Ground for Hipshot Hardtail Bridge

[GuitarMadCap]

I will have a Hipshot Hardtail Bridge with Strat wiring (rear route). I assume I will need to ground the bottom of the Hipshot to the volume pot. Will there be a ground wire hole to the bridge or will I have to drill?

 

[stratamania]

There would normally be a hole drilled for you.

 

[Rick]

They did a hole on all mine. If something bugs you just give them a call. They are nice people.. phone # on the website.

 

[aarontunes]

I will have a Hipshot Hardtail Bridge with Strat wiring (rear route). I assume I will need to ground the bottom of the Hipshot to the volume pot. Will there be a ground wire hole to the bridge or will I have to drill?

Yes, we will drill a wiring channel to the underside of the bridge.

 

[GuitarMadCap]

Yes, we will drill a wiring channel to the underside of the bridge.

Perfect! Should I simply solder the ground wire to the bottom part of the bridge before attaching the bridge to the body?

 

[aarontunes]

Perfect! Should I simply solder the ground wire to the bottom part of the bridge before attaching the bridge to the body?

No.

Run the wire up through the channel. Strip the end. Push the wire back down into the channel so only the stripped parts remains exposed above the surface. Mount the bridge, and the that will be enough to provide contact and keep it in place. Pro tip: bending the exposed wire backwards at the channel opening will hold the wire in place even better, and make it almost impossible for it to accidentally slip out.

 

[GuitarMadCap]

No.

Run the wire up through the channel. Strip the end. Push the wire back down into the channel so only the stripped parts remains exposed above the surface. Mount the bridge, and the that will be enough to provide contact and keep it in place. Pro tip: bending the exposed wire backwards at the channel opening will hold the wire in place even better, and make it almost impossible for it to accidentally slip out.

That sounds super easy. Thanks so much for the tip!

 

[TBurst Std]

Pro tip: bending the exposed wire backwards at the channel opening will hold the wire in place even better, and make it almost impossible for it to accidentally slip out.

Stratamania, if you could add this to your excellent thread.

I encountered this decades ago (think it was 83) on a 69 Tele I had. Drove me bonkers figuring it out why I had a grounding issue. It was when I just started working on guitars.

 

[Scab Pickens]

Hipshot grounding on Tele

Very much related to my most recent thread, how would I go about grounding a Hipshot Hardtail bridge on a Tele? I have the classic front control cavity

unofficialwarmoth.com

 

[Strat Avenger]

What about a Tele?
I know they're supposed to ground through the bridge pickup, but my Dimarzio Area T doesn't have that feature.

 

[stratamania]

I would add to @aarontunes description of bending wire back in addition a piece of conductive copper shielding tape can also be added to hold it in place.

What about a Tele?
I know they're supposed to ground through the bridge pickup, but my Dimarzio Area T doesn't have that feature.

Here is one way to do it.

Assembly_12 by stratamania, on Flickr

From my Tele build thread

Natural Ash Tele

Yep, that first new diagram is what I meant.

unofficialwarmoth.com

And another I did on a Fender body that already had shielding paint in the cavities.

Tele Ground by stratamania, on Flickr

 

[stratamania]

@TBurst Std I added a link to this thread as requested.