Washer ring as ground

[Lucius Paisley]

Developments in soldering have meant I need other means for grounding and so the plan now is using a washer from one of the disconnected pots as a grounding point. Will this work?

Basically, the volume pot is now ruined (long story, well a short story, but an embarrassing one), so I'm leaving that out altogether. My understanding is when wiring a pickup directly to the output the 'hot' wires and ground wires need to be connected. But I'll be trying to incorporate the 3-way switch (two pickups + "kill" switch) and assume the output wire needs to go where the volume was originally going.

View attachment 80263

Hopefully the diagram explains what I'm trying to do.

Will this work? Is there anything else I need to do or take note of?

 

[Clint 55]

Re: Washer ring as ground

Why would you connect the hot and ground. You can use any metal part that's not part of the signal circuit to ground your pickups. I'd use the base of the 3 way (blade?).

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: Washer ring as ground

I would use the back of the dead pot. Much more surface and reliable connection. But using the washer is sort of like star grounds on Fenders, though I don't know if the dead pot will sit properly with a bunch of wires soldered to the washer.

The link says the attachment is a dead link, so I can't see what you are trying to do.

 

[Lucius Paisley]

Re: Washer ring as ground

Why would you connect the hot and ground. You can use any metal part that's not part of the signal circuit to ground your pickups. I'd use the base of the 3 way (blade?).

Not together. Hot to hot, ground to ground.

Sorry, it was 4am when I posted.

 

[Lucius Paisley]

Re: Washer ring as ground

 

[Lucius Paisley]

Re: Washer ring as ground

I don't know if the dead pot will sit properly with a bunch of wires soldered to the washer.

I would just screw the washer in place with a regular screw into the body.

 

[Clint 55]

Re: Washer ring as ground

Looks good! Ground your kill position too.

 

[Lucius Paisley]

Re: Washer ring as ground

Looks good! Ground your kill position too.

That's a good point.

 

[Darg1911]

Re: Washer ring as ground

Your layout is missing a ground wire from the bridge. Without that, you have no ground, in which case you may as well skip the washer. And what does "developments in soldering" mean? That you effed up?

 

[Lucius Paisley]

Re: Washer ring as ground

Bridge ground wire is connected to a disconnected volume pot that sits where the tone pot used to be.

"A development" = Metaphor for screwing up, yes.

Everything works as according to the diagram - Bridge / Neck / Kill - but I am still getting extra hum whenever either pickup is switched on.

I'm guessing I need to ground that pot, or at least the switch. I don't know, I'll give that a shot tomorrow (later today).

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: Washer ring as ground

Why do you have a stereo jack? Sure you connected to the correct lug for ground?

 

[Clint 55]

Re: Washer ring as ground

Attach your bridge ground to your pickup and jack ground and it should be good. And grounding your kill position, grounding the switch, will help.

 

[Lucius Paisley]

Re: Washer ring as ground

Why do you have a stereo jack? Sure you connected to the correct lug for ground?

Do I? I can only go by the original Ibanez diagram I based this on. The ground wire has been attached to the washer.

 

[Lucius Paisley]

Re: Washer ring as ground

Attach your bridge ground to your pickup and jack ground and it should be good. And grounding your kill position, grounding the switch, will help.

I guess from your suggestion, you mean attach the bridge ground to the washer with everything else? The switch is also the only thing not grounded, so that was my next step.

 

[Clint 55]

Re: Washer ring as ground

Get em.

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: Washer ring as ground

Do I? I can only go by the original Ibanez diagram I based this on. The ground wire has been attached to the washer.

The diagram shows a stereo jack, so I thought that's what you had.

 

[Lucius Paisley]

Re: Washer ring as ground

There is just the one lead from the output as I can see physically see it, and inside that is a white wire which is surrounded by the bare wire. In the photo, the white wire is attached to the fourth lug, while the bare is soldered to the washer. If that's stereo, it's stereo, I have no idea.

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: Washer ring as ground

Your photo doesn't show the jack I'm talking about. The jack in the drawing you posted has three lugs. That would be a stereo jack if it's what's in the guitar also.

 

[Aceman]

Re: Washer ring as ground

Screw washer into the side of cavity for ground?

BRILLIANT!!!!!!!!!!

Learn something new every day.

 

[Lucius Paisley]

Re: Washer ring as ground

Screw washer into the side of cavity for ground?

BRILLIANT!!!!!!!!!!

Learn something new every day.

Because of where all the wires sit, the washer doesn't actually reach the sides and is held in suspension by the wires. I've just screwed the plate back on and for the most part it's okay.

I'm just in the middle of resoldering the bridge, since I still get a small hum and a 'click' when I touch that or my test string. Hopefully, this will be the last thing I need to fix.