EMG wiring question (don't worry, its for a bass)

[gwEm]

I just ebayed a proper 80s Steinberger EMG pickup for my Hohner, at a cost of $41 (canadian), about 20 quid.

I'd like to use the active EMG in the bridge with tone/volume controls, and the stock passive EMG (sounding good) in the neck with only volume control. This should be easily possible with a 2 way switch.

My question relates to the bridge grounding wire.

EMG state that for their active pickups, no grounding wire should be used. But, for passive pickups a grounding wire is needed.

What should I do with the grounding wire in this mixed active/passive system?

I read that adding a grounding wire in an active system will damage it - this sounds like boll0cks to me, however i would obviously apppricate some advice after reading that.

[PhilKing]

maybe it is to do with the ground being -ve for the battery?  I have never mixed the passive/active but have had preamps in passive systems and kept the ground wire in them.  If the ground is to the strings and not any part of the active side (even the -ve battery), then I can't see how it can do anything to the active system at all (unless there is a short somewhere  :shock: )

[gwEm]

the thing is, on EMGs, the ground of the battery is connected to the jack and to the outside of the metal pots, and to the screening of the pickup wire.

obviousy the ground of the active and passive pickups will be the same - as they are connected to the same jack, and i'll be switching the 'hot' connection...

now - if i connect a bridge/strings grounding wire, everything will have it connected.

[Philly Q]

Not a technical suggestion, but I know Vinnie Vincent had a Jackson with an EMG in the bridge and a passive neck pickup.

[WezV]

EMG's simply dont need the ground wire because they are internally shielded.. I think adding a ground wire will create a ground loop

mixing actives and passive is a bit of a problem.  should be ok to treat it as two seperate systems that you choose with a 2-way switch or i would think about some kind of pre-amp for the passives to make them a better match for the EMG's

Not actually done it because i have never had to but as for the ground wire i would just try it with and without  and in different places and see which works best

[gwEm]

interesting. a bridge grounding wire improved noise even with the active EMG.

[Philly Q]

Presumably you now hear a difference in noise levels when you take your hands off the strings, as you would with passives?

[FELINEGUITARS]

Having the ground wire present on an EMG should make little or no difference
They say it is good to remove it asit makes no difference sonically - purely from a safety point of view - the player is no longer in the circuit by touching the strings and is less likely to get a zap from a microphone or whatever

[gwEm]

thats right - its very slight, but if you dime the gain it is barely audible.

i can see why they suggest no ground wire, its probably not needed for a fully active setup. but because i have a passive neck pickup, it does make sense.

[HTH AMPS]

So long as you have sepearate volume and tone controls for each pickup, you should be fine to have the EMG ungrounded and the passive p/up grounded.  Just make sure the ground connection does not go to the EMG controls.

[gwEm]

of course with plastic washers i can leave the pot cases ungrounded. but surely the ground always ends up going to the jack unless i switch with a double pole switch.

i dont want to do this as i want to switch the pickup 'hot' wire, and the EMG power with the switch. i would need a triple pole - not so easy to get hold of.

[HTH AMPS]

why do you need a switch? - simply wire the passive pickups as normal, then the EMG and pots used for that pickup don't get a ground connection.

of course if you're sharing the same volume & tone pots between the two pickups, you'll need a switching scheme to make/break the ground connection.

at the end of the day though, if there is little difference with the EMGs grounded - just ground them.