Grounding Issues!

Re: Grounding Issues!

Hmmm, I wonder if such a thing can be done with Strats. It would require it being affixed to the underside of the pickguard but it just *might* be doable. Some custom fabrication would be in order though.

I had totally forgot about that cover the Les Pauls. I've seen the plate many times though.
 
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Re: Grounding Issues!

Yeah, now the hard part is finding one of those plates, or drilling a hole in my Lester. :dood:
 
Re: Grounding Issues!

jimmy said:
The thing is, the cavity is already shielded. The only way to get rid of the ground issue is to install one of those metal plates, or route out a hole for a ground wire.
Click to expand...

No, you are wrong. I'm sorry, but you made up this need in your head. If you completely shield the cavity, use shielded wire to pickups, switch and plug and properly ground these shields then you don't need to ground the strings.

We now need to see photos of your pickup bases and the cables that go to switch, pickups and plug.

And a photo of the supposed shielding that you think you have. If your cavity is completely shielded as you say you wouldn't need this gizmo.
 
Re: Grounding Issues!

uOpt said:
No, you are wrong. I'm sorry, but you made up this need in your head. If you completely shield the cavity, use shielded wire to pickups, switch and plug and properly ground these shields then you don't need to ground the strings.

We now need to see photos of your pickup bases and the cables that go to switch, pickups and plug.

And a photo of the supposed shielding that you think you have. If your cavity is completely shielded as you say you wouldn't need this gizmo.
Click to expand...

WHOA WHOA WHOA. . .

I'm trying to get some HELP from my forum buddies, but yer acting like a *dOuche*.

Let's recap, dude:

  1. Les Paul's from this era come pre-shielded
  2. The cavity inside the pickup selector switch is grounded
  3. I have the ground wire soldered
  4. I have the pickup bases soldered
  5. I just replaced the volume pots to 500K
  6. I NEED THAT STUPID METAL BASE PLATE BECAUSE IT IS THE EARTH GROUND

Now that we have that cleared up, I'm not going to take pictures of my guitar for you.
To-day, yer asking me for pictures, tomorrow you'll PM me with requests for sexually evocative pictures.

kthxbutnothxbai

Unlike some d00ds in here who kinda came off as jerks because I was kinda thick-headed with my problem, I think you really mean it.

I'm not making anything up in my head.

The only way to get rid of this problem is to

(1.) Drill a hole in my guitar from the treble side of the bridge posts to make a new earth ground, OR
(2.) Ground my stuff to that metal plate that I don't have.

Now, I'm not a know-it-all, like you are, but I did some G00gling, and a few other guys had this problem. They also had guitars from this era, so I doubt seriously that I'm WRONG.

Look at this:

http://www.mylespaul.com/forums/gibson-les-pauls/4773-1979-les-paul-standard-ground-problem.html

Mind you, I joined up to ask there where I could acquire the base plate, or what tools I'd need to drill a hole into my guitar.

So, before you start making all kinds of crazy claims now that your senile, check yer facts , because YOU just might be WRONG.
 
Re: Grounding Issues!

You still make up a magic function of the shield that it doesn't have.

You will find you solve your problem nicely by grounding the pots, shielding everything with foil or whatever and making sure existing shields, new shields, pots and pickup bases are all hard connected to the ground coming from the guitar cable - and you won't have to drill a hole.

Sure it would be nice to have the original shield but you don't need it to shut the thing up.

I might be a jerk, but I'm not exactly a beginner in these matters :)
 
Re: Grounding Issues!

d00d, you still don't get it.

The thing I need ISN'T a shield. It's the earth ground. Without the metal plate, I have no earth ground because the guitar doesn't have a ground from the tailpiece.

Go back an reread my points. They're even in number-point form. It's not that hard.
 
Re: Grounding Issues!

jimmy said:
d00d, you still don't get it.

The thing I need ISN'T a shield. It's the earth ground. Without the metal plate, I have no earth ground because the guitar doesn't have a ground from the tailpiece.
Click to expand...

That's exactly what you are wrong about.

There isn't such a thing in a guitar. You have shielding (directly or the player's balls via connecting the strings) that is connected to the amplifier's ground. That's all. What form and shape it takes isn't relevant as long as you have some form of ground-connected conductor around the hot wires.

The tailpiece connection isnt an "earth ground". It's a stupid hack to save real shielding inside the guitar by using the player's body to shield the guitar from the rear.
 
Re: Grounding Issues!

uOpt said:
That's exactly what you are wrong about.

