Help troubleshoot noisey input jack

[Dash_Riprock]

Hi,

I'm a new member here. Twenty years ago, or so, I bought a MIJ Stratocaster, and about 10 years ago I put it away in its case where it stayed until just a couple of days ago. Sitting around for all that time seems to have caused the electronics to deteriorate so that now it intermittently blasts out some very loud nasty crackling, popping, and buzzing sounds. I can make it reproduce this noise by handling the input jack, but twisting the knobs and manipulating the 5-way switch don't have any impact besides what they are supposed to do. I suspect that something with the input jack, or something connected to it, has corroded. Does anyone have any ideas on what may have gone wrong and maybe have some tests for isolating the faulty part of the circuit?

[Brad1]

That's a relatively easy thing to track down. Remove the jackplate. Inspect the jack. Clean the jack. Make sure the jack is making solid contact with a plug inserted. You may try to bend the tip contact inward a bit, but if it's lost its "springy" qualities, it may need to be replaced. Which is also a very easy process.

Inspect the solder joints, and the wires. If the solder looks dull, it could be making a bad connection. If a wire is bared, it could cause trouble. Go ahead and tug a bit on the wires to see if they are loose, while watching the contact.

If none of that works, you may have to remove the pickguard to look at the other ends of the wires. Could be a bad solder joint there.

Do and rule out the easiest thing first. It IS only 2 screws to do that first bunch of checking

Brad1

BTW...how'd that go with Ellie May?

[Mark Black]

A .25 caliber brass gun-cleaning brush and some Caig DeOxit will likely take care of the (probable) jack corrosion without disassembly. Just don't give in to the urge to put the brush in your Makita (done that - mangled a jack & ruined the brush). A couple nuts cinched together on the threaded part of the brush makes an OK impromptu handle...

The Caig DeOxit is available in Radio Shack stores these days and might just do the trick by itself (I see you live in DC where there are no guns and therefore probably no gun stores...).