need wiring help!

[charger_289]

noob alert.

im build a bass for the first time and i need help wiring the control plate. i bought a jazz bass body, control plate, and pick separately.

the thing i dont understand is grounding, particularly grounding the tone pot to the bridge. how do i do that specifically? on my current jazz the wiring into the body by the bridge but i cant see wut it does. on this body i bought there is no hole in the cavity that would go under the bridge. please help me understand this, sorry for the noobiness.

 

[line6man]

If there is no hole to run the ground wire through, you will either have to drill one, or run a strip of copper on top of the bass from the bridge pickup's cavity to under the bridge.

 

[charger_289]

ok well that sucks. there is no other spot to ground it to rather than the bridge?

 

[line6man]

ok well that sucks. there is no other spot to ground it to rather than the bridge?

Nope.
Unless you want to run a wire up to the headstock.

 

[charger_289]

ok i thinbk i found it. new question, how do i ground it to the bridge? like do i solder the wore to the bridge? or tape it to the bridge?

 

[SamanthaCay]

Running a strip of brass from the pickup rout to the bridge is how fender originally did it. Also you should know that ground is ground so the bridge wire/brass strip doesn’t have to connect directly to the tone pot but can connect anywhere there is ground.
To answer your second question yes the bridge needs to be grounded unless you like lots of hum.

 

[charger_289]

how about 3rd question? what do i use to connect the bridge and the ground wire?

 

[SamanthaCay]

ok i thinbk i found it. new question, how do i ground it to the bridge? like do i solder the wore to the bridge? or tape it to the bridge?

If the wire/brass strip is going under the bridge, the bridge being screwed to the body will form a sandwich and hold it in place.

 

[line6man]

ok i thinbk i found it. new question, how do i ground it to the bridge? like do i solder the wore to the bridge? or tape it to the bridge?

Solder will not stick to the bridge.

Most people simply fan out the strands of their ground wire and screw the bridge down over them, but I prefer to use copper tape.

 

[SamanthaCay]

That's some clean work there^

 

[charger_289]

thanks for your help guys. i just got the bass up and running. still gotta make some tweaks and set it up but it works!