Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum

Forum Ringside => Tech => Topic started by: MrBump on March 21, 2009, 09:30:35 AM

Title: Dumb Question about Tele Bridge
Post by: MrBump on March 21, 2009, 09:30:35 AM

Does a tele bridge need to be grounded?  I've grounded a strat bridge before, and a TOM...  Do I just solder a wire directly to the underside of the bridge then to the back of the volume pot?

Mark.

Title: Re: Dumb Question about Tele Bridge
Post by: Tellboy on March 21, 2009, 09:49:50 AM

Yes it will need to be grounded. I think my teles have a hole under the bridgeplate  and a piece of bare wire connected to the volume pot. The wire is wound in a 'curly whirly' at the end and the bridge plate just sits on it when it is screwed down - no need to solder providing everything is clean and has a good contact.

Title: Re: Dumb Question about Tele Bridge
Post by: MrBump on March 21, 2009, 10:07:52 AM

Cheers, bud.

Mark.

Title: Re: Dumb Question about Tele Bridge
Post by: Philly Q on March 21, 2009, 11:15:38 AM

Agreed, but having said that, you will find (vintage-style) Teles with no ground wire or hole under the bridge.

That's because if it's the type of Tele pickup with a metal baseplate, the baseplate is grounded and connected to the metal bridge by metal screws... so the strings are grounded via the pickup baseplate.

Title: Re: Dumb Question about Tele Bridge
Post by: AndyR on March 21, 2009, 12:28:47 PM

+1 to all

Bridges/strings need grounding.

But if your tele bridge pickup has a metal baseplate you don't need an extra wire.

Title: Re: Dumb Question about Tele Bridge
Post by: tomjackson on March 28, 2009, 09:31:23 AM

I just rubbed some of the finish off the back of the bridge and put a bare wire underneath when I screwed the bridge down, then connected to ground.  That works fine....

Title: Re: Dumb Question about Tele Bridge
Post by: hunter on March 28, 2009, 09:42:06 AM

Quote from: Philly Q on March 21, 2009, 11:15:38 AM

Agreed, but having said that, you will find (vintage-style) Teles with no ground wire or hole under the bridge.

That's because if it's the type of Tele pickup with a metal baseplate, the baseplate is grounded and connected to the metal bridge by metal screws... so the strings are grounded via the pickup baseplate.

You are a walking guitar encyclopedia Phil!

Title: Re: Dumb Question about Tele Bridge
Post by: Philly Q on March 28, 2009, 10:21:40 AM

Quote from: hunter on March 28, 2009, 09:42:06 AM

Quote from: Philly Q on March 21, 2009, 11:15:38 AM

Agreed, but having said that, you will find (vintage-style) Teles with no ground wire or hole under the bridge.

That's because if it's the type of Tele pickup with a metal baseplate, the baseplate is grounded and connected to the metal bridge by metal screws... so the strings are grounded via the pickup baseplate.

You are a walking guitar encyclopedia Phil!

Thanks CJ, but if only that also applied to my playing :( .   I'd like to be a walking riff-opedia.  :)

Title: Re: Dumb Question about Tele Bridge
Post by: MrBump on March 28, 2009, 10:38:05 PM

Thanks for all the replies, chaps -- Tele is now all built (earth wire shoved under the bridge, just in case), and all sounding damn fine!!!

Mark.

Title: Re: Dumb Question about Tele Bridge
Post by: Fourth Feline on March 28, 2009, 10:59:12 PM

Quote from: MrBump on March 28, 2009, 10:38:05 PM

Thanks for all the replies, chaps -- Tele is now all built (earth wire shoved under the bridge, just in case), and all sounding damn fine!!!

Mark.

I also had to add a (tailpiece ) earthing wire to my recent Jazz guitar aquisition . With a ' floating' wooden bridge ,  the tailpiece / strings needed earthing to the back of a pot for optimum results.