I'm not so much confused what I'm wiring (included diagram... clearly nothing complicated), however I was about to re-screw the bridge down when I got a curious thought. I tested the conductivity of the bridge (brand new bad ass II) and it's not conductive. I guess my question is, should the bridge be conductive or non-conductive to do its job. Also, I have q-tuners, so from what I hear buzzing isn't a huge issue.
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Grounding confusion
- Thread starter jbrady
- Start date
I also have a question that's sort of related here. I'm also putting together a bass using Q-Tuners but with a black BA5 bridge and my question relates to how to complete the ground to the bridge. Should I simply fan the wires under the bridge and fasten it down or should I remove some of the paint first or even solder the ground to the bridge?
You can just trap a piece of copper wire between the underside of the bridge and the body, no need to solder or affix with anything. Then just solder appropriately to the pot.
I thought about that but I'm not sure if the paint on the bridge will interfere with the ground. I don"t think removing a little bit of the paint would hurt anything and it would certainly allow for a good connection but I want to hear what others have done.
The times I have done it I haven't removed any of the paint but you're right, removing a little wouldn't do any harm and, after all, it'll be disguised under the bridge so you won't see it anyway.
Maybe when I do it next time maybe I will remove some and see if there's a difference.
That is essentially what I'm after, but I'm not sure -why- that would do anything more than affixing a ground screw inside the cavity. Since the bridge is non-conductive, placement to it should not matter. Obviously I'm missing something, which is why I asked the question in the first place. Thank you.
It would have to be conductive to function as a ground. This the first time I've seen any reference to this though.
Are you positive it's non conductive?
I've been wondering the the same but I think a bridge ground is good (at least in my case) to help reduce or eliminate human interference in the signal. We generate and absorb electrical signals and can interfere with them as well (think about a radio that comes in clear while you touch it but fuzzes when you don't.) The same principles apply to the instrument. When you contact the strings you transfer some of your electrical interference to the instrument. Pups are rather sensitive instruments and can be influenced by these signals but properly grounding the strings at the bridge help alleviate that. That's my take anyway.
I was using my continuity tester to check the resistance of my pickups (which turned out to be 30.6k Ohms in series, and separately 2k Ohms a piece more resistant than the specs on the Q-tuner website [BL-5]) and to make sure my shielding paint was continuous and would work for it's purpose. While I had it out, I decided to see if the bridge itself had continuity from the saddles to the back of the bridge. I figured this had to be because of a video on Youtube of a kid with BL-4's that had heavy buzz until he had his hands on the strings (he was then the ground, continuity from jack to bridge to strings to him).
So I put a lead on the back of the bridge and one on the saddle. Nothing. Even stranger, the only continuity I could find was between the allen bolts that raise and lower the saddles.
As a relevant point, the Badass Bridge II is black. Which means it is coated in something... but if the purpose is conductivity I couldn't see any use for it to have been coated in a non-conductive surface. Especially by such a huge brand.
So I put a lead on the back of the bridge and one on the saddle. Nothing. Even stranger, the only continuity I could find was between the allen bolts that raise and lower the saddles.
As a relevant point, the Badass Bridge II is black. Which means it is coated in something... but if the purpose is conductivity I couldn't see any use for it to have been coated in a non-conductive surface. Especially by such a huge brand.
Just sand a bit off the back where the ground wire will touch it. It'll be fine- you're over thinking it a bit.
You will need sandpaper if the bridge is powder coated, you'll be at it for a while with steel wool. 150 grit.
mech
mech
I very much doubt the bridge is non-conductive! I don't think bad ass II bridges are made from plastic! Typically a bridge is aluminum and is anodized. A steel bridge is usually plated and may be painted or powder coated but such coatings easily are penetrated by the grounding wires squeezed under the bridge.
Such is NOT the case with anodized aluminum bridges. The anodizing coating is aluminum oxide. Alumina. or also called Corundum, sapphire or ruby! No WAY copper wires will penetrate that coating! This is why on all the factory basses I've seen with anodized bridges they sand a spot down to the metal on the bottom of the bridge where the wires get mashed under it. That is the best way. The only way you can let the bridge float (no ground connection) is only if you are using active pickups (where power goes right to the pickup) that don't need the grounded bridge to keep the noise down.
I would guess that since q-tuners have exposed coils inside the plastic with no shielding, that minimum noise will be attained if you both ground the bridge and shield the bottoms and sides of the pickup cavitie(s).
I shielded the cavities and those all of great conductivity. I tested the continuity of the bridge between two spots on the back, back and front, between the saddle and the bridge plate, and two spots on the saddle. Nothing. I don't see how it can be the case from what everyone is saying, but I guess that's something that guitar mechanics can set up. If I have to sand between the saddles and bridge plate to produce conductivity I'll just send it in to a local repair shop to do it. I just don't see how, on a bridge that cost close to 100 dollars, it costs this much time for it to function. I probably wouldn't have purchased it had I known all of this, but no where on any boards did I see anything about this on the Bad Ass II bridge. No where.
Most black bridges are coated with a paint that is not conductive. Sand the spot on the bottom of the base for the ground wire and don't worry about the saddles. The height screws will cut throught the paint on the base from the pressure of the strings and make contact with the metal of the base. Wallah, grounded.
Cutting through the paint may not be immediate. Wiggle the saddle if necessary. Measure resistance from the jack ground to the strings. Painted points on the bridge will not conduct.
I have 6 basses with black painted bridges and this is the way they all are.
Cutting through the paint may not be immediate. Wiggle the saddle if necessary. Measure resistance from the jack ground to the strings. Painted points on the bridge will not conduct.
I have 6 basses with black painted bridges and this is the way they all are.
