Quick pickup ground question

[crull]

If the ground wire from a pickup wasnt connected would the pickup still work? Also the pickup has a separate shield wire if that wasn't connected would I notice any hum?

Thanks in advance

 

[Erlend_G]

Re: Quick pickup ground question

Hmm, seeing that two single coils, one rw\rp connected together doesn't hum, i still wonder why there is a separate sheild wire on most humbuckers.

Good question!

 

[LJ King]

Re: Quick pickup ground question

If the ground wire from a pickup wasnt connected would the pickup still work? Also the pickup has a separate shield wire if that wasn't connected would I notice any hum?

Thanks in advance

If you are talking about a pickup like a 4-wire humbucker, assuming the other wires are connected correctly then yes the pickup would still work without connecting the ground wire. You would not get hum because the humbucker coils would still cancel it.

Grounding the shield primarily helps to reduce other noise from electrostatic sources such as flourecent lights lamp dimmers and the like. This noise can be clicky crackly or hissy sounding and many times can be more annoying than hum depending on the environment.

 

[crull]

Re: Quick pickup ground question

If you are talking about a pickup like a 4-wire humbucker, assuming the other wires are connected correctly then yes the pickup would still work without connecting the ground wire. You would not get hum because the humbucker coils would still cancel it.

Grounding the shield primarily helps to reduce other noise from electrostatic sources such as flourecent lights lamp dimmers and the like. This noise can be clicky crackly or hissy sounding and many times can be more annoying than hum depending on the environment.

Yes it is a 4 wire pickup. I have the red to white, and green to bare wire connected. Black is hot. Then I have a wire connected from the green and bare to a central ground location.

The reason I am asking is because I have done quite a bit of work on it. It didn't all go as smoothly as I would have liked. My connection wires are all wrapped with electrical tape...and the wires are really very short. I don't remember if I ever actually soldered the wire I see going to ground in the cavity to the bare & green wires. I'm pretty sure I did though...it sounds pretty good. I can crank the volume up to 10 without any noticable hum or hiss.

So would that most likely mean everything is connected properly?

See what happens when you get old?

Thanks for the help

 

[LJ King]

Re: Quick pickup ground question

See what happens when you get old?

I know it all too well. :smack:

Which is why I would have opened up the guitar and double checked. :smokin:

So you can not be that old. :laugh2:

 

[crull]

Re: Quick pickup ground question

I know it all too well. :smack:

Which is why I would have opened up the guitar and double checked. :smokin:

So you can not be that old. :laugh2:

The problem is I can't really check because then I would have to unwrap the eletrical tape, but thats not as easy it sounds because the wires are kind of short. I'm scared that if I try that I am going to break the hot wire going to the pot. I guess I should just use it like is is until I notice any problems.

Thanks for the help

 

[Sludgenutz]

Re: Quick pickup ground question

The pickup gurus here can verify/correct me on this: I think the metal baseplate is the part that is grounded by the additional bare ground wire. If the pickup's baseplate is not grounded, it can act like an antennae making the guitar hum more than if this part is grounded.

All is not lost. even if a pickup has short wires, a competent person with a new piece of shielded/stranded wire should be able to lengthen the pickup leads in question...be it in the control cavity, or from the pickup cavity.

New pickup lead is available at various web retailers.