Ground wire on bridge

[kiteman]

I'm just wondering, why do we ground the bridge?

When I had EMGs they suggested that I remove the wire off the bridge which I did. Now I have Blackouts and they said nothing about the bridge ground but I took it off anyway.

 

[thekiwidisciple]

You mean the wire that goes from the trem claw (on axes with trems) to the back of the volume pot? That grounds the electronics and the bridge (and in turn, the strings). Without grounding it, the strings will act as an antenna and pick up hum and ugly noises that you don't really want; without grounding them, these noises will be amplified. If you ground it, they go to ground rather than through to your amplifier.

Now, as far as the EMGs go, these are active (they require a battery to function...properly). Actives don't need to be grounded.

 

[kiteman]

Thanks. I wondered what benefit that was.

 

[thekiwidisciple]

Not a problem.