Using ring terminals for grounding?

[Phantasmagoria]

Well, I swapped out the little pots in my new Ibby for full sized ones..changed the jack/switch etc..stuff I often do with a new guitar..and read somewhere about grounding everything to a ring terminal/s that fits over the volume pot shaft..instead of soldering it all to the back of the Volume pot as usual.

Well to me ...that Sounds like a great idea! ...swap pots, change pot values at will, no problems installing new pups etc (desolder/resolder stuff over & over & possibly fry your pots).So what's the catch? (And no ...don't say it might come loose because if you tighten it enough that won't happen). Lol, so how come no one talks about it & it's not standard proceedure?

 

[AlexR]

Re: Using ring terminals for grounding?

You have to buy the ring, and who swaps pickups or pots so much???

Maybe for someone who can't solder.

 

[Phantasmagoria]

Re: Using ring terminals for grounding?

Then why are the quick change/no solder active pup connectors getting so popular..& why does SD have the liberator ..same thing.

I'm no expert but I can solder "OK" and have swapped quite a few pup's over the years ...still seems like a good idea.

 

[AlexR]

Re: Using ring terminals for grounding?

They are put into certain OEM areas due to construction streamlining. And certain people like them. But they present big issues for those who have more tight electrics routings. I'd descibe quick connect atm as a niche section of the market. Maybe I don't see enough of the market, but I find the stock method WAY more prevalent.
No pickup of the type I buy would have them....mainly as I'm pure vintage in type.

There are never 'only upsides' to any idea.....the same way as there are never 'only downsides' to another you are trying to argue against.

 

[Phantasmagoria]

Re: Using ring terminals for grounding?

Fair enough...but sometimes you want to try different pups in a guitar before you settle on something ...and this method would make that a lot more convenient (even if just for testing purposes...and then you solder everything the way you want it.). It's nice to be able to check out different (250/500k) pot values (say for an HSS strat) without having to actually solder/de-solder things twice or thrice (or more).

Also seems like it would be a good additive to a solderless system (you still have to solder/ground to your volume pot..) ..makes you wonder why it's not been incorporated in those...

 

[GoldenVulture]

Re: Using ring terminals for grounding?

I like the idea but I think you'll find those terminals aren't very available which is why people don't use them. They just aren't aware of them or know where to find them.

 

[Phantasmagoria]

Re: Using ring terminals for grounding?

What these things?

They're all over eBay..and all kinds of sizes too...I bought some when I was messing around with my stereo some time ago. I'm sure some would fit over a pot shaft. They're used in amps for grounding stuff. Push comes to shove you could just solder ground wires to a broad metal washer (it would still fit over any pot shaft/be removable)

 

[kramersteen]

Re: Using ring terminals for grounding?

I think to make those most effective you need the crimping tool. Im sure some pliers would work.

Why not just a small screw terminal soldered to a claw.

 

[Phantasmagoria]

Re: Using ring terminals for grounding?

Yeah. You could use whatever I guess ...a plain washer would do too. It's just that it seems like a simple/cool idea for a quick-connect type setup that lets you swap stuff around.

 

[GoldenVulture]

Re: Using ring terminals for grounding?

I was thinking something like this.

 

[skyydogg01]

Re: Using ring terminals for grounding?

Hell, solder or crimp a small wire (3 inches) to it and wirenut all the grounds to it. Only soldering would be pup to switch.

 

[AlexR]

Re: Using ring terminals for grounding?

Fair enough...but sometimes you want to try different pups in a guitar before you settle on something ...and this method would make that a lot more convenient (even if just for testing purposes...and then you solder everything the way you want it.). It's nice to be able to check out different (250/500k) pot values (say for an HSS strat) without having to actually solder/de-solder things twice or thrice (or more).

Also seems like it would be a good additive to a solderless system (you still have to solder/ground to your volume pot..) ..makes you wonder why it's not been incorporated in those...

One of the things is that somehow you have to have a ground for the pot chassis. That needs to be connected to wires between the pots. And if these ring things are around the shaft......well that puts them right on the wood at the base of the rout. I've seen some people make absolute hashes of soldering even lugs that are much more accessible to the iron.....thats why the pot back is used - very easy to access.

What you can do is to attach 1 wire from pot back to the grounded lug without bending it up. Then all of your pickup and loop grounds go to the lug. Pickup changes are simple and not dangerous for pot damage as the lug is quick to heat, and pot changes still have to have both switch and tone circuit desoldering anyhow in most cases. So you solder/desolder all the time from the lugs and don't risk damage to the internals

 

[Phantasmagoria]

Re: Using ring terminals for grounding?

Yeah, I mean ..I've not really thought it through....did'nt even try it with my new Ibby (only came across the idea after I'd finished my soldering).But I'm going to keep it in mind for when I swap out the stock pup's..

 

[akio]

Re: Using ring terminals for grounding?

I've done this by wire wrapping the anti-spin washer for the pots themselves, sandwiching it between the pot case and the foil shielding in my control cavity.

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: Using ring terminals for grounding?

You have to buy the ring, and who swaps pickups or pots so much???

Maybe for someone who can't solder.

Tonechasers. We can solder just fine. It's just a pain if you are swapping out every couple weeks.