the cable out due to vibrations from the cab however it wasn't in a rack case on its first outing and I've remedied that.
I can't do anything with the socket as it's not the kind where the contact can be bent - it's a surface mount pcb type.

I've realised after your post TimR that someone told me that planet waves cables are slightly bigger. Damn I love those cables but not as much as I love my cable staying in my amp so a cable swap it will be.

I did wonder if there was anything on the market to lock the cable in. I know there are neutrik locking sockrts but as mine is pcb mount then that's out of the question. Unless I take it in to a tech of course.....

[LayDownThaFunk]

Put the cable through the handle of the cab before putting it into the amp input.

[vinorange]

I'll give that a go but having just tested different cables my older ones stay in the socket a little better than the planet wave cables.
It's the vibration that spits the cable out so I'm not sure tying through the cab handle would do it.
Gaffa tape may do it.
Just a pity you can't get something that goes behind the socket nut and loops over your jack - that would do the job.

[Happy Jack]

[quote name='hiram.k.hackenbacker' timestamp='1480290381' post='3183192']
... and you'll never look back.
[/quote]

That will be because your cable will be where you left it.

[MoonBassAlpha]

You don't have to change the cable, just lop the plug off and fit a Neutrik plug. They are as good as anything else out there, and aren't expensive in the grand scheme of things.

[TimR]

[quote name='vinorange' timestamp='1480290029' post='3183190']
I'll give that a go but having just tested different cables my older ones stay in the socket a little better than the planet wave cables.
It's the vibration that spits the cable out so I'm not sure tying through the cab handle would do it.
Gaffa tape may do it.
Just a pity you can't get something that goes behind the socket nut and loops over your jack - that would do the job.
[/quote]

The problem is, once you've bent the tag inside te socket using the Panetwave plug, all of the others will be a slack fit.

Replacing the socket is a quick simple job for someone who knows what they're doing with a soldering iron.

[Phil Starr]

Change the cable or at least the plug.

The vibrations may be moving the plug around but it is the steady force of gravity that is pulling everything in one direction, so supporting the weight by tying the cable onto something is a good temporary fix.

The jack socket may be damaged but there is a fair bit of spring on most sockets so there's a good chance it will be undamaged, but stop using the over sized jack.

If you continue to have problems then you have to get a tech to change the socket for you. You can't really gig if you know your kit is unreliable. It shouldn't be much more than the cost of opening the amp up.

[JapanAxe]

I've never heard of this happening before, which leads me to think the geometry of the input socket is not quite right.

Btw Planet Waves jacks used to have a raised grippy section on the sleeve, but they don't seem to do that (as much) now.

[vinorange]

On further examination the planet waves jack is slightly shorter and slightly fatter than my others and they seem to seat home in the socket better.

I think I'll buy a couple of neutrik jacks and chop the planet waves jack off my cable at the amp end (I use the isolation switch at the guitar end).

The socket is soldered to the underside of a PCB which contains all front panel controls so it is not a 5 minute job. The bottom of the chassis won't release to reveal the underside of the PCB as all the internal hardware is mounted on it so a new input socket will be last resort.

I wonder whether the amp being in a rack case may help as it won't be vibrating so much..........

[EBS_freak]

I've never seen a jack being vibrated out of a jack socket!

[obbm]

[quote name='EBS_freak' timestamp='1480326569' post='3183303']
I've never seen a jack being vibrated out of a jack socket!
[/quote]

It has been known to happen with sealed speaker cabs and the wrong type of socket but not with an amp.

[TrevorR]

You could also try an angled Neutrik if it will fit around the front of the jack and knobs etc the new loop it through the rack/amp handle for double redundancy.

Oh, and like HHH said above, get Dave (obbm) to make you up some nice new cables. You won't regret it.

[EBS_freak]

[quote name='obbm' timestamp='1480326705' post='3183307']
It has been known to happen with sealed speaker cabs and the wrong type of socket but not with an amp.
[/quote]

Yes - actually, now you say that, I have seen that... but of course, a lot of things are now Speakon.

But amps! That's some vibration.

[Ghost_Bass]

Probably the amp's socket is already a bit loose. OP should try to see if it's possible to tight the spring a bit, it may not be necessary to replace the input socket.

[stingrayPete1977]

Planet waves cables should only be sold as the ones with the grabby bit and only as a temporary fix for an already faulty jack socket, utter junk!

[chris_b]

[quote name='vinorange' timestamp='1480288621' post='3183174']
It only spits the cable out due to vibrations from the cab
[/quote]

I've never had this issue with my Thunderfunk, but mine is in an SKB 4U case and the case sits on 2 pieces of 3" thick foam. On the other hand why isn't the OP using Speakons?

I know amps are probably designed to cope with vibrations but I'd rather not put them into this extreme environment. I always put my amps on foam, since having a lot of problems with my last valve amp 20 years ago.

I don't know anything about planet waves cables but I always use OBBM's Speakon cables.

[chris_b]

If you don't have a Speakon on the cab, OBBM can supply a Speakon to jack cable.

[TimR]

It's the instrument cable not the speaker cable.

The planet waves plug has bent the internal spring contact. It then works its way loose because the contact isn't doing the job of holding it in.

Smaller plugs last longer but are still vibrating loose.

The only solution is take the amp apart and change the socket It always looks like a big job but all the internal wiring loom will be on plugs.

.

Edited November 28, 2016 by TimR

[BigRedX]

I've come across the jack plug being vibrated out of it's socket once when using someone else's Ampeg rig where the DI was connected through the line out on the back of the amp.

IME jack sockets should have a good enough grip for the plug not the get vibrated out, so I would suggest that there is something wrong with the socket.

Also from experience I will no longer allow Planet Waves leads to be plugged into any of my gear. I've had to replace the jack socket on a couple of my older guitars which were used with Planet Waves cables. These days, anyone who uses my amp at gear share gigs also has to use my OBBM cable as well.

[chris_b]

OK, I missed the instrument cable bit. . . most of the advice is still good. Use foam to stop the vibrating amp, anchor the cable to a handle on the cab and switch to an OBBM instrument cable.

Plus maybe some repair work if the Planet waves cable has stretched the jack socket.

[pineweasel]

This is the first I've heard of Planet Waves jacks being larger than standard. Are we talking about diameter or length?