# Pedalboard jacks



## the_grumpy_gnome (Mar 6, 2019)

Can anyone say anything bad about this style jack?  I need to create a whole bunch more links on my pedalboard, and these guys take up almost no space and are CHEAP.  I don't care that they're not fancy, but does anyone have anything bad to say about them? Note: I'd be getting the house brand from Tayda.


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## Alchemy Audio (Mar 6, 2019)

Well, there are different styles of "pancake" plugs. I use GLS and like them quite a bit. They have solder tabs for both signal and ground.
I've used others with only a tab for the signal and the ground needed to be soldered to the body / base of the plug. This type sucks and, inevitably, you end up melting the plus while attempting to solder the ground connection.


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## the_grumpy_gnome (Mar 6, 2019)

The model in particular is the latter you described.  Thanks for sharing your experience with them.


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## Alchemy Audio (Mar 6, 2019)

The GLS? Not at all. https://www.glsaudio.com/GLS-Audio-...le-Male-Connector-Mono-TS--20-Pack_p_578.html


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## the_grumpy_gnome (Mar 6, 2019)

These aren't bad, thanks for the link!


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## mnemonic (Mar 7, 2019)

I used the cheapos off eBay for all my patch cables, which only have a solder tab for the tip, I like them, cheap and functional. I burned up maybe three before I figured out how to solder the ground onto the housing. 

I would twist the shield around so it came up to the edge of the housing, smother it in flux, get my soldering iron up to like 320c, hold the tip on the edge of the housing and the shield wire at the same time while melting as much solder as I can on it, then stick the end in the freezer for a minute before the heat gets to the jack part. If it stays too hot for too long, the plastic in the jack melts and it gets loose and can create an intermittent signal. 

Maybe not worth the effort, but I bought a pack of 20 for £10 so I was already into it.


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## the_grumpy_gnome (Mar 7, 2019)

mnemonic said:


> I used the cheapos off eBay for all my patch cables, which only have a solder tab for the tip, I like them, cheap and functional. I burned up maybe three before I figured out how to solder the ground onto the housing.
> 
> I would twist the shield around so it came up to the edge of the housing, smother it in flux, get my soldering iron up to like 320c, hold the tip on the edge of the housing and the shield wire at the same time while melting as much solder as I can on it, then stick the end in the freezer for a minute before the heat gets to the jack part. If it stays too hot for too long, the plastic in the jack melts and it gets loose and can create an intermittent signal.
> 
> Maybe not worth the effort, but I bought a pack of 20 for £10 so I was already into it.



This has largely been my experience with them too, but those which I didn't fry seem to be great and now I can solder them w/o issue.  I always worry that whatever cheap Chinesium alloy they use isn't conductive enough or has a comparatively high capacitance.


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