Strat ground wiring question

[Hfillmore23]

Hi All,

I just swapped out a pickup set in my MIM Strat. This was a 2009 Fender Deluxe Roadhouse model. My question is on the grounding - Most of what I have seen shows that the only 'ground' is where you solder the lead onto the trem claw. Well the original wiring on my guitar has this, as well as another ground to the body in the cavity under the pickguard. Basically a wire with a spade terminal, being held to the body with a screw. I believe the cavity area has the sheilding paint. Both ground wires are soldered to the volume cap body (as are the PU grounds and output jack ground).

My question is: Should I ground both (as it originally was grounded), or should I leave the second ground (pickup cavity) out?

 

[gregory]

Re: Strat ground wiring question

That is normally done to serve as a junction.

You should shield and ground the cavity and underside of the pickguard. I normally bring a tab of shielding up and over the face of the body where there is a screw hole for the pickguard. I normally don't bother directly soldering to the shield since it gets its ground connection from the pots and carries it along to the switch.

Never had a problem, but it won't satisfy the paranoid.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Strat ground wiring question

I always use both. One grounds the shielding, the other grounds the strings./bridge.

 

[Clint 55]

Re: Strat ground wiring question

Running ground wires to the bridge and body are chassis grounds. Extra grounds in the device which help reduce noise in addition to the main ground out the jack into the earth. The body ground can also ground the shielding too like Mincer said.