grounding the strings with an ebony tailpiece

[Zeno]

hi everyone,
i remplace on my guitar my old metallic ABM tailpiece with a Benedetto ebony tailpiece.

actually there's a ground between the jack and the tailpiece.

someone can tell me if it is necessary to have the strings connected to the ground ?

sorry for my english, i hope you understand what i mean, if not i can try to change some words.

thanks you for yours response, it can save a life.
Maurice

[balthazar]

Hi Zeno,

Take a look at this thread Guitar Shock Hazards..

A interesting link for you in the post #48.

Bye.

[PTChristopher]

Hi Zeno,

>>> if it is necessary to have the strings connected to the ground ?

Sometimes.

There are two reasons to have grounded strings. If one or the other reason applies to you, then you will be happier with grounded strings.

1. By grounding the strings, you do a pretty good job of grounding yourself while playing. You make an OK (but not great) shield for your guitar's electronics. So, if you have either a single coil pickup or simply noisy electronics, grounded strings (and grounded you) can help some. If you have a humbucking PU and very well shielded wiring, there will be little benefit to grounding the strings and yourself.

But,...

2. Static discharge in very dry weather can make odd pop and crackle sounds through your guitar to the amp. Sometimes moving your hands over the ungrounded strings can make static discharge. Sometimes moving the guitar against your wool sweater can do it. And in very dry weather, even dragging your plastic covered cable over a wooden floor, or a carpet, can make some crackles.

Grounding the strings and yourself (by touching the strings) will eliminate almost all static electricity troubles. There are a few cases where you need to do more about static, but we are in a string grounding thread here,...

If neither case applies to you, then no need to ground the strings.

I hope this is of some help.

Chris

[jasonc]

If you want to ground them you can take some copper shielding tape and put it on the under side of the tailpiece so that the ball ends of the strings touch the copper and then solder your ground wire to the copper tape. It's a pretty elegant solution I think.

[PTChristopher]

Hiya Jason,

I hope all is well with you and your great looking guitars.

Chris

[Likeke]

You could run the copper tape to the nut at one end of the tailpiece strap, remove some of the cladding on the strap where it goes around the endpin.

[jasonc]

Hiya Jason,

I hope all is well with you and your great looking guitars.

Chris

Hey Chris, I haven't got a chance to work on my latest creation on account of me being up to my ears in bow rehairs. However, my latest is just about in the white. All that's left is to finish shaping the neck, the heel cap then the final sanding....and viola! (that's a bad joke, so no corrections please) to the spray booth. Once it's done I'll start a thread about it as I'm quite proud of this one and hopefully the fine citizens of this forum just might dig it too.

[oldane]

So, if you have either a single coil pickup or simply noisy electronics, grounded strings (and grounded you) can help some.

+1.

Grounding can greatly diminish the hum from a single coil PU when touching the strings. The (grounded) strings running above the PU and the body (the players, not the guitars) body then acts as a huge shield.

The hum from single coil PUs which occurs when one doesn't touch the strings can be eliminated with a good noise gate set properly. Ít doesn't dampen the hum when the string is plucked, but then you touch the strings and if they are grounded, that will take care of the hum.

[SamBooka]

[quote=oldane;242162]+1.

Grounding can greatly diminish the hum from a single coil PU when touching the strings. The (grounded) strings running above the PU and the body (the players, not the guitars) body then acts as a huge shield.

[quote]

We shold have locked this thread down after PTCs post (no offense intended Oldane)

Your body acts as a shield. your strings do not.

I think I have never seen this issue addressed more succinctly than PTCs post.

[jorgemg1984]

I once had a grounding issue with my tailpiece - touching the strings sopped it. Of course it also limited my live playing a lot so it was a good idea to ground the taipliece.

[oldane]

We shold have locked this thread down after PTCs post (no offense intended Oldane)

No offence taken.

[Zeno]

Hi,
thanks for yours answers, i need a little time to read and translate.

i also replace my pickup : the new one is a Kent Armstrong mini hambucker - i remove the pickguard and the tone button : now my guitar is really beautiful : it would be a shame to be electrocuted...
Maurice

[PTChristopher]

>>> i need a little time to read and translate.

Well if anyone calls me a nit-wit, that means "a really cool guy".

Where are you from?

Chris

[Zeno]

Hi Chris,
from France (Lyon), here the sector voltage is 220V, for the meaning of 'nit-wit' i have to trust you.

i think the best solution for me to connect the strings to ground is to use a conductive adhesive (ie 3M).
thank you for this idea and for yours friendly advices.

[PTChristopher]

Je n'ai pas été à Lyon depuis 1992, mais je pense que c'est une belle ville.

Je souhaite que j'étais maintenant à Lyon. Je pourrais conduire à Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne et au col de la Croix de Fer sur le vélo.

Bien sûr "nit-wit" signifie vraiment "imbécile".

Et désolé pour mes erreurs en français.

Chris

[Zeno]

j'aimerais bien faire les mêmes erreurs quand je parle anglais : c'est parfait ! Oui la région ici est très agréable, moi c'est les Etats Unis qui me font rêver, j'aime bien l'ambiance sur ce forum.
amicalement

[PTChristopher]

>>> j'aime bien l'ambiance sur ce forum.

L'ambiance sur ce forum est généralement très bonne. Mais parfois, nous avons quelques problèmes mineurs. C'est le meilleur forum de guitare sur le web, à mon avis.