Guitar grounding

[Gibsonman63]

I picked up this well worn, stripped 1962 Gibson Melody Maker project. Currently, I am mocking up all the pieces before applying the finish to make sure that there are no suprises later.

How do I secure the ground wire to the bridge post? I would rather not pull the nut out of the body. It is a bit rusty and I am afraid it would damage the body trying to remove it.

[passfan]

When you say "nut" I assume you're referring to the post and the threaded insert that is sunk in the body. I'm afraid you may have no choice but to pull the insert if you want a proper bridge ground. I always use a flat block of wood and any flat tool or bar. You can lay a towel or rag in between the wood block and the body. Use the block to pry up on the threaded post and be gentle, not a lot of force is needed. The rag and block of wood will protect your body and if you warm up the insert beforehand it won't chip your lacquer. Let it come up and out slowly, don't force it and keep your free hand on it to keep it from popping up and dropping back down on your guitar. Strip your wire and let it pinch between the insert and the body as you gently tap the insert back down in the body.

[passfan]

On second thought, you don't really need to worry about chipping the finish do you? Heating up inserts before you tap them in is still a good way to keep from chipping a lacquer finish as well. Hope your project turns out well all the same. I am getting ready to shoot 2 guitars myself. A hohner SG copy , goldflake, and a Washburn A10 , candy apple red. Just shot a sealer last weekend so I should be about ready to cut it back down this weekend. Fun, fun, fun...

[Bob Simpson]

You could pull the bridge stud socket, run a stripped wire through the side wall into the socket hole, and push the socket back in. ( Stewmac has a puller for this ). Easier, screw a brass screw ( preferably ) sideways until it contacts the socket. Check with a continuity tester. Solder the ground wire to the screw. That's why a brass screw works best.

Good luck.

Bob Simpson

[Gibsonman63]

Thanks for the tips guys. I already drilled a hole in my pickup cover in the wrong place today, so I was envisioning things going from bad to worse.

I was experimenting with some wood screws and was able to determine that there was some remaining wire in the hole still attached to the bridge post. I found a screw that was a snug fit, and soldered my ground wire to it for the rest of the electronics. Now it ohms out from the strings to the sleeve on the jack and works fine when plugged into the amp.

I put a Seymour Duncun mini-humbucker in there with just a volume knob. It's really a screaming little guitar now.