Members notjonahbutnoah Posted March 14, 2011 Members Share Posted March 14, 2011 On a Les Paul, where does the ground wire connect to the bridge? Is it inside or underneath the little "cup" that the bridge post screws into? Basically, will I have to yank that thing out of there to connect the ground, or just unscrew a post? I've never actually completely removed any of the four posts to check. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BoneNut Posted March 14, 2011 Members Share Posted March 14, 2011 It connects to the bridge stud that enters the body closest to the controls. No pick deal pulling one out and reinserting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members notjonahbutnoah Posted March 14, 2011 Author Members Share Posted March 14, 2011 Cool cool, so it's between wood and metal then? What's the best thing to use to pull one of those out? Seems like it might be hard to yank out... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members honeyiscool Posted March 14, 2011 Members Share Posted March 14, 2011 Why are you removing yours? Lot of LPs are not string grounded. It shouldn't matter too much on a double humbucker guitar with metal pickup covers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mrbrown49 Posted March 14, 2011 Members Share Posted March 14, 2011 It connects to the bridge stud that enters the body closest to the controls. No pick deal pulling one out and reinserting. Yup. It's usually just laying at the bottom of the hole and the bushing squashes down on top of it. On LP style guitars I've see it go to either the bridge or stop tail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members notjonahbutnoah Posted March 14, 2011 Author Members Share Posted March 14, 2011 Why are you removing yours?Lot of LPs are not string grounded. It shouldn't matter too much on a double humbucker guitar with metal pickup covers. Got some ground noise, the kind that goes away when you touch the strings (or any metal that's connected to the circuit), but also pops a little bit. You know how you can pluck a string and barely touch it while it's vibrating and it'll create some loud static from the repeated touching against your skin. You'd be surprised. Thing's damned noisy, unless I'm touching it. I mean, it's not unusable, but it's annoying to hear that pop. It'll be a splinter in my mind until it's fixed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BoneNut Posted March 14, 2011 Members Share Posted March 14, 2011 Cool cool, so it's between wood and metal then? What's the best thing to use to pull one of those out? Seems like it might be hard to yank out... [video=youtube;RsZ9zBX2eDU] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mrbrown49 Posted March 14, 2011 Members Share Posted March 14, 2011 Got some ground noise, the kind that goes away when you touch the strings (or any metal that's connected to the circuit), but also pops a little bit. You know how you can pluck a string and barely touch it while it's vibrating and it'll create some loud static from the repeated touching against your skin. You'd be surprised. Thing's damned noisy, unless I'm touching it. I mean, it's not unusable, but it's annoying to hear that pop. It'll be a splinter in my mind until it's fixed. Noise should go away when you touch the strings, that's what the string ground does. If you have doubts of connectivity just use a meter to test continuity btw the bridge and the back of a pot. Do that before yanking out the posts to see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members notjonahbutnoah Posted March 14, 2011 Author Members Share Posted March 14, 2011 Noise should go away when you touch the strings, that's what the string ground does. If you have doubts of connectivity just use a meter to test continuity btw the bridge and the back of a pot. Do that before yanking out the posts to see. *sigh* OK FINE! You have my word that I will buy a meter TODAY. I've been putting it off for too long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mrbrown49 Posted March 14, 2011 Members Share Posted March 14, 2011 *sigh* OK FINE! You have my word that I will buy a meter TODAY. I've been putting it off for too long. You'll be so glad you did. Have a look at sears, ratshack or harbour frieght. They all have meters on the cheap side. Look for one that has an audible beep on the continuity tester. It's just a nice thing to have when you are poking around cause you don't have to take your eyes off your work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mrbrown49 Posted March 14, 2011 Members Share Posted March 14, 2011 One more thing, if all that stuff checks out ok shield your cavity. That's probably where noise is getting in. When you touch the strings you become part of the shield and block out noise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members WRGKMC Posted March 14, 2011 Members Share Posted March 14, 2011 All guitars have the strings grounded, Humbuckers or otherwise. Cavity shielding with metalic paint or copper foil is a good point too. You still need the bridge grounded to be effective in any case. Youll find the older pauls with the small wood screw type TOM studs often has the stop tail grounded between the wood and the insert. With the larger bridge studs that have a metal insert they may be grounded at the bridge. The wire contacts the insert between the insert and the wood, not anyplace where the threads are. Threads would cut the ground wire and make it ineffective. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mrbrown49 Posted March 14, 2011 Members Share Posted March 14, 2011 All guitars have the strings grounded, Humbuckers or otherwise. Cavity shielding with metalic paint or copper foil is a good point too. You still need the bridge grounded to be effective in any case. Youll find the older pauls with the small wood screw type TOM studs often has the stop tail grounded between the wood and the insert. With the larger bridge studs that have a metal insert they may be grounded at the bridge. The wire contacts the insert between the insert and the wood, not anyplace where the threads are. Threads would cut the ground wire and make it ineffective. An easy way to test where it goes is continuity btw the back of a pot and both the bridge and stoptail, with the strings OFF. