Recently, I ran into a problem with one of my builds. I was working on a three-stringed guitar that I call “The Stick.” It was a 1×2 maple neck/body that wasn’t going to be attached to anything—just the stick with a 1/4″x2″ oak cover plate over the back of the electronics.

On this build, placement of the 1/4″ output jack required a bit more consideration than usual. The endpin jack that I usually use didn’t work with the thickness of the maple neck/body and if located at the end of guitar, it would reduce the stability of the tuning machines by a factor of one center screw.

A store bought 1/4″ jack requires about 5/8″ to 3/4″ of interior space then necessitates that one find something small enough to fit within the confines of the neck/body and cover plate, but large enough to cover the hole.

With these parameters in mind, I decided to make my own 1/4″ output jack. After making and testing a prototype made from spare parts on my bench, I found that a workable 1/4″ jack can be made from a 5/16″ tee nut, a picture hanger and some electrical tape (preferably 1/2″).

For step-by-step instructions regarding how to build the more compact, homemade 1/4″ jack, follow this link:

JSA Cigar Box Guitar S3 – Homemade, Space-saving 1/4″ Output Jack for Guitar

For photos and build notes related to the subject guitar build, follow this link:

“The Stick” – Streamlined Electric Guitar

Here is a quick and dirty video that demonstrates the homemade 1/4″ guitar jack in action:

Thanks,