Where To Ground On A Hardtail Strat

[Ledzendrix1128]

This is a pretty straigh forward question... i just need to know where to put the ground on a hardtail strat since there is no trem-claw to ground on. If i sheild the inside of the cavities can i just ground it to the copper tape? or is there a better way

[thegarehanman]

Drill a hole from under the bridge into your cavity. Run a ground signal out to under your bridge. The wire just sits nice and snug(exposed, of course) between the bridge and the body. That's the only way I've ever seen it done.

[Ledzendrix1128]

wait... it needs to be exposed?... couldnt you just solder it to the bridge where the hole is so it just hangs down?

Oh yeah... and how do you solder to a gold bridge... am i gonna have trouble getting the solder to stick or do i need to sand it or something

Edited September 25, 2005 by Ledzendrix1128

[marksound]

I just put together a Tele, and I ran a wire through the pickup cavity and let it hang over the body edge where the bridge would clamp down on it. No solder, just compression. Works fine.

For the Strat, just do what thegaragebandman ( ) said and drill a hole from the control cavity to the area under the bridge. Don't worry about soldering unless it doesn't make good contact.

[erikbojerik]

Leave a nice length of bare wire to contact against the bridge, 1/2" should do it.

[Ledzendrix1128]

ok cool, ill probably try to wrap it around one of the bridge mounting screws or something... that makes sense though.. thanks guys

[Thunderblitz]

i have a tune-o-matic with tailpiece, should i do the same thing as a Strat hardtail ?

[Nitefly SA]

i THINK what you do for a TOM is drill a hole from the hole for a post to the control cavity, put the wire in and put the post on it, i might be wrong though.

[Thoughtless 7]

I e-mailed Gibson about a year ago asking them where they have the grounding wire on their Les Pauls and Explorers and they replied saying they run the wire to the tailpiece stud or the bridge stud.

Edited March 5, 2006 by Thoughtless 7

[Thunderblitz]

if the wire is uncovered and pressed between the bridge and the wood, the electricity wont burn the wood ???

[thegarehanman]

If there was enough electricity in that wire to burn the wood, don't you think there'd also be enough electricity to shock you? No, it will not burn the wood, there's not nearly enough electricity in a guitar to harm you.

[Crysto]

This is a pretty straigh forward question... i just need to know where to put the ground on a hardtail strat since there is no trem-claw to ground on. If i sheild the inside of the cavities can i just ground it to the copper tape? or is there a better way

Doesn't StewMac have pre-wired, self adhesive foils already grounded back to the bridge via hole but also shielding the entire cavity by having a surface around the entire opening.