brass saddles and grounding

hippietim · October 15th, 2003, 04:03 AM

I put brass saddles on my MIJ Paisley tele and have noticed that it hums worse than before if I'm not touching strings with both hands. If I touch the bridge plate all hum disappears but just touching a couple strings or the brass saddles doesn't help much. Is brass just a bad conductor?

I have a Kinman in the neck position and a little '59 in the bridge so the thing is dead quiet when I get my hands on the right spot on the bridge or enough fingers making contact with the strings.

The Snowman · October 15th, 2003, 05:43 AM

I have the same thing in my Tele's Kinman's & Brass saddles....and I don't get any noise at all....maybe a ground wire came loose.....

hey, you can alway join me and play with the cover on....
but that's another topic.....don

blueshawk · October 15th, 2003, 07:21 AM

whilst not the very, very best conductor - it is pretty good, and certainly nowhere near being an insulator (which it would need to be to explain the problem you describe)
Hmmm, puzzling my dear Watson...

The Snowman · October 15th, 2003, 08:32 AM

I would think that brass is a good conductor....alot of plugs use brass for the connections....hmmmm

Andy B · October 15th, 2003, 05:36 PM

Brass is a good conductor. What you are describing sounds like a grounding problem. You can ground the bridge plate with a bare wire lying under it fed through the wiring channel & soldered to either pot.

hippietim · October 15th, 2003, 05:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andy B

Brass is a good conductor. What you are describing sounds like a grounding problem. You can ground the bridge plate with a bare wire lying under it fed through the wiring channel & soldered to either pot.

I don't think so. Touching the bridge plate anywhere works fine - just not touching say a single saddle.

johnnelles · October 16th, 2003, 12:15 PM

Brass is commonly used for audio patch cables - so I think that would qualify it as a pretty good conductor.

Andy B · October 16th, 2003, 05:46 PM

Did you do anything else at the same time as you changed the saddles? I'm thinking a pinched wire if either the bridge or control plate was lifted. The only other question I have is: Are the saddles coated with epoxy or paint which would act as an insulator?

The Snowman · October 16th, 2003, 05:54 PM

Tim....what are the screws made of on the saddles....maybe that's where the ground problem lies....weird but this has me going nuts......don

spranglicious · October 29th, 2003, 06:34 AM

Anyone have a view whether the correct original pre 65 tele bridges were made of ferrous or non ferrous metal.

I'm told later ones are made of Cheaper tin pot that seriously affects tone...
:?
Spranglicious.

October 15th, 2003, 04:03 AM	#1 (permalink)
hippietim Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Raleigh Posts: 2,092	brass saddles and grounding I put brass saddles on my MIJ Paisley tele and have noticed that it hums worse than before if I'm not touching strings with both hands. If I touch the bridge plate all hum disappears but just touching a couple strings or the brass saddles doesn't help much. Is brass just a bad conductor? I have a Kinman in the neck position and a little '59 in the bridge so the thing is dead quiet when I get my hands on the right spot on the bridge or enough fingers making contact with the strings.

October 15th, 2003, 05:43 AM	#2 (permalink)
The Snowman Tele-Holic Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Philly Pa Posts: 763	hmmmm I have the same thing in my Tele's Kinman's & Brass saddles....and I don't get any noise at all....maybe a ground wire came loose..... hey, you can alway join me and play with the cover on.... but that's another topic.....don __________________ it ain't nuttin but the bluez....

October 15th, 2003, 07:21 AM	#3 (permalink)
blueshawk Tele-Meister Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: The Potteries, UK Posts: 113	A bit difficult to understand because... whilst not the very, very best conductor - it is pretty good, and certainly nowhere near being an insulator (which it would need to be to explain the problem you describe) Hmmm, puzzling my dear Watson... __________________ Please accept my resignation. I don't care to belong to any club that will have me as a member - Marx (Groucho)

October 15th, 2003, 08:32 AM	#4 (permalink)
The Snowman Tele-Holic Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Philly Pa Posts: 763	I would think that brass is a good conductor....alot of plugs use brass for the connections....hmmmm __________________ it ain't nuttin but the bluez....

October 15th, 2003, 05:36 PM	#5 (permalink)
Andy B Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Englewood, Colorado Posts: 287	Loose ground! Brass is a good conductor. What you are describing sounds like a grounding problem. You can ground the bridge plate with a bare wire lying under it fed through the wiring channel & soldered to either pot. __________________ Andy

October 16th, 2003, 12:15 PM	#7 (permalink)
johnnelles Tele-Meister Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 356 11 Photos	Brass is commonly used for audio patch cables - so I think that would qualify it as a pretty good conductor.

October 16th, 2003, 05:46 PM	#8 (permalink)
Andy B Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Englewood, Colorado Posts: 287	Very Strange! Did you do anything else at the same time as you changed the saddles? I'm thinking a pinched wire if either the bridge or control plate was lifted. The only other question I have is: Are the saddles coated with epoxy or paint which would act as an insulator? __________________ Andy

October 16th, 2003, 05:54 PM	#9 (permalink)
The Snowman Tele-Holic Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Philly Pa Posts: 763	hhhhhhmmmmmmmmmmmmm ? Tim....what are the screws made of on the saddles....maybe that's where the ground problem lies....weird but this has me going nuts......don __________________ it ain't nuttin but the bluez....

October 29th, 2003, 06:34 AM	#10 (permalink)
spranglicious NEW MEMBER! Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 6	Tele Bridge Ferrous or non ferrous? Anyone have a view whether the correct original pre 65 tele bridges were made of ferrous or non ferrous metal. I'm told later ones are made of Cheaper tin pot that seriously affects tone... :? Spranglicious.