How to Ground a Guitar Bridge
An electric guitar uses a current of electricity to excite sound pickups, making the current sensitive to the string's vibration. Pickups reverberate the sound waves into the electrical current, which an amplifier uses to produce sound. The ground wire from the input jack is typically connected to an electric guitar's bridge to prevent shocking the player, also known as grounding the bridge. Although this task might seem challenging at first, installing the ground wire on the bridge is straightforward.
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Things You'll Need
- Philips screwdriver
- Wire cutters
- Soldering iron
- Socket wrench and 1/4-inch socket
Instructions
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1
Unfasten the screws securing the bridge well cover, found on the back of the guitar's body, using a Philips screwdriver. Detach the bridge well cover and set it aside.
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2
Strip 1/2 inch of wire insulation from each end of the black grounding wire with a pair of wire cutters. Run grounding wire through the small wire hole, leading toward the input jack found inside the bridge well.
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3
Solder one end of the grounding wire to the ring contact of the guitar input jack. Solder the other end of the grounding wire to the center of the bridge's spring claw found in the top portion of the bridge well, closest to the guitar's neck.
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4
Insert the input jack into the input jack hole at the bottom of the guitar, being careful not to pinch any wires. Secure the input jack in place with its 1/4-inch nut using a socket wrench with 1/4-inch socket.
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5
Fasten the bridge well cover over the bridge well using a Philips screwdriver.
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1
Tips & Warnings
If the input jack is already assembled, the grounding wire will already be inside the bridge well; all you need to do is solder it to the bridge claw when installing the bridge.
You only need to reground the wire when replacing your guitar's bridge or input.
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
