1/4" jack jammed in socket?

[Rosie C]

I wonder if anyone has had a similar problem to this... I plugged a guitar cable into my mandolin, which has a Fishman battery compartment and combined jack like below - exactly the same as acoustic guitars. But now it's jammed! It rotates fine, but won't come out. 

 

Has anyone any suggestions? 

 

 

[Dan Dare]

Assuming the socket is as depicted in the photo above and has the 4 mounting screws, I'd unscrew the whole unit from the instrument and remove it. There should be enough slack on the cable to do so sufficiently to be able to see why it's stuck. provided the socket isn't totally enclosed within the plastic housing.

Edited November 28, 2024 by Dan Dare

[Rosie C]

Yes, it's exactly like the one in the photo so I can have a look inside. I will report back tomorrow!

 

[Dan Dare]

If you can get at the sprung contacts within the socket, you can probably lever them apart sufficiently (gently, with a thin-bladed screwdriver) to be able to remove the plug.

[Rosie C]

On 28/11/2024 at 22:39, Dan Dare said:

Assuming the socket is as depicted in the photo above and has the 4 mounting screws, I'd unscrew the whole unit from the instrument and remove it. There should be enough slack on the cable to do so sufficiently to be able to see why it's stuck. provided the socket isn't totally enclosed within the plastic housing.

 

That worked a treat - the socket was open at the end. Not easy but I managed to slip a small flat blade screwdriver in and release the plug.

 

The plug looks like it's not been manufactured properly - mangled around the tip. Lesson to self: only Neutrik in future!

 

 

 

 

Edited December 2, 2024 by Rosie C

[Wolfram]

Glad you got it out! I've had a 1/4" jack stuck in the left output of my old Korg D1600 multitrack recorder for years now. It will be difficult to get to (socket soldered onto a PCB, requiring a complete dismantling of the machine... so I've left it. But lesson learned; no more cheap cables for me!