So I was hanging around with a few guys last night and we got into a discussion about 60 cycle hum and a strange idea was brought up. What if you ground your bridge to your input jack? The theory is strings contacting the bridge, the bridge is grounded, the strings are grounded. I know the routing for a ground wire and everything would be an interesting feat. Not to mention you'd have to find a good point to solder on your bridge. So my question to you is this, is this theory sound? I'd like to have a little more input on this before I go hacking something up.

Don't people already do that?

As far as I know, all bridges are grounded. Are you saying that your bridge isn't? Mid-80s MIJs had interesting little ribbons of metal that were plainly visible; I believe that these went from the bridge to the pickup route, removing the need for drilling to the bridge.

I have my input jack grounded to the bridge.

Also, moved to pickups.

Virtually all basses ground the bridge. The grounding wire or strap is usually set under the bridge, clamped down against the body by the bridge itself.

And it's an output jack...

My bridge is grounded just not to the input jack its spliced in with the ground wire for the pickup. In theory it's the same thing, until you factor in impedance and other variables. I'm talking about a direct connection, if it would make that much of a difference?

Hi.

Just grounding the bridge is a swell idea, if every piece of equipment is top notch, polarities are correct, grounding is sound etc.

Otherwise You may get zapped, mildly or permanently.

Just a thought.
Sam

Most bridges are grounded to a control pot, but that is grounded to the output jack, no matter where you solder the ground point, it leads to the output jack's ground connection.

LOL!!!

Truth be told Joe, it IS an excellent idea. Just not the first time for it ;)

MAN, are you gonna get razzed. But you're still a level above some frequent posters; stick around (unless you feel like bringing a Les Paul along).

LOL!!!

Truth be told Joe, it IS an excellent idea. Just not the first time for it ;)

MAN, are you gonna get razzed. But you're still a level above some frequent posters; stick around (unless you feel like bringing a Les Paul along).

lol I don't own a LP it's a an old Music and Sound hollow violin body for your information! Besides, I tend not to tear my basses apart, in the time I've been playing the most I've done in that area is change a battery for my preamp. I prefer to leave those sorts of things to people who know what they're doing.

I have my input jack grounded to the bridge.

Also, moved to pickups.

Don't you find that a bit inconvenient to have the input jack under the strings.

:D

I have my input jack grounded to the bridge.

Also, moved to pickups.

Don't you find that a bit inconvenient to have the input jack under the strings.

:D

Dammit! I wish all ot that could go in my sig!:D

The Les Paul relates to a frequent poster in here & some of their threads that inspire a lot of 'creatively polite' replies.

Lots of us in here enjoy going under the hood. & lots don't. I'm in the former camp, & enjoy learning more about how my bass functions. If you want to go that way, LOTS of good (& some bad) info here.

Joe, the decision on how to wire grounds often gets made by how convenient things are. My '65 Precision, for example, doesn't have all the ground wires it "should;" instead, the jack and pots ground to each other via a thin aluminum sheet under the pickguard.

Good grounding practices suggest the use of a "star ground," where everything grounds via its own wire to a single point. Nothing grounds through any other path. (So no metal panel, because that would provide a ground path separate from the wiring.)

Many manufactures don't bother star-grounding instruments; in many cases it doesn't make enough difference to be justified. But inside a good studio preamp or mixing console, it's a big deal. A little bit of hum from each of 32 channels adds up.