Bridge grounding wire on a wooden bridge?

[Shifty eyes]

Well I just disassembled my old beaten up bass with the intention of making a custom wooden bridge myself, when I removed the bridge there was a ground wire. I removed it with all the other electronics without cutting or damaging it. I know that it will still work without the ground but I know the effects of not using it. On some of the carl thompsons basses I noticed he uses wooden bass bridges sometimes.

Is there anyway of connecting the grounding wire to a wooden bridge?

Thanks

 

[SamanthaCay]

You could use a piece of fret wire as the saddle and ground to that or ground to wherever the string anchors.

 

[Shifty eyes]

Thats the problem the style of bridge im making doesn't have any metal ... I think

I was considering a small metal plate underneath the bridge

 

[ReidK]

Thats the problem the style of bridge im making doesn't have any metal ... I think

I was considering a small metal plate underneath the bridge

Remember, the goal is to ground the strings. Given your design (which looks great, BTW), it might be easier to ground the strings at the tailstop rather than the bridge. Maybe have a strip of metal with holes in it on the back side (ball side) of the stop.

Just a suggestion.

 

[DanRJBrasil]

you can put the ground on the bridge anchor instead

 

[Shifty eyes]

bahahahaha no thats not my bass I dont think I made it clear that, I was just copying that style of bridge

 

[Shifty eyes]

would this work, the grounding wire underneath the wood

acctually I dont think so the metal will probably needs to be in contact with the strings right

If not I will do what ReidK suggested above, attaching metal to the side where the ball end of the strings go

 

[__HM__]

Yeah. lol. They whole point of the ground is to electrically connect the strings and the electronics. So the ground must touch the strings somehow. Make the bridge outta metal in stead of wood?

 

[Shifty eyes]

not really an option to make it out of metal, besides the wood bridge is going fine I will attach the ground to the back of the tail piece which will still give contact to the strings. Thanks for the fast and good replys everyone my question was answered

 

[__HM__]

glad its workin for you man!

 

[mongo2]

I assembled one bass with a wood bridge, wood string anchor, and nylon tapewound strings. I did not ground the strings.

I've used Bartolini passive and EMG active pickups on it and have no issues with hum or buzz.

 

[Jazz Ad]

Thompson somewhat solves the issue by using EMGs, that don't require bridge grounding.

 

[T2W]

With a wooden bridge, what I like to do is ground only one string, basically pull a wire out through the string ferrules (if its a string-through-body) and use a metal nut. All strings become grounded.

 

[mongo2]

Thompson somewhat solves the issue by using EMGs, that don't require bridge grounding.

That matches my experience even with metal bridges.

 

[Son of Magni]

I assembled one bass with a wood bridge, wood string anchor, and nylon tapewound strings. I did not ground the strings.

I've used Bartolini passive and EMG active pickups on it and have no issues with hum or buzz.

Yes, most modern style pickups have good enough shielding that you don't need to ground the strings as long as your controls cavity is also shielded. But it's always good to have the option to ground the strings. So as somebody else mentioned, the tailpiece is a good place to do it with the design you're using.

I've disassembled Barts and find that the whole top is covered with copper foil, with holes to expose just the pole pieces. But this might not be the case for their classic style pups.

 

[Elchapo]

Wow, what a great thread. I just learnt a bunch. I know this is an old thread but did you go ahead with the mod shifty eyes and if so got any photos? Or knowledge to add?