How do you clean an amp's jacks?

[MILLO]

Do you fill up the bathtub w/ soapwater and let it soak for an hour, then plug it and turn it up, still in the tub? J/K

 

Seriously: Cotton swabs? ...if using cotton swabs, do the fibers go in and actually become debris inside? What cleanser, if any?

 

I haven't used my heads' FX loops and want to try to clean the jacks, although I don't right now think they're problematic. Let's say I want to knwo just in case I need to.

 

Thanks a bunch!!!

[S. Yeti Bigfoot, Esq.]

Well...my take on it is "If it ain't broke, don't try to fix it."

 

Try it first. If all the jacks work properly, then don't "jack" with it.

 

If you do end up needing to clean it, I would probably just use some spray contact cleaner.

[MILLO]

Gotcha, I'll try them tomorrow morning.

[skipclone 1]

I generally use cotton swabs and alcohol. Never had a problem with them shredding (that`s MY job) but a light touch helps-all you want to do is clean the inside of the jack, don`t use it like a fiber optic in someone`s stomach. A cotton pad and alcohol can be used for cable ends.

[fantasticsound]

A little contact cleaner sprayed on a 1/4 plug, inserted and removed several times, works wonders. Clean the plug with a clean towel and repeat. There used to be a tool available that was designed for this task, but using a plug has always worked for me.

[Dr. Ellwood]

I have taken off the cabinet and used a pencil eraser as a light abrasive to clean the contacts then wiped them off with alcohol.

[fantasticsound]

BTW - Alcohol does little or nothing for cleaning metal.

 

The key issue on jacks, plugs and other conductors is tarnish. Alcohol does nothing to clean tarnish off metals.

 

You can keep using alcohol. It won't do anything but make the tarnish and/or clean metal shine though.

[miroslav]

Caig DeOxit......a little dab goes along way....

[S. Yeti Bigfoot, Esq.]

As Neil pointed out, alcohol is really useless for cleaning electrical contacts, unless there is some sort of oil of chemical on the contact that needs to be cleaned off. The thing that you need to do is to burnish the contact points, and to make sure that there is still sufficient tension to keep good contact. Normally, things like RCA jacks should be somewhat self-burnishing, because as you plug and unplug the jack, the contact surfaces "wipe" over each other. They have a life expectancy of a certain number of "wipes". What really ultimately causes failure in that type of contact, normally, is a loss of tension in the contacts. You can often sort of refurbish a failing jack by removing it and reforming the contacts, but that is a temporary fix, at best. The best thing to do when they fail is simply to replace them. It's not a big deal and it's not expensive.

 

I prefer not to clean this type of electrical contact with any chemicals at all, because they can leave residues behind and cause accellerated oxidation on the contact surfaces. If I clean this type of contact at all, I use a pencil eraser to burnish it, then a clean cloth to remove the little pieces of rubber from the eraser.

[fantasticsound]

I forgot about erasing! Good show, Sas!

[S. Yeti Bigfoot, Esq.]

Actually, Lee mentioned it first.

[miroslav]

An eraser is great for some stuff...but how do you clean 1/4" jacks with one?

It's kinda' hard getting in there with an eraser, even if it's on the end of a thin pencil.

 

Also...with a lot of contacts...you have to be careful about the amount of pressure you are applying as you press on them in order to clean them...as they can be bent too far out of spec to be useful after the cleaning.

 

I tend to leave contacts alone until I start to notice the first signs of contact issues...and then I'll use the DeOxit (the 100% pure stuff, no solvent like in the 5% sprays)...and then I make sure I clean away all the excess cleaner with follow-up dry wipes.

Then I will also apply a VERY light preservative, Caig Gold to all the contacts that are fairly new to begin with. In order to keep any oxidation from forming.

Just watch out on certain plastics....as the DeOxit is not good over time...but it's OK if you remember to always WIPE AWAY THE EXCESS DeOxit.

 

In my studio....I must have a few thousand jacks/plugs in all...and the only ones that need 1-2 yearly cleanings are the patch bays and some of the console 1/4" jacks.

Most of the others, the "permanent connects" I leave alone unless a problem starts to show.

 

Heck...it would take me a very long time to clean every contact in the studio...

Also...I have several hundred TT/Bantam jacks for my patchbays...and they're not easy to clean because of their smaller size.

[S. Yeti Bigfoot, Esq.]

Originally posted by miroslav:

An eraser is great for some stuff...but how do you clean 1/4" jacks with one?

It's kinda' hard getting in there with an eraser, even if it's on the end of a thin pencil.

 

Also...with a lot of contacts...you have to be careful about the amount of pressure you are applying as you press on them in order to clean them...as they can be bent too far out of spec to be useful after the cleaning.

 

I tend to leave contacts alone until I start to notice the first signs of contact issues...and then I'll use the DeOxit (the 100% pure stuff, no solvent like the 5% sprays)...and then I make sure I clean away all the excess cleaner with follow-up dry wipes.

Then I will also apply a VERY light preservative, Caig Gold to all the contacts that are fairly new to begin with. In order to keep any oxidation from forming.

 

In my studio....I must have a few thousand jacks/plugs in all...and the only ones that need 1-2 yearly cleanings are the patch bays and some of the console 1/4" jacks.

