Jack plate

The metal or plastic plate that surrounds the output socket and spreads the force of a cable plug across the timber.

Without one, the socket's own small screws take every knock and pull from a cable, and the wood around them soon wears and strips. A plate on an electro-acoustic body is usually rectangular with the socket in the middle; on an electric it is often a recessed cup or a small square. Because a guitar is often stood on its cable end or dragged by it, this is one of the most commonly damaged areas.

Example: a loose output jack that has been pulling at its screws for months usually needs the stripped holes in its plate area filled and re-drilled.

Jack plate

See also