Stuck End-pin Jack

[Rev George]

I was recently brought an Ibanez acoustic that has a soundhole pickup wired to an endpin jack. The customer wants the endpin jack removed along with the pickup wiring so he can sell the guitar and keep the pickup and endpin jack for another of his guitars.
The endpin jack is not coming out. It is really in there. I removed the interior nut no problem but the jack won't come out of the tail block.
Thinking it might thread out I got it to turn - it's really hard to turn - but it won't come out. I thought maybe of using a hole saw that is barely bigger than the jack (it's a pretty cheap plywood acoustic) and getting it out that way, but that seems kind of drastic. Any ideas?

Rev George

[Jeffrey L. Suits]

Reach back in there, and clip the wire as close to the jack as you can. Sell him another endpin jack.

Sounds like a real PITA.

[Greg Mirken]

Pictures would help, but leaving the jack in there is certainly an option. How much of your time is equivalent to the cost of a new jack?

[FRANK]

HIT IT WIT A HAMMER

[Mike Kolb]

I kinda' like the hole-saw idea. Then the job is to clean-up the hole and reduce it back down to nominal size. Since it's a plywood acoustic, maybe you could get-away with dowelling-up the hole, make it look pretty, and put in a new fresh hole for the bone or plastic endpin. Sounds like a fun job, actually.

[Tommy Kay]

Thread a bolt into it and try using a knob puller to extract it - if you have one? I had one that was glued in. I used a 1/4' drill to ream it out. That heated it up enough to loosen it.

[Rev George]

All good ideas! Actually I think that leaving it in there and selling him another jack is probably the best idea. Unfortunately the thing has got my dander up and now I'm pissed at it!
Mike, your idea is the same as mine. I could saw it out and put a dowel in there, cut it flush, stain it as close as possible to the original color and stick a regular end pin in it. I've never seen this happen before and I've installed and removed many a USP. How in the hell did they get it in there? The hole must have been the same size as the threaded part of the jack and they threaded it in there, I guess.
I guess I'll go with Jeffrey's idea and clip the wires and leave it in there. Sometimes the easiest idea is the best.
Thanks to all for the replys.

Rev George

[Russell Vance]

Agree, leave it be - if it has been glued in (which happens as well meaning people try to fix a loose jack) you may well damage the guitar getting it out - and the amount of time you would spend extracting and re-finishing etc is way over the the cost of the repair - sell him a new one or even give him a new jack to get him gone and move on to more profitable work. Rusty.