Star grounding (SSS strat copy).....

[gator]

So if I want to do the star grounding that is shown on GuitarNuts Quieting the Beast. Am I mainly just concerned with the pup wires, ground wires going from pot to pot, vibrato wire, and input jack wires? Reason I am asking is that I have a BluesKaster kit from Torres. The pots are wired a little differently. They are all chained together by the gounding wires and they are chained together so that only 1 wire connects all 3 pots to the 5-way selector switch. Tone 1 and 2 each have their own capacitor. So can I just run the ground wires from the base of the pot's to the star ground or do the wires have to come from the capacitors? Do I have to separate the pots from the other wires that eventually run to the selector switch? The capacitors already have one end soldered to the base of the pot.

Also I noticed that my guitar (which is a strat copy with no pickguard. Wiring is accessed from the back of the guitar) has what looks like grounding wires chained from each routed pup area. Its a screw holding a metal connector with a wire soldered to it running from the neck pup bed, to the middle pup where there is another screw and connector (looks like a small metal tab like a miniature pull tab from an old beer can), then to the bridge pup area where it is met by the vibratto wire and then a wire runs from that tab to my vol pot. So I guess they used shielding paint to shield the guitar? I think I am going to sand it a little and then put some copper tape in the pup beds and then run the wiring from bed to bed and then into the main area and attach the final end to the ring connector like the Quieting the Beast article. Does that sound right? The reason I am thinking of sanding is that if it is shielding paint it looks like a pretty thing crappy coating. Also do I want to make sure that my pup mounting screws go through the copper tape or trim tape around the screw holes? Also my imput jack is in my main wiring tub so I assume the tape should be applied around that hole just like the pots right?

Thanks for the help!

[sumgai]

gator,

That's an awful lot of questions!

The following applies to all solid body electrics, not just your Strat clone. In no particular order, and hopefully covering all the bases, you need to know:

1) Shield everything, period. That includes the jack area as well as the control cavity and the pickup holes. For LP style guitars with a selector switch in the upper horn (or wherever else you find a small diameter hole), it is acceptable and sufficient to use shielded cable instead.

2) Where off-GN websites have wiring diagrams that conflict with QtB, the QtB diagram controls. IOW, if they show a ground going somewhere special, ignore it. Always do the "one device, one wire to the central ground point" routine for everything in that guitar, no matter who made it, nor who drew up a diagram for it. If the guitar already has ground wiring in it that does not appear to be compliant with "one device, one wire to the central ground point", then rip it out and re-wire it correctly.

However, a shield made of copper or aluminum (foil, tape, etc.) is considered to be one continous conductor. As long as you can trace a complete path from any part of the shielding to the ground point, then you don't need to do anything special. In some cases, pickup holes are isolated from one another, and they will need to have wires soldered to the shielding, and then to the central ground point.

3) There are many other threads on this topic already posted here on GN2. You can search for them with 'QtB' as the topic, or shielding, or whatever. Be sure to let the search go back at least 60 days (or more), it defaults to just the last 7 days, and that's never enough.

HTH


sumgai

[gator]

Thanks Sumgai. My biggest concern/question is for grounding each pot individually does the ground wire have to be soldered to the capacitor on the pot or can I run it from the base of the pot to the central ground. This way I would only have to desolder the wire from one pot and then reconnect to the central ground....and not have to also desolder the capacitor and resolder it to the wire (I understand that I have to do this for each pot). Just curious if there is any difference. Thanks again for taking the time to answer my questions.

[CheshireCat]

gator said:

Thanks Sumgai. My biggest concern/question is for grounding each pot individually does the ground wire have to be soldered to the capacitor on the pot or can I run it from the base of the pot to the central ground. This way I would only have to desolder the wire from one pot and then reconnect to the central ground....and not have to also desolder the capacitor and resolder it to the wire (I understand that I have to do this for each pot). Just curious if there is any difference. Thanks again for taking the time to answer my questions.

What do you mean "base of the pot"? Do you mean the casing?

If so, no, that doesn't go to starground. It connects to the chassis shielding. That's kept completely seperate from anything touching the starground. The starground and the chassis then connect only thru one solitary point, passing thru the 0.33uf 400V isolation cap.

[gator]

Thanks...yeah by base I mean where CTS is actually stamped on the bottom.

[sumgai]

gator,

Chesh is correct, laziness will earn you negative brownie points!

When it doubt, invest the effort. Shortcuts are just that, and they are meant for those that understand how to benefit from them. As you learn more from here (and other websites), you'll come to appreciate that statement, trust me.

As has been heard (read) here more than once, "If you don't spend the time to do it right on the first occasion, you'll just have to spend the time to do it right when you make the corrections." Or words to that effect. ;D


sumgai

[CheshireCat]

sumgai said:

"If you don't spend the time to do it right on the first occasion, you'll just have to spend the time to do it right when you make the corrections."

. . . or longer.

Never underestimate the discombobulating effect of rework. Nor the obfuscating effect of misinformation from other websites.

[jhollon]

i believe this is the way it was explained to me.

"If you don't have time to do it right the first time, where you gonna find time to fix it"

[CheshireCat]

jhollon said:

i believe this is the way it was explained to me.

"If you don't have time to do it right the first time, where you gonna find time to fix it"

Indeed. Profoundly simple, and an insight worthy of W. Edward Demming, himself.

[jhollon]

deming - one m

[gator]

Last questions hopefully anyway....I have everything hooked up and working. It sounds awesome with the new Rio Grandes. The only part I have not done is ground 1 of my tone controls (this is the one with the ring connector). It has 2 capacitors both are soldered to a separate pot terminal and then to a separate spot on the pot shell. Can I just desolder them from the shell, use a jumper to connect the 2 desoldered ends of the capacitors and then run 1 wire from them to the common ground. Space is becoming a serious issue. Or do both of them have to have their own ground wire even though they are from the same pot?
Also just to verify...I could not find a .33uf 400v capacitor so I twisted a .22uf and a .1uf together (both 400v) to form what looks like 1 slightly larger cap. I think that is fine but I just wanted to double check. Thanks for all your help!

[sumgai]

gator,

......
Can I just desolder [the 2 capacitors] from the shell, use a jumper to connect the 2 desoldered ends of the capacitors and then run 1 wire from them to the common ground?

Yes, this is OK. I know that this violates the "one device, one connection to ground" dictum, but since we're not duplicating another path to ground, a short run like this is acceptable.

Or do both of them have to have their own ground wire even though they are from the same pot?

No. Although technically speaking, they are not coming from the same pot, they were going to the same pot (the casing, as ground). The other ends are each going to the two separate tone pots. However, if the two pots were further apart, and the capacitors were not physically right next to each other, then separate ground wires for each cap would be appropriate.

Also just to verify...I could not find a .33uf 400v capacitor so I twisted a .22uf and a .1uf together (both 400v) to form what looks like 1 slightly larger cap. I think that is fine but I just wanted to double check.

This is OK, providing that each of your two capacitors is rated to withstand 400v (often labeled as WVDC), a fairly common value. If they are less than 250v caps, then you should consider getting higher rated devices.


sumgai