Short piece of spk wire sustitute for spk link?

Quick question. If the OP does go with speaker wire with bare copper ends at the terminals will they have to clean the ends with Deoxit or other cleaners periodically?

Also if what gauge should the speaker wire be? I've seen instances of 22AWG used as replacements for the brass plates all the way up to 10AWG. I don't think I heard the difference though.

Audioquest jumpers are gauge 14:

http://www.amazon.com/AudioQuest-Silver-Plated-Biwire-Jumpers/dp/B0006VMATC/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1296537277&sr=8-3

My version is gold plated.

Why not try bi-wiring instead of replacing the speaker links with short speaker wires?

I'm using the Signal Cable Ultra Speaker Cables (bi-wire configuration) and they're great!
http://signalcable.com/ultraspeaker.html

It's been suggested to me that the best jumpers use the same wire as the cables (where possible) to maintain the impedance etc. Not sure if it makes a difference, but anything is better than the stock jumpers. I've tried expensive custom jumpers with spades ($180) and a bare ended bit of audioquest cable and both worked about equally well. A tight fit should eliminate the need for copper cleaning over time.

Try the ribbon jumpersfrom Mapleshade. Unbelievable boost in speed, clarity, and resolution at $25. I use the ones with the PLUS upgrade for a mere $35/pair.