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members honeyiscool Posted March 14, 2011 Members Share Posted March 14, 2011 Not all guitars have strings grounded. Some LPs don't even have a route for the grounding wire to the bridge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BoneNut Posted March 14, 2011 Members Share Posted March 14, 2011 Not all guitars have strings grounded. Some LPs don't even have a route for the grounding wire to the bridge. Agree... the really, really, really, really, {censored}ty LPs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members honeyiscool Posted March 14, 2011 Members Share Posted March 14, 2011 I'm sure it was in the late 70s and early 80s when Gibson Les Pauls didn't have string grounding. It was to avoid electrocution, apparently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Belva Posted March 14, 2011 Members Share Posted March 14, 2011 Agree... the really, really, really, really, {censored}ty LPs. Any LP that doesn't have the string path grounded is a really {censored}ty LP. It's a given that the string path has to be grounded. You could hook a wire to a tuner and string it down the neck to a pot and it would work. It would look like {censored}, but the string path would be grounded. Failure to have a bridge/trem claw/other/ ground WILL cause the noise the OP is describing. Period. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members honeyiscool Posted March 14, 2011 Members Share Posted March 14, 2011 Yeah but grounded strings can cause electrocution on stage. It's happened before and will happen again. Some people will be paranoid and prefer not grounding their strings. I mean, hell, I've gotten nasty shocks from picking up the phone while I was holding a guitar because the phone was plugged into a charger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members notjonahbutnoah Posted March 14, 2011 Author Members Share Posted March 14, 2011 Ok, I got a miltimeter. Wish I'd have seen Mr. Brown's post but I left work and went to the store right after my last post. It doesn't have a dedicated continuity function... I don't think, but I found a setting that gives a reading if there's continuity vs nothing. The back of the pot registered when touched to the bridge. So... yeah. Can you tell I only kinda know what I'm doing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Belva Posted March 15, 2011 Members Share Posted March 15, 2011 Ok, I got a miltimeter.Wish I'd have seen Mr. Brown's post but I left work and went to the store right after my last post. It doesn't have a dedicated continuity function... I don't think, but I found a setting that gives a reading if there's continuity vs nothing. The back of the pot registered when touched to the bridge. So... yeah. Can you tell I only kinda know what I'm doing? Continuity=ohms Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Belva Posted March 15, 2011 Members Share Posted March 15, 2011 Yeah but grounded strings can cause electrocution on stage. It's happened before and will happen again. Some people will be paranoid and prefer not grounding their strings.I mean, hell, I've gotten nasty shocks from picking up the phone while I was holding a guitar because the phone was plugged into a charger. If this is happening there is something else amiss. It isn't the string ground. Chances are it's improper grounding of the building. Or it's in the amp, a pedal or something else. Think about it. If you touch the strings and the hum goes away, you're providing the ground that stops the hum. Your body is sending electrickery to ground because you're the ground. I would think the likelihood of a shock would be greater with no bridge ground. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Pope on a Rope Posted March 15, 2011 Members Share Posted March 15, 2011 Ok, I got a miltimeter.Wish I'd have seen Mr. Brown's post but I left work and went to the store right after my last post. It doesn't have a dedicated continuity function... I don't think, but I found a setting that gives a reading if there's continuity vs nothing. The back of the pot registered when touched to the bridge. So... yeah. Can you tell I only kinda know what I'm doing? If the noise stops when you touch the strings that's indication enough that the ground is connected to the bridge. What changed before this started happening? Could it be static? My LP Studio makes annoying popping sounds when the weather is particularly dry. What happens when you rub your hand against the pick guard or the finish? Do you get any static noise there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members honeyiscool Posted March 15, 2011 Members Share Posted March 15, 2011 If this is happening there is something else amiss. It isn't the string ground. Chances are it's improper grounding of the building. Or it's in the amp, a pedal or something else. Think about it. If you touch the strings and the hum goes away, you're providing the ground that stops the hum. Your body is sending electrickery to ground because you're the ground. I would think the likelihood of a shock would be greater with no bridge ground.And that's of course the problem. Many buildings aren't wired that well and once your body is part of the ground, you are susceptible to grounding loops and you can easily shock yourself on a microphone connected to the PA many feet away, this happens all the time. Usually it's just painful and not all that bad, but it can be. Removing the string ground does get rid of this problem since you'll no longer be susceptible to grounding loops just by touching the strings (you're still susceptible to it when you're touching the control plate or whatever). Sure, at the cost of added noise, but with enough shielding, it can be OK. Anyway, I think the simple solution is to test every socket you plug into. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members notjonahbutnoah Posted March 15, 2011 Author Members Share Posted March 15, 2011 If this is happening there is something else amiss. It isn't the string ground. Chances are it's improper grounding of the building. Or it's in the amp, a pedal or something else. Think about it. If you touch the strings and the hum goes away, you're providing the ground that stops the hum. Your body is sending electrickery to ground because you're the ground. I would think the likelihood of a shock would be greater with no bridge ground. Hmmm, well, again, I don't think it's the house or amp. I could be wrong, but yeah. The noise issue is somewhat new. Man, last night, after I moved a couple wires to make it exactly match the SD diagram, I plugged in and there was no hum. I was freakin excited and giddy, then I realized I had the tone all the way down... back came the hum. Also, this is my exact meter: What's the best setting for continuity? I put it on the arrow pointing at the line and that makes random numbers appear when a connection is made, where as it's a solid "1" if there's not one. Yep. Thanks for all the help so far. The soldering part is getting easier and easier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members notjonahbutnoah Posted March 15, 2011 Author Members Share Posted March 15, 2011 Bump for potential advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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