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I'm nearing the completion of my first build and have hit a roadblock. I'm a fairly competent woodworker, but an idiot when it comes to electronics. I can understand how most of the connections are made, except I can't visualize how the "grounds" are accomplished. Everything I have read tells me that all parts must be grounded "together", yet the drawings show several separate ground points for each part. I asked the guy who sold me some parts and his answer was: "everything gets soldered to the pots", which was too simplistic for my understanding. I need help. possibly a photo realistic visual aid.

This is the wiring scheme I intend to use: 2 HB + 1V +1T + 5-way double pole switch as:

1. Bridge HB

2. Bridge coil tap south

3. Neck + Bridge HB's

4. Neck coil tap north

5. Neck HB

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firstly what sort of guitar is it ?

now the pots are the volume/tone controls and the back is the metal casing solder all the grounds (bare unshielded wires/ground wires, should say on pickup instructions) to the back.

then solder a wire from the bridge(if telecaster) or the tremolo claw (if strat/ this is in the back of the guitar, (what the springs are hooked onto)).

then a ground off the pot casing to the output jack ground (negative/outside lug)

this is the only true ground on the guitar.

here is a simple strat wiring diagram http://www.guitarnuts.com/wiring/stockstrat.php

and the output jack

http://www.guitarnuts.com/wiring/shielding/jack.png

sorry i dont know any other guitar electronic setups but these are pretty simple and similar to other guitars

Edited by Samba Pa Ti
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Ground wires are heavier in comparison to pickup, hot switch etc. wires. The volume pot is the usual place to make the "star". That is the point where the grounds of all your components like switch(es), pickup(s) and bridge converge. All other pots, eg. tones and other pickup vol. pot (ala LP) are bridged together and then end up soldered to the star as well. Then one wire to the output jack.

The grounding of the bridge also grounds all its contacting metal points like tuners, strings and trem block. A sure sign of a bridge that is not grounded is humming when not touching the strings. Place your hand on the strings and the hum stops because you are providing a path to ground with your body. Now if your guitar got a big jolt of 'lectricity from some "other" place the current would go through you rather than that alternate path provided by a grounded bridge.

Edited by Southpa
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Samba Pa Ti,

Thanks for your reply. This is a handbuilt guitar of my own design, loosely based on the Strat style with exceptions. It is a bit smaller than the strat, cherry body with quartersawn book-matched laminated maple top, has a 24 fret neck, 2 humbuckers, Callaham hardtail bridge, Switchcraft 250K & 500K pots and a 5-way megaswitch that are mounted from the rear through the top.

I know this is more than you asked for, but is the only way I can explain what "kind' of guitar it is.

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Ground wires are heavier in comparison to pickup, hot switch etc. wires.  The volume pot is the usual place to make the "star".  That is the point where the grounds of all your components like switch(es), pickup(s) and bridge converge.  All other pots, eg. tones and other pickup vol. pot (ala LP) are bridged together and then end up soldered to the star as well.  Then one wire to the output jack. 

The grounding of the bridge also grounds all its contacting metal points like tuners, strings and trem block.  A sure sign of a bridge that is not grounded is humming when not touching the strings.  Place your hand on the strings and the hum stops because you are providing a path to ground with your body.  Now if your guitar  got a big jolt of 'lectricity from some "other" place the current would go through you rather than that alternate path provided by a grounded bridge.

Thanks Southpa,

If I'm understanding what you are telling me is that the ground wires from each part come together at a solder joint on the volume pot casing? Does this point also include the bridge ground, or is that a different connection?

I'm sorry about the "dumb" questions, but I learn best through visuals and am a little dense when it comes to learning otherwise. :D

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Southpa, quite a bit of what you have posted is correct, however, I must respectfully correct some of your information.

A sure sign of a bridge that is not grounded is humming when not touching the strings.  Place your hand on the strings and the hum stops because you are providing a path to ground with your body.

Actually, if the humming stops when you touch the strings, it is a almost a sure sign that the bridge IS grounded. Your body is adding additional grounded shielding to the circuit when you touch the grounded strings. Your body would not be providing the path to ground unless you were also touching something that was grounded to the circuit when you touched the strings. If the humming does not change, or gets worse when you touch the strings, that is sign that there is a grounding issue with the bridge.

Humming when you are not touching the strings, may or may not be the sign of a problem. Many guitar/pickup/amp/house wiring combinations hum more than others with the guitar turned up, and not touching the strings, when the shielding and wiring are just fine. Interestingly Fender Noiseless Strat pickups are very bad about this, even on a good day. But, as the majority of us tend to touch the strings when we are playing, this is really not an issue.

Now if your guitar  got a big jolt of 'lectricity from some "other" place the current would go through you rather than that alternate path provided by a grounded bridge.

Actually it IS because the bridge is grounded (many other factors could apply as well) that you will get shocked if you touch something else that has a difference of potential to your guitar and amp's ground. If the polarity is incorrect between your amp and your PA system, this can cause you to get shocked when you touch something grounded on your guitar, and something metal like a microphone at the same time. Many of us know that wonderful feeling of being shocked on the lips while playing and going up to sing through an SM58, when this difference in ground exists between our amp and the PA.

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