Too much grounding a good thing?

[man_in_a_blackbox]

I have cleaned up my Start pickup circuitry and have shielded and commonly grounded everything to each other eg. bridge(strings)+Tone1+Tone2+5-way-switch+master volume pot. I put humpty back together again and played - very nice.

However my head tells me there is a slight drop in aggression - it is like I used to casually tap the strings and they would squeel delightfully - now I needed to be more accurate with more effort so either I am imagining it or something has changed. I thought about a pot going down slightly due to the 'cleaned' up solder points on its casing (maybe something got too hot?) or maybe i should not have connected the grounds of all those components?

What do you think?

 

[TheArchitect]

Re: Too much grounding a good thing?

The additional capacitance onf the shielding will mellow the highs a tiny bit. If I understand what you are describing it may cause ground loops which will cause hum but should not affect the output

 

[ErikH]

Re: Too much grounding a good thing?

Star grounding is the best thing you can do. Check out www.guitarnuts.com if you haven't. I did that to one of my guitars and the thing was so quiet afterwards I had to get used to playing it again.

 

[TheArchitect]

Re: Too much grounding a good thing?

Star grounding is the best thing you can do. Check out www.guitarnuts.com if you haven't. I did that to one of my guitars and the thing was so quiet afterwards I had to get used to playing it again.

It really is pretty amazing. After shielding and rewiring I can play within a few feet of a PC monitor as long as keep the pups 90 degrees to the monitor. Before you couldn't be in the same room

 

[ErikH]

Re: Too much grounding a good thing?

It really is pretty amazing. After shielding and rewiring I can play within a few feet of a PC monitor as long as keep the pups 90 degrees to the monitor. Before you couldn't be in the same room

Exactly. I still have to do that to my Strat. Just haven't had the time. I don't have the big capacitor that's in the QTB mod so I just run a wire instead. I'll probably do it to the Strat during the next string change. Gotta a few other things that need to be done under the hood anyway.

 

[TheArchitect]

Re: Too much grounding a good thing?

Exactly. I still have to do that to my Strat. Just haven't had the time. I don't have the big capacitor that's in the QTB mod so I just run a wire instead. I'll probably do it to the Strat during the next string change. Gotta a few other things that need to be done under the hood anyway.

The cap in the guitarnuts schematic is just to keep you free from getting electricuted if there is an AC problem that comes back through the cable. I passed on it myself but it shouldn't affect the sound any.

 

[ErikH]

Re: Too much grounding a good thing?

The cap in the guitarnuts schematic is just to keep you free from getting electricuted if there is an AC problem that comes back through the cable. I passed on it myself but it shouldn't affect the sound any.

Yeah, I knew that. Good idea really to have it. I just don't keep caps that big laying around. :laugh2: Next parts order for some DIY pedal projects may include a few.