soldering your own cable

you will need to cut away the jack and solder the wires to a new jack

http://www.instructables.com/id/Replacing-the-jack-on-a-pair-of-headphones/ that's a pretty complete walkthrough of the process. Slightly fiddly soldering involved, and yes, cutting off the old jack will likely be the best option. There's some other instructions on the same site for doing a splice using another cable, alternatively but you'd need a dead (or expensable) headphone or cable to sacrifice for that

... A vice is total and utter overkill, not to mention 'stock' headphone cables have this rather annoying coating that's a pain to remove- replacing the cable is probably a easier alternative in many ways, but its a pain to do on a double ended cable and making it look neat

faileas,

I have made many many waveguide parts for the GPS so my work and skills are out of this world.....

I am of the shool use what you have and cheap tools are better than NO Tools at all ....

Their is several things I dont like about the video but its a video on how to solder.....

When I solder I pre-tin each connection and always use flux..

Take plug a apart and see what your looking at first and maybe the shorted connection is right there and just needs a touch of solder.

If not see if you think you are able to cut wires into strands and solder them to the old or new plug..

If not then look at were wires end inside headphones and make the call from there if you can rewire the whole unit might be the first thing to do.. The move backwards on what to try..

You want a

Soldering Iron

ELECTRICAL Solder and flux

Needlenose pliers and diginal cutting pliers

Sharp Knife

And a extra pair of hands or some kind of clamp helps

Practive solding wire before and with wire you are using ..

I've done this, successfully and otherwise - and i documented it (which i linked). Personally i think third hand/clips are the way to go - even the smallest vice i have seen would likely damage the jack, since with one of my earlier attempts, i used too much hot glue, squeezed everything in place.. and had a short, and had to pull it apart with needle nosed pliers. made big dents in the jack. Vises are meant more for clamping than what is needed here.

The demo is using 'proper' cables which will probably tin and solder quite easily- this isn't entirely true of stock headphone cables (hence my comment about a total replacement possibly being easier) - you might even tin, and solder the cables, and not have them work- burning off the coating being the *only* 100% reliable way to solder something to headphone wire. Headphone wire is also not as stiff so you'd prolly need to have it held in place too- which is another place where a third hand shines (Note the one in my how-to is rusty as hell ;p).

Vices arn't really suitable for electrical work, and if you can afford a vice, you can afford a third hand.

I used a cheap (i call em practice plugs, since they take to desoldering well, and are cheap) standard metal jackplug, and i didn't notice anything, but YMMV. considering its your first time, the cheap radioshack plug might have other advantages, like not hurting your pocket too much till you're confident ;p

thanks for the source vid im looking for a decent video to solder my grados. 

Did you buy Flux aka Solder Paste?

Dont get the solder too hot either almost as bad as too cold..

Try to add a little solder to the wire first its called Tinning

When you do two bigger items you can tin both and just heat them till they melt together and use not solder

Also make sure your Iron is Tined with Solder

Practice on some wire, some days it is a pita others is cake its just the way it is..

Oh also try scraping the wire with a knife blade in case its coated with something..