Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum

Forum Ringside => Tech => Topic started by: Mr. Air on June 17, 2012, 08:04:16 AM

Title: Problem with grounding wire on telecaster bridge
Post by: Mr. Air on June 17, 2012, 08:04:16 AM

I'm trying to solder the ground wire to my tele's bridge, but the surface is so smooth that the it won't stick. Any good suggestions?

Title: Re: Problem with grounding wire on telecaster bridge
Post by: Toe-Knee on June 17, 2012, 10:40:04 AM

Take a bit of sandpaper to it or a screw driver to scratch it up a bit this should help the solder to take.

Also make sure that you are heating the bridge enough with the iron otherwise the solder wont flow onto it.

Title: Re: Problem with grounding wire on telecaster bridge
Post by: Philly Q on June 17, 2012, 08:57:16 PM

Do you mean the guitar's bridge, or the baseplate of the bridge pickup?

I don't see why you'd need to solder a ground wire to the bridge, string grounding on a Tele is normally via the pickup's baseplate.  If there's no pickup baseplate (like on some recent American Standards), Fender use a separate ground wire which sits under the bridge, but it's not soldered, it's just held in place by the contact between the bridge and the top of the body.


(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v234/mellecaster/Wiring/DSCF4182JPG.jpg)

Title: Re: Problem with grounding wire on telecaster bridge
Post by: WezV on June 17, 2012, 09:40:58 PM

yeah, good contact is usually enough.  i tend to go with a wire stripped back with about 1" bare metal.  Then poke it slightly into a screw hole

only time you have to be a bit more thorough is with some black platings

Title: Re: Problem with grounding wire on telecaster bridge
Post by: darkbluemurder on June 18, 2012, 05:37:22 PM

As Philly Q said.

Cheers Stephan

Title: Re: Problem with grounding wire on telecaster bridge
Post by: frankus on July 05, 2012, 04:53:25 PM

you could just use a bit of shielding tape to stick it in place :) I generally shield the cavities and leave a lip of a cm or so running towards the saddles, then solder the wire to the shielding.