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Ground Wire to Bridge

#22
crusie said:
even if they don't require it - it's highly recommended - else you will get buzzing when hitting the strings. I have an audere pre in my bass and had to make both bridge ground - and of course pot ground ( cavity is conductive so I just used one of those washers with the possiblity to squezze together over a wire). my bass is now dead silent.
Click to expand...

It's actually NOT "highly recommended" even though it's commonly done. EMGs and others that don't require a grounded bridge and strings are a safety feature. Since the strings "float" you run much less risk of electocution from a mis-wired outlet. Otherwise the strings represent a ground right to your amp and if say a mic were to end up hot and you're singing and touch it, it's an accident waiting to happen.

The only problem is that many basses have a lot of hum and often shielding on pickups is very poor. So the grounded strings help shield such a pickup from hum pickup. This is why so many basses have the bridge grounded.

And be sure to get one of those outlet ground testers. If you can't find enough outlets that pass muster for the band at a venue, don't play!
 
#24
I just rewired a Gibson for a friend. Ground wire from bridge is UN shielded. I guess they dont care about shielding bridge ground wires.

Also, I agree with this

bassbenj said:
It's actually NOT "highly recommended" even though it's commonly done. EMGs and others that don't require a grounded bridge and strings are a safety feature. Since the strings "float" you run much less risk of electocution from a mis-wired outlet. Otherwise the strings represent a ground right to your amp and if say a mic were to end up hot and you're singing and touch it, it's an accident waiting to happen.

The only problem is that many basses have a lot of hum and often shielding on pickups is very poor. So the grounded strings help shield such a pickup from hum pickup. This is why so many basses have the bridge grounded.

And be sure to get one of those outlet ground testers. If you can't find enough outlets that pass muster for the band at a venue, don't play!
Click to expand...
 
#25
calebbarton said:
I just rewired a Gibson for a friend. Ground wire from bridge is UN shielded. I guess they dont care about shielding bridge ground wires.
Click to expand...

There is no reason to use shielded wire from the bridge to ground since it doesn't carry any signal, and it's only connected to ground.

No one uses shielded wires to the bridge. Likewise any ground wires (from backs or pots, etc.) will be single conductor unshielded wire.
 
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#29
If one wants to make their electronics DEAD SILENT, what's the protocol?

1) Completely shield cavities: Controls, pickups, etc.
2) Replace basic wires with shielded ones
3) Make sure the grounds are all connected and connected to the bridge and/or ground screw.

Is that about it?
I ask because I have minor issues with a bass that has a lot of switches and connections that need to be made. Shielded the cavity with the preamp, but not the wires. Didn't have enough to do around the pickups, though they are humbuckers. It's not silent near my computer, but is pretty darn quiet elsewhere.
 
#30
rojo412 said:
If one wants to make their electronics DEAD SILENT, what's the protocol?

1) Completely shield cavities: Controls, pickups, etc.
2) Replace basic wires with shielded ones
3) Make sure the grounds are all connected and connected to the bridge and/or ground screw.

Is that about it?
I ask because I have minor issues with a bass that has a lot of switches and connections that need to be made. Shielded the cavity with the preamp, but not the wires. Didn't have enough to do around the pickups, though they are humbuckers. It's not silent near my computer, but is pretty darn quiet elsewhere.
Click to expand...

It's very hard to get your pickups quiet near a computer. That was one of the tests I did when designing my humbuckers. Without shielding, they didn't pass that test.

I had a Rickenbacker that was totally shielded with copper foil, had Hi-A humbuckers and didn't have a string ground. It was dead quiet in every situation except when in the presence of a lamp dimmer. Now I use double shielding in some of my pickups, and they are quiet near my computer's CRT, but still pick up some noise from lamp dimers.

I was playing a gig Friday night, and everyone's instruments were buzzing from the dimmer circuits in the club. That kind of noise is very difficult get rid of. CRT monitors are similar, but not as bad.
 
#31
Yeah, I forgot... EMGs are amazingly quiet... no matter what!

I don't really play too much in front of computer screens (when in a band situation, at least!). And the dimmer switch in my kitchen can cause my amp to BBBBBBZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ like mad.
 

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