messy ventura
22 posts
Sep 06, 2012
8:45 PM
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I recently bought a couple of "on sale" JT30 RH mics with the intent to repaint the shells with some kewl graphics I'm fairly competent with an airbrush and mechanically adept at "tinkering" with stuff but when it comes to electronics ....ahh not so much. How hard is it to install a switchcraft connector in place of the existing connector ? (my female sc cord won't thread on to it ). Will I have to redrill/retap ? Does it (the sc connector) adversely affect anything electronically ? Hoping for some experienced advise. Thanks
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Greg Heumann
1771 posts
Sep 06, 2012
9:13 PM
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You know, when this mic came out I thought it was truly identical to a JT30 in terms of shell and connector, and a BluesBlaster for volume control. It is neither. I have worked on a few of them.
1) The connector is frequently oversized and won't fit genuine switchcraft connectors. I have solved this by running a 5/8-27 die over the existing connector's threads, AND a 5/8-27 tap into the mating connector (cable or adapter). You wouldn't want to have to buy one each of those for a one time job - they cost more than the mic! Ideally, it would be good to replace the connector with a switchcraft one. I did that on the first one I saw. My memory is foggy on that but I'm pretty sure I had to machine a bushing to securely mount the new connector - that makes it a $55 job.
2) The volume control is a 5M ohm copy of the 500K unit that was in the BluesBlaster, which have a special long shank. These pots are no longer made. Further, even with a 500M pot - if you switch to a CM or CR element, the volume control will work more like an on/off switch than a volume control - especially into a wireless transmitter or an amp with lower impedance inputs. So this pot has to be replaced - and once again requires modifications to the shell to enable mounting of a standard pot. And THAT will require a custom knob. That's another $60.
Plus the element, plus a gasket to fit it.
Here's a pic of one I sent out today - together with the screw-on to XLR adapter for wireless.
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/Greg
Last Edited by on Sep 06, 2012 9:17 PM
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rharley5652
632 posts
Sep 06, 2012
11:02 PM
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@ Greg,.
Ya said :
"My memory is foggy on that but I'm pretty sure I had to machine a bushing to securely mount the new connector - that makes it a $55 job.
Not Foggy at all !!
And that is the Ideal fix as the hole in the JT30 RH is 0.456.
At least they threaded the RH connector into the shell unlike the press-fit connectors on the bluesblasters/
why they didn't just use Switchcraft 2501MP is beyond me other than cost factor?
I agree useing the 5M VC with a CR-CM is a No-NO .
Finding a long shank 250ohm VC should not be a problem
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@ 1847,.
yes you can put the the volume control up front
and the connector in back ,.with a lil' bit of machine work,.
The VC in the back is a much better set up as you won't hit the vc when Cupping.
------------click Link Below -----------
Simply Unique Kustom Mic's By Rharley
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NiteCrawler .
195 posts
Sep 07, 2012
5:22 AM
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I recently picked one up at the sale price and installed a MC 127 ceramic into it.Having the volume knob and screw on connector was a plus although the first switchcraft connector would not screw on properly,it was a newer one.I took an older one that I had which had a worn down contact on it and it worked for me.I plan on leaving it on there permanately.I honestly didn,t even try it with the cheesy element(crap) that it came with but will use the gasket for one of the other smaller elements that I have in the future in another shell.
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blueswannabe
152 posts
Sep 07, 2012
6:59 AM
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Will this bushing for harp mics on Ebay work?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Threaded-Bushing-for-JT30-Harp-Mics-4-5-8-Screw-On-Connector-Fit-Stand-Socket-/300769695798?pt=US_Pro_Audio_Microphones&hash=item4607455836
Here's a Volume control
http://www.ebay.com/itm/HARP-MIC-VOLUME-CONTROL-BIG-GUITAR-STYLE-KNURLED-KNOB-JT30-STYLE-100K-CM-CR-/110944064031?pt=US_Pro_Audio_Microphones&hash=item19d4c8121f
Last Edited by on Sep 07, 2012 7:02 AM
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1847
186 posts
Sep 07, 2012
10:54 AM
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yes you can put the the volume control up front
and the connector in back ,.with a lil' bit of machine work,.
The VC in the back is a much better set up as you won't hit the vc when Cupping
all my mic's have the volume control in front
i am constantly working the volume
never had a problem when cupping
i have seen mic's on ebay where i was considering buying bu after seeing where the control is located
i had to pass just saying
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rharley5652
634 posts
Sep 07, 2012
12:26 PM
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@ blueswannabe,.
No the bushing will not fit the Jt-30 RH
It will fit an old 40-50&60's JT-30 with the threaded stand hole,. an the Shure 520/520D mic but not the 520DX model,.also when using this bushing on a 520 shure you have no place for a VC.
As for the VC ,.it's just what the doctor ordered for the JT-30 RH.
bluetraderbob has some very nice stuff,. he's always coming out with something new.
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------------click Link Below -----------
Simply Unique Kustom Mic's By Rharley
Last Edited by on Sep 07, 2012 12:38 PM
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blueswannabe
153 posts
Sep 07, 2012
2:59 PM
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the JT 30 that I ordered on musicians friends has just arrived today and it has a screw on connector. it cost me only 50 dollars and believe it or not the microphone sounds pretty good.
