Grounding Hardtail Bridge?

[drysideshooter]

Hello. Waiting on Warmoth body and neck to arrive to start a hardtail build. I'm going to use a Hipshot hardtail bridge. 

What is the best way to ground a hardtail bridge?  Do I want to drill from the bridge area (under where the bridge will mount, probably in front of the string holes?) at a shallow angle into the pickup cavity at the rear and mount the bridge over a bare section of wire, and then run that wire into the cavity and solder it to a pot?

 

[Verne Bunsen]

That’s the idea, and the hole will already be there  :icon_thumright:

 

[Sovereign_13]

If you look closely at this picture, you can see a little angled hole right above the bridge route.  That's your ground wire path.  Warmoth has you covered.

 

[drysideshooter]

That’s the idea, and the hole will already be there  :icon_thumright:

Thanks!  So Warmoth already drills the hole?

I am thinking about going with the black Hipshot hardtail since it is same pattern as the Fender.  I have read in a couple places that the black finish isn't conductive?  If that is the case, is the only way to ground to run a wire from each of the string ferells to the next one, so they are all connected and then a wire from one of them to the ground?  And that brings up the question if the black string ferells are also not conductive?

I genuinely appreciate the help.

 

[drysideshooter]

If you look closely at this picture, you can see a little angled hole right above the bridge route.  That's your ground wire path.  Warmoth has you covered.

I can see the hole. Thanks!  Do you happen to know if the black coated hardtail bridges like the Hipshot are conductive or not?

 

[bagman67]

You can sand the bottom of the bridge plate to get to bare metal.  Use multistrand wire for the ground, and sandwich the splayed wire between the bridge plate and the body.  Alternatively, you could solder the ground wire to a piece of conductive copper or aluminum tape that will cover more area on the face of the guitar and give you more confidence that you're making good contact between the bridge and the ground conductor.

 

[drysideshooter]

You can sand the bottom of the bridge plate to get to bare metal.  Use multistrand wire for the ground, and sandwich the splayed wire between the bridge plate and the body.  Alternatively, you could solder the ground wire to a piece of conductive copper or aluminum tape that will cover more area on the face of the guitar and give you more confidence that you're making good contact between the bridge and the ground conductor.

Thanks bagman.  What about the strings being grounded through the bridge though?  Would I also need to remove some paint/finish from each of the saddles to make sure each string is contacting some bare metal?

 

[dmraco]

You can sand the bottom of the bridge plate to get to bare metal.  Use multistrand wire for the ground, and sandwich the splayed wire between the bridge plate and the body.  Alternatively, you could solder the ground wire to a piece of conductive copper or aluminum tape that will cover more area on the face of the guitar and give you more confidence that you're making good contact between the bridge and the ground conductor.

Thanks bagman.  What about the strings being grounded through the bridge though?  Would I also need to remove some paint/finish from each of the saddles to make sure each string is contacting some bare metal?

I never have and had no issues

 

[drysideshooter]

Thank you DMRACO.  Looking at the beautiful guitars at the bottom of your post I'm guessing you have a good amount of experience.  I have been debating whether to go with the chrome version just to avoid the possibility, but it sounds like I don't have to worry.