Black Dog Posted March 24, 2018 Share Posted March 24, 2018 So on a guitar like a LP Black Beauty with a ABR bridge, when fitted with a Bigsby, where/how do they ground them? There aren't any bridge or tailpiece bushings to run a ground wire to. Is it somehow to the bridge posts or the Bigsby, if so how?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dub-T-123 Posted March 25, 2018 Share Posted March 25, 2018 The best option could vary depending on the type of Bigsby and how you mount it If you use a B7 and vibramate for example the vibramate would ground the bigsby through the tailpiece studs I used a Towner downforce bar thingy which grounds the strings through the tailpiece studs which then ground the bigsby If the bigsby is only mounting at the strap button area and you aren’t using any extra hardware like the Towner or Vibramate products, you pretty much have two main options. You could run a grounded wire out of the tailpiece hole and have it kinda pinched between the body and the bigsby under string tension You could drill a small hole from the strap button area to the control cavity. This hole would ideally be placed where the hinge plate of the bigsby covers the hole. Then wrap a wire around one of the mounting screws of the bigsby near the strap button and solder the other end of the wire to the back of one of the pots in the control cavity Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfpup Posted March 25, 2018 Share Posted March 25, 2018 I am in the process of building a Tele and am doing a B5 install. The instructions recommend using one of the bridge post holes as a ground. I haven't gotten that far yet though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dub-T-123 Posted March 25, 2018 Share Posted March 25, 2018 I am in the process of building a Tele and am doing a B5 install. The instructions recommend using one of the bridge post holes as a ground. I haven't gotten that far yet though. Do they mean to stick the wire into the hole and thread the bridge post in smashing the wire into the threads? Or do they assume it’s a Nashville style with metal studs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Dog Posted March 25, 2018 Author Share Posted March 25, 2018 The best option could vary depending on the type of Bigsby and how you mount it If you use a B7 and vibramate... You could run a grounded wire out of the tailpiece hole and have it kinda pinched between the body and the bigsby under string tension You could drill a small hole from the strap button area to the control cavity. This hole would ideally be placed where the hinge plate of the bigsby covers the hole. Then wrap a wire around one of the mounting screws of the bigsby near the strap button and solder the other end of the wire to the back of one of the pots in the control cavity I'm not a fan of the vibramate with a B7 on a carved top. It might work better for B5 on a flat top. I should have said that this would be on a guitar that never had a tailpiece on it previously, so there would be no pre-existing stud hole. But, drilling a small hole that would be under the bigsby and have the wire just sandwiched between the bigsby and the body is something I thought of but thought it may be a bit odd. Since you too have thought of it, that validates the idea (either that or we're both odd). Now, running a wire from the Strap button area to the control cavity, that sounds like a good idea. It also just occurred to me that you could drill a hole in the top, adjacent to the bigsby mounting screw hole and then run the ground wire up through that hole, and then have the bare wire go over and down into the bigsby mounting hole. But I think i still like the strap button idea better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfpup Posted March 25, 2018 Share Posted March 25, 2018 Do they mean to stick the wire into the hole and thread the bridge post in smashing the wire into the threads? Or do they assume it’s a Nashville style with metal studs? I should have said that this would be on a guitar that never had a tailpiece on it previously, so there would be no pre-existing stud hole. Not bridge stud - my bad... under the Bigsby mounting studs.. that's what the directions recommend Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dub-T-123 Posted March 25, 2018 Share Posted March 25, 2018 I like the B3 for the Les Paul but most people seem to use the B7. No hole in the top with the B3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawkesman Posted March 26, 2018 Share Posted March 26, 2018 I am in the process of building a Tele and am doing a B5 install. The instructions recommend using one of the bridge post holes as a ground. I haven't gotten that far yet though. Interesting, that. I've had a few Teles in for refurb recently, and all have had earth hum issues. Also, one of the owners brought in a large roll of self-adhesive thin copper sheeting, which cost him a small fortune, and he asked me to shield everything to stop the hum. However the one thing all these Teles had in common was that they had no bridge ground. So, I added one to each of them. Hum gone. Didn't need the copper! Why don't Fender fit a bridge ground as standard? Btw, none of the owners wanted me to drill or rout, so I ran a wire from the socket ground, via the pickup wire hole, to the bridge pickup cavity. I then crimped a small ring-connector to the wire-end and placed that between one of the pickup springs and the underside of the ashtray. Not the most permanent of arrangements, but it did the job, and I have had no complaints. Certainly a very simple and non-invasive solution. H. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfpup Posted March 26, 2018 Share Posted March 26, 2018 Even with the bridge ground wire I use the copper in the cavities and the back of the pickguard too. Tie it all together with solder and a few wires to link the cavities so it's one big quiet loop and my Teles are dead silent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rct Posted March 26, 2018 Share Posted March 26, 2018 I use Duncan Vintage Stacks in my Teles. rct Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfpup Posted March 26, 2018 Share Posted March 26, 2018 I use Duncan Vintage Stacks in my Teles. rct Sticks fingers in ears to not hear this blasphemy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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