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blueswannabe
155 posts
Sep 08, 2012
6:44 AM
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Update--------
I used the mic lastnight with my band. After playing less than 1 minute, I heard crackling from the cheap cord. I then picked up a real crystal mic and my vintage crystal sounds thicker than the Japanese one that is in the element. I will throw the cord away- it's junk. With regards to the connector. I tried a switchcraft connector and it in fact fit and did work. So in reality, I got a shell with a volume control and switch for $50.
THis stuff isn't rocket science. I am surprised that the Astatic Corp allows this junk. Give the mic a better paint job, put a quality connector on it and a quality volume control knob, and come up with a decent element. I know there is a demand out there.
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Rick Davis
652 posts
Sep 08, 2012
7:54 AM
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Buying the JT-30 RH for $50 to get just the shell is not a bad deal.
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-Rick Davis
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blueswannabe
156 posts
Sep 18, 2012
7:18 PM
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Does anyone know if will the 5Megohm volume control in the JT-RH will work on a MC 101 crystal?
Last Edited by on Sep 18, 2012 7:19 PM
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barbequebob
2035 posts
Sep 19, 2012
8:16 AM
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It most certainly will work on that because that's the required pot for all crystals and ceramics. The MC-101 has a much flatter midrange response than the old MC-151 crystals. BTW, Astatic basically has either sold or licensed Hohner to put those out since the company making the crystals for them discontinued them several years ago.
The best thing to do is get the screw on to 1/4 phone plug adapter and get a good quality guitar cable and you won't have that problem. I have several older JT30's and have done this for years.
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Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
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blueswannabe
157 posts
Sep 20, 2012
11:09 AM
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@barbequebob, Thanks. I installed the MC 101 crystal element and it works with the 5Megohm VC. I kept one of the foam discs in between the grill and the element to cut off some of the highs. Seems to work and sounds fine.
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MP
2468 posts
Sep 20, 2012
12:39 PM
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greg,
That is a Road House? it's Hammer tone finish and the Astatic tag indicator looks older. not riveted but maybe 1960s? i
had an all black w/ chrome grille Canadian JT-30 w/ a tag like that.
also several Hammer tones.
have yet to see Road House but if they look like that i'd get one. loooove Hammer tone.
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MP
affordable reed replacement and repairs.
"making the world a better place, one harmonica at a time"
click user name [MP] for info-
repair videos on YouTube.
you can reach me via Facebook. Mark Prados
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Steamrollin Stan
566 posts
Sep 21, 2012
2:19 AM
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The prob with jt30's like i just brought is the cables are shit, i've had 2 crash in under 3-4 hours practice time, my electrician mate fixed one and it is buggered, i'll just buy a proper one, but the mic's seem good, hope i'm in the right post here...:)
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Libertad
127 posts
Sep 21, 2012
2:31 AM
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MP I know Greg is away so there may be a delay in his answer. The photograph on the musiciansfriend web site does look the same. So it does look like the genuine article, I am very tempted!
Martin
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barbequebob
2036 posts
Sep 21, 2012
7:36 AM
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@MP -- The original JT30's never came with a volume control plus where they have the volume control on the Roadhouse JT30 is where the screw on connector used to be and where the volume pot is on these, on the originals, that's the spot where you could screw the mic onto a mic stand.
Like I said before regarding those cables for the screw on connector is to get yourself an adapter that has the screw on connector at one end and a 1/4" jack at the other and get a good quality guitar cable. Very few of the newer cables with the screw on connectors are done properly, and the stock cable has these poorly made Japanese connectors on them and the old Switchcraft MC1F connectors are FAR superior those.
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Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
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Greg Heumann
1794 posts
Sep 21, 2012
10:36 AM
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@BBQBob
I'll disagree so we can air both sides of this. I really dislike using the 332 adapter because together with the 1/4" plug that plugs into it, you end up with a good 5" or more of rigid appendage hanging down from the mic. I've found that the shorter the connection to the mic, the more flexible it is and the more freedom of movement I have - and that in turn tends to open me up as a musician.
The cable that comes with the Hohner mic is indeed junk. However I make cables, so do other mic vendors on this forum. I KNKOW why they fail when they do, and I take a number of steps to prevent that from happening with my cables. My cables last very, very well.
There is precious little strain relief designed into the Swithcraft 2501F connector (the one that goes on the cable. I think the part number you gave is the old Amphenol part and that one is no longer available but was of identical design.) The cable enters a spring, which is retained in the connector by a set screw. The spring doesn't prevent the cable from spinning inside the spring. A proper cable must mechanically lock the cable to the spring and connector itself, so that it cannot spin inside the spring. (Note - this is exactly the same reason that built-in cables in Shure bullets fail.)
When this is done properly, cables last very well. A little user education helps as well - as once your'e aware of the failure mode you can help prevent it just by being smart. I include a little guide with the cables I sell to educate the user.
