Dumb Question about Tele Bridge

[MrBump]

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.

[Tellboy]

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.

[MrBump]

Cheers, bud.

Mark.

[Philly Q]

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.

[AndyR]

+1 to all

Bridges/strings need grounding.

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

[tomjackson]

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....

[hunter]

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!

[Philly Q]

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.  :)

[MrBump]

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.

[Fourth Feline]

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.