Grounding a lap steel

Steve Waltz · Post by **Steve Waltz** » 16 Feb 2018 10:00 am

I need to open my home made lap steel up to add a ground wire to the output jack. It's a single coil pickup. If I use a star ground system is there any downside to attaching an additional ground to the key head? I understand that the strings will ground to the bridge and key head anyway but is there any possibility that noise might choose the path of the key head ground rather than through the stings and over and maybe into the pickup?

I channel my neck so there is already an easy route from key head to output jack.

Thanks,
Steve

Paul Arntson · Post by **Paul Arntson** » 16 Feb 2018 10:15 am

I would say just try it and see. You can always pull it off again. There is a theoretical chance that the loop would add hum, but there might be a benefit in trying it. If nothing else, we'll learn something. Please let us know the results.

Paul Arntson · Post by **Paul Arntson** » 16 Feb 2018 10:30 am

I agree in theory, George, but a ground loop's sensitivity in this case corresponds to the surface area enclosed by the loop, which is pretty small here. If it were me, I'd just try it to see what if any effect it has. There might be some other effect going on like reduced cnnection resistance which could be beneficial. Electrically, it wouldn't be much different from one of the strings, which are already loops, just steel instead of copper.

Paul Arntson · Post by **Paul Arntson** » 16 Feb 2018 10:59 am

Yes exactly. Different story if it were a power circuit.

Jack Hanson · Post by **Jack Hanson** » 16 Feb 2018 11:03 am

I run a ground on all my rescue guitars from the jack to the underside of the bridge. Without exception, they're all quiet as a church mouse.

Steve Waltz · Post by **Steve Waltz** » 16 Feb 2018 11:09 am

Thanks for the input. I thought the star grounding system would avoid a ground loop. I think I'll give it a try and see how it goes.

Thanks

Steve Waltz · Post by **Steve Waltz** » 16 Feb 2018 11:41 am

Got it. Thanks,
Steve

Jim Sliff · Post by **Jim Sliff** » 16 Feb 2018 12:15 pm

If you are already grounded through the bridge adding a tuning peg ground "sort of" creates a ground loop, but only in name. The "path" to the guitar's ground connection is unchanged and there are no active circuits involved.

But what it does add is a very large antenna to pick up all sorts of interference.

It can help to add shielding in the control and/or pickup cavity as long as it's all connected to ground, but additional grounding at the tuning keys is counter-productive.

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 20 Feb 2018 6:40 pm

Doesn't grounding the bridge automatically ground the tuning keys?

Steve Waltz · Post by **Steve Waltz** » 21 Feb 2018 9:05 am

I get how the normal grounding is done and I'll do that. My question was more about being curious of other options. Kind of like this question:
"But what it does add is a very large antenna to pick up all sorts of interference."

Since the keyhead is grounded by all of the strings now, how would adding one additional wire inside the neck now cause a very large antenna? Aren't the strings an antenna now?

I assume it because of grounding at both ends which now makes the strings an antenna where they weren't when they were only grounded at one end?

Just curious, not debating.

Thanks,
Steve