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/Greg
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MP
2470 posts
Sep 21, 2012
12:17 PM
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thanks Libertad!
right Bob, as usual.
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MP
affordable reed replacement and repairs.
"making the world a better place, one harmonica at a time"
click user name [MP] for info-
repair videos on YouTube.
you can reach me via Facebook. Mark Prados
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htownfess
269 posts
Sep 22, 2012
3:25 AM
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This may be the cheapest possible upgrade, or merely a wholly isolated instance: I bought a pair of Roadhouses @ blowout price and noticed that one was much weaker than the other. Figured it was just element variation. I thought I'd try sticking a NOS MC-151 crystal into one, and when I took the weaker one apart, I discovered that its element was only half in the gasket, leaning back into the shell, and the foam disc behind the grill was poorly aligned too. No wonder it didn't work well. It had not been dropped by me; just looked like a Monday-morning-on-the-production-line problem. So it might be a good idea for Roadhouse buyers to take a peek inside their mic. Be careful with the grill screws because they're very coarse thread and poorly tapped, compared to the US-made mics.
The MC-151 and its gasket were a pretty tight fit; the Asian shell and grill probably aren't quite dimensionally the same as late US production. However, it went together OK and the Roadhouse-specific foam disc behind the grill seems good at reducing feedback. That Roadhouse VC is very stiff to turn, but it may need to be, given that it's on the "near" side of the cable, unlike the old XLR VC version. It's a decent 5M MC-151 JT-30, given that I've got a number of good vintage cables that connect reliably with it. That is probably a predictable outcome, but there it is, if anyone was wondering about that. It is nice to have a non-vintage silver hammertone VC JT-30 w/o paying custom prices, and the paint seems reasonably durable.
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Steamrollin Stan
567 posts
Sep 22, 2012
3:55 AM
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Thier made in china, i just got 2, the cables are crap and this is why the 50 buck special was on i suspect, the mic is better than my other stuff, oh well buyer beware, you know how it is.
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Joe_L
2066 posts
Sep 22, 2012
6:18 PM
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Welcome back htownfess. You've been missed.
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The Blues Photo Gallery
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dcf1va
1 post
Feb 05, 2015
9:58 AM
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I have a hohner JT-30 RH harp but NEED switchcraft to 1/4 connector. Anyone know where to get a connector that fits this JT-30 RH?
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HawkeyeKane
2696 posts
Feb 05, 2015
12:50 PM
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@dcf1va
Right here...
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Hawkeye Kane - Hipbone Sam
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Harpaholic
600 posts
Feb 05, 2015
6:58 PM
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Mouser, part number 2501F
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Barley Nectar
628 posts
Feb 06, 2015
12:37 AM
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Crap, I thought Rick Davis and Hometowmfess had come back to the forum. Now I see the date!
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HawkeyeKane
2697 posts
Feb 06, 2015
8:41 AM
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Hey Harpaholic....shot you an email last night.
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Hawkeye Kane - Hipbone Sam
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HawkeyeKane
2698 posts
Feb 06, 2015
8:45 AM
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And for the record, the Mouser part number listed above is only for a 5/8" connector for a cable. It's not really an adapter per se....
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Hawkeye Kane - Hipbone Sam
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Greg Heumann
2944 posts
Feb 06, 2015
9:15 AM
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@dcf1va - I (blowsmeaway.com) sell Switchcraft screw--on to 1/4" adapters.
But with the Hohner RHJT30 it (or ANY properly made switchcraft or amphenol screw-on connector) may not fit, because the threads on that connector are often a little too big. That can be fixed so that it conforms to the standard 5/8"-27 thread but you'd have to send me the mic to do it.
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***************************************************
/Greg
BlowsMeAway Productions
See my Customer Mics album on Facebook
Bluestate on iTunes
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Harpaholic
601 posts
Feb 06, 2015
10:22 AM
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Hawk you are correct! 332A is the connecter if I remember correctly, but I don't see them on the website anymore?
You have my email? I didn't get it?
Last Edited by Harpaholic on Feb 06, 2015 10:24 AM
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HawkeyeKane
2699 posts
Feb 06, 2015
10:28 AM
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Maybe I have the wrong email address. I had to hunt for it on here. Shoot one to me will ya? Address is in my profile.
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Hawkeye Kane - Hipbone Sam
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HawkeyeKane
2700 posts
Feb 06, 2015
10:39 AM
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I got yours, but then my webmail failed to send. I sent reply from different address...
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Hawkeye Kane - Hipbone Sam
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Jukebox
1 post
Aug 04, 2015
11:14 PM
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I bought a Peavey H5 for $50 a while back. Came with a mini-xlr connector. I scrapped that and ordered the switchcraft 2501 setup (male for the mic and female-to-1/4). Same issues as most, the adapter is too small for the hole. After doing some rather late night research on it, I've found the sc was 3/8" and the mini xlr was 7/16". I'm gonna just try using some thread tape on it to begin with just to see if everything works when I piece it together. Then I may eventually have someone machine a bushing for it... if its possible to machine a bushing with threads in and out that are only 1/16" different...
Any thoughts anyone?
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