Most of the others, the "permanent connects" I leave alone unless a problem starts to show.

 

Heck...it would take me a very long time to clean every contact in the studio...

Also...I have several hundred TT/Bantam jacks for my patchbays...and they're not easy to clean because of their smaller size.

Well, the whole idea is "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."...like I said in my first reply. I've seen people inexplicably fix things that were working perfectly until they didn't work at all any more.

 

If an RCA jack is starting to fail, you can rest assured that (unless someone has poured something into it, or it's kept in a really nasty environment) it's probably not because of dirty or corroded contacts, it's because of a loss of spring tension in the contacts. In either case, the only way to really fix it correctly is to take it out so that you can burnish the contact points (if needed) or reform the contacts, or (preferred) replace the jack.

 

I won't spray anything into my amplifiers or other gear. If I need to work on a jack I always take it out to work on it. If it's not failing, I have no reason to work on it.

 

I have used spray contact cleaner to clean other types of electrical contacts, such as relays, mechanical circuit breakers (CBs), contactors, etc., even commutators....and I have done it dynamically, but I always use a non-conductive cleaner that does not leave a residue.

[skipclone 1]

Originally posted by fantasticsound:

BTW - Alcohol does little or nothing for cleaning metal.

 

The key issue on jacks, plugs and other conductors is tarnish. Alcohol does nothing to clean tarnish off metals.

 

You can keep using alcohol. It won't do anything but make the tarnish and/or clean metal shine though.

Ahem...dust? finger oil? does a fine job with those. Maybe tarnish is a problem with antiqe parts.

[fantasticsound]

Actually, tarnish is a problem with a lot of contacts. It can completely cut signal between contacts, but most often results in scratchy noise when the contacts vibrate. Contact cleaner and deoxit will both clean dust and fingeroil, but they also handle the more pressing issues.

[Scott Fraser]

<>

 

Haven't seen one of these in a store in years, still have mine. When that's not available I use a bit of rolled up superfine grade sandpaper wrapped around a skinny chopstick, rotated once or twice around the inside of the ground connector & a couple swipes on the tip.

And I never insert a plug into any 1/4" jack without rotating it a few times.

 

Scott Fraser

[miroslav]

Originally posted by Sasquatch51:

I've seen people inexplicably fix things that were working perfectly until they didn't work at all any more.

Been there...in my young-n-stupid days...

 

If I need to work on a jack I always take it out to work on it.

Ahhthen I can see how you could use an eraser...

...otherwise, the DeOxit is easier than removing a mounted jack...never mind if you have many jacks to clean.

 

I don't spray into the jack...I usually spray some of the DeOxit into the spray cap...and then I lightly dab a Q-Tip into that

and then I follow-up with some clean/dry Q-Tips.

And yes...you have to be careful not to leave any cotton in the jack...but it's not difficult.

 

Alsoas I mentionedthe DeOxit 100% has no solventbut if you cant get in there with a Q-Tipthe 5% spray has the solvent that flushes away the grimebut thats ONLY if you really cant get at itlike the closed pots, etc

YeahI really hate having to just spray into a switch.

[BillWelcome Home Studios]

I prefer not to use compounds, because they leave a residue and atract dirt.

 

In the old days, we used to use burnishers. I lost my last one a long time ago, but I find that the soft copper or brass brush design for cleaning the barrel of a 22 caliber gun will work pretty well. Be gentle.

 

Bill

[Big Red 67]

A little OT. Have you ever heard of "Tweak". It is so conductive that if you leave a trail of it between output posts it WILL short out the amp. Apparently it is the greatest liquid connector ever.

[BillWelcome Home Studios]

Originally posted by Big Red 67:

A little OT. Have you ever heard of "Tweak". It is so conductive that if you leave a trail of it between output posts it WILL short out the amp. Apparently it is the greatest liquid connector ever.

Tweak and DeoxIt are the two prefered compounds for cleaning, when that is the only answer, like spraying into pots and switches. I still suggest dry clesning jacks.

 

 

Bill

[miroslav]

The residue is only an issue if you over-spray into the contact....and then just leave it there.

 

Most people tend to fall for the "more is better" approach...and they'll really do S-P-R-A-Y...

which does leave a mess.

 

Also...that very minute amount of "film" that is left after you use DeOxit and then dry-wipe...

...is actually there as a protective coating and does not in any way cause any problems to the contact.

Also...it acts as a lubricant for the contact.

 

I know burnishing is a common method, and it will clean away the oxidationbut that's nothing more than you scraping away a small amount of the actual metal from the contacts...which over time, will kill the jackand I've seen even a few tenths of a millimeter make a difference in how well the plug/jack connect with each other.

Also....burnishing is not really going to work on closed pots, faders or female XLRs and RCA connectors.

 

I've had several conversations with the Caig folks about their products, trying to better understand which product is for which application and how to best use them...

...and I've found a pretty good method that works and that also allows me NOT to have to re-clean any time soon...as their compounds do preserve and lengthen the time between cleanings...

...but YMMV.

 

For only 1/4" amp jacks...yeah...a small copper/brass brush is not a bad thing to carry around to gigs in place of a bottle/spray can.