Output jack fell inside...

[legohead]

Hi,

Just got an Epi 335, only to find on the second time I took it out the case that the output jack had fallen inside the body.

What should I do -

Is it easily fixed at home? If so, how? I don't think anything is broken, I suspect that the bolt was loose in the first place.

Should I just send it back to the shop who will fix it for me? This will probably take much longer.

Thanks for your help

[sumgai]

lego,

When you say "send it back to the shop", does that mean that you bought it mail order? If you bought it locally, take it back in, and ask politely but firmly that someone fix it right now. After all, you just paid a princely sum for it, and if you'd bought any other guitar out of that store, the jack wouldn't have fallen through like that, right? And you didn't buy it just to watch it sit on the repairman's workbench for a couple of weeks, right?

If they balk, make them take the guitar back, period. Then buy something else..... but check the jack first. If they really balk, threaten to call the credit card company and have the charge cancelled because of poor product quality and even poorer customer service. (Errr, you did buy it on your card, right? That is the best protection that you can possibly have against a poor product or dealer.)

Now, presuming that you bought the EPI via mail/innerweb, then yes, it is fixable at home. You'll need a lot of patience, and a large dose of luck, but you can do it.

First attempt: take a long piece of stiff wire, about 18 or 20 gauge, and made of solid copper, not stranded. (A coat hanger would be way too big for this job.) Bend a hook into one end about a quarter-inch up, and at 135° back (think of bending it from 12 o'clock down to 4:30 or 5 o'clock). That hook should now fit through the jack, so gently wiggle the wire through the hole, and using a flashlight, locate the jack and see if you can get the wire into and through it. If you got that done, then I think you can figure out the rest, hmmmm?

Caution - if the wire is too small a diameter (gauge), then it will easily "unbend" as you put pressure on it during the retrieval process. Go slow here, or you'll end up in tears.

If the jack refuses to cooperate, then you'll have to remove the bridge pickup, and use a piece of wood as a paddle to hold the jack in place as you fish it out with the hook. I've seen foot-long hemostats, and I suppose one of them would work, but they aren't commonly sold at the local five-and-dime, so make up a piece of wood that's 10 to 12 inches long, and perhaps one or two inches wide at the most. This should let you pin down the errant jack so's you can hook it as above.

HTH, and good luck!


sumgai

[legohead]

Thanks for that most comprehensive reply. I ordered it online - they said that they're happy to repair it, but like you said I didn't buy it to let it sit on the bench. May give it a go myself. Really appreciate the help.

L

[darguitar]

I recommend yourself having a go (as already recommended!), as you ordered it online, but in fairness, the store which shipped the instrument should have checked obvious things such as the jack socket before shipping: especially on a 335 style instrument ( as it's more difficult to fix). If you can't get it fixed, I would expect the store to collect the guitar, fix it, and return it to you ASAP. I work in a guitar store and it annoys me greatly when I hear of this scenario. Price isn't everything!