The Steel Guitar Forum

Hi everybody,

Just wondering where your aluminium necks are grounded? Some may have a separate ground lug attached to a neck bolt etc, whereas others may rely on the neck’s bare contact with another piece of metal that is itself grounded. This could perhaps be the roller nut, which may be grounded by the strings.

Also like to hear if anybody’s neck isn’t grounded. Turn your amp up, and if touching your neck produces ground noise, then it’s floating!

Bradley, my Derby SD10 is not grounded. I got it used and discovered this when playing. I clipped a alligator clip lead as a test to the theory and the static noise stopped. I went from the changer to the end plate. I haven't decided on a proper wire fix but I will make a permanent repair, hopefully from under the body.

Hi Larry!

Is it just your aluminium neck that isn’t grounded on your Derby mate, or all the metal work?

Seems to be the neck. I can touch the strings with no issues but the neck makes a scratching sound when touched. I looked at the wires to the pickup and it appears questionable. Because of the pull rods, it may be a challenge to attach a ground wire and keeping it clear. George L E66 pickup equipped. When I change strings I will experiment with where to add my wire.

Similar to mine really Larry! I have a D10 Magnum and the necks aren’t grounded. I used my multimeter on them but the necks are powder coated which interfered with my probe. But I scratched a little bit of the coating off on the corner of the neck, but still, no ground continuity found.

The necks on the Magnum are made up of two parts - there is a small part that houses the changer, and then the longer part with the fretboard on. The part that houses the changer is grounded, as is the changer itself (and strings). But the powder coated neck isn’t.

Strange really.

Thankfully, as steel players, we don’t touch the neck. So it’s not much of a problem, but odd nonetheless!

I have to fix it. Drove me nuts till I checked it with the ground clip. Like a armpit guitar when the scratch guard picks up static and the pickups amplify it. I guess my fingers touch it more often than most.

Please let me know how you get on when you manage to tackle it Larry! I don’t even know where on the neck a ground wire/ lug could go on my magnum - indeed I can’t even see how the neck is attached!

Will do. I will take a few pictures too.

Thanks mate, that’d be a great help!