There isn't such a thing in a guitar. You have shielding (directly or the player's balls via connecting the strings) that is connected to the amplifier's ground. That's all. What form and shape it takes isn't relevant as long as you have some form of ground-connected conductor around the hot wires.

The tailpiece connection isnt an "earth ground". It's a stupid hack to save real shielding inside the guitar by using the player's body to shield the guitar from the rear.
Click to expand...

Dude. . . DUDE. . . .

These guitars need that metal plate. I'm not wrong. In order to stop the buzz I have, I need to ground my stuff to that plate.

The cavity is already shielded.

Do I have to beat it into yer head with a brick?

I have a bad grounding problem. ​

The only way to get rid of that is by grounding my guitar with a metal plate, or grounding it to the tail piece.

Either way, I need a ground, which I don't have.

Now, don't bother replying to my post if you can't tell me where I can buy one of those plates.
 
Re: Grounding Issues!

I understand your desire to restore the guitar to it's original state.

But from a technical standpoint it's nonsense, and that's why nobody here can help you.

You'll get rid of the hum just fine with no wire to the strings the way I already told you. I only had guitars wired like that when I was gigging and using other people's amp on a regular basis.
 
Re: Grounding Issues!

A guitar derives its ground from the amp, along the instrument cable. That metal plate is a SHIELD. uOpt is absolutely right.

Not the answer Jimmy wants to hear, but the truth.

If there wasn't already a ground then there'd be no signal getting to the amp. None at all.
 
Re: Grounding Issues!

My biggest problem is that I want to get it back to its 1979 state.

I don't want to drill out a hole for a ground. This shielding thing isn't working.

I have it set-up like uoput says, and that's the only reason why I'm telling him that it isn't working.
 
Re: Grounding Issues!

Well, look, here's what I reckon has happened.

You changed pots. You're using the pot bodies to run a ground loop, right? My guess is that for some reason the new pots aren't connecting the bodies to the shielding in the cavity. Thus the cavity has shielding paint (or foil, or whatever) but it's not getting connected to ground through the pot. Have you checked that the shielding is actually connected to the ground on the output jack?

I reckon that funny metal plate/cover thing will fix the problem, but because (as far as I can see) it gets connected to ground and thus shields the guitar. Otherwise, most likely, the cover of the control cavity isn't shielded. Your body picks up and spews all sorts of RF crap, which would then get straight into your signal line.

Because the bridge isn't grounded your body isn't getting grounded when you touch the strings. If it was then that'd damp the noise, but if the cavity was fully shielded - including the cover - then the lack of a ground wire to the bridge wouldn't matter.

This is speculation, but it's based in good physics and a fair deal of experience, including my having had this issue myself and having fixed it myself. On more than one guitar. Apart from that bridge wire thing, but that fits my expectations.
 
Re: Grounding Issues!

jimmy said:
My biggest problem is that I want to get it back to its 1979 state.

I don't want to drill out a hole for a ground. This shielding thing isn't working.

I have it set-up like uoput says, and that's the only reason why I'm telling him that it isn't working.
Click to expand...

That "shielding thing" will work.

If you could get over the fact that you think that I'm somehow after you to ruin your life you would post photos of your supposed existing shielding and people can help you.
 
Re: Grounding Issues!

Sporky McGuffin said:
Well, look, here's what I reckon has happened.

You changed pots. You're using the pot bodies to run a ground loop, right? My guess is that for some reason the new pots aren't connecting the bodies to the shielding in the cavity. Thus the cavity has shielding paint (or foil, or whatever) but it's not getting connected to ground through the pot. Have you checked that the shielding is actually connected to the ground on the output jack?

I reckon that funny metal plate/cover thing will fix the problem, but because (as far as I can see) it gets connected to ground and thus shields the guitar. Otherwise, most likely, the cover of the control cavity isn't shielded. Your body picks up and spews all sorts of RF crap, which would then get straight into your signal line.

Because the bridge isn't grounded your body isn't getting grounded when you touch the strings. If it was then that'd damp the noise, but if the cavity was fully shielded - including the cover - then the lack of a ground wire to the bridge wouldn't matter.

This is speculation, but it's based in good physics and a fair deal of experience, including my having had this issue myself and having fixed it myself. On more than one guitar. Apart from that bridge wire thing, but that fits my expectations.
Click to expand...

You have some good advice, UNLIKE Uopot, lolz, jkjkjkjkjkjkjkjkjkjk!


I have not checked if shielding is connected to the jack. I will check this out later.
 
Re: Grounding Issues!

Also check that the cavity cover is shielded, and that that shield makes electrical contact with the cavity shielding. It needs to be a complete 360 degree earthed shield to work.
 
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