Jack socket

[plankspanker]

A quick question concerning a Musicman SUB fiver that I've just picked up second hand; The bass plays well and is in good condition except for a dodgy jack socket. I've re-soldered the terminals and cleaned the contacts but although that has improved matters it's still not 100% reliable. I ordered a Puretone socket and some new strings from a well known retailer but realise now that this new socket is just a simple mono socket whereas I need one with a third contact which provides a ground connection for the battery when the jack plug is inserted. Is it just a stereo socket that is required and I should solder the battery negative to the ring terminal?

Typing this out it sounds pretty obvious but this is my first active bass!

Thanks in advance.

[neepheid]

Yes, you will almost certainly need a stereo jack socket.  The battery is probably switched by the ring terminal, but as long as ground uses one and battery -ve uses the other of ring and sleeve and leave hot/output to the tip it'll be fine - it is the plugging in of a mono jack plug which shorts ring and sleeve together and sends it all to ground.

[plankspanker]

53 minutes ago, neepheid said:

Yes, you will almost certainly need a stereo jack socket.  The battery is probably switched by the ring terminal, but as long as ground uses one and battery -ve uses the other of ring and sleeve and leave hot/output to the tip it'll be fine - it is the plugging in of a mono jack plug which shorts ring and sleeve together and sends it all to ground.

Thanks, neepheid. All these years playing passives I've never given it a thought but I bet it's the same idea inside tuners and other pedals;  the battery -ve is wired to the ring terminal of a stereo socket but a mono plug in that socket shorts the ring and sleeve together and powers up the electronics. Must remember to never plug my stereo headphones into my tuner input!