Help Plz with Tele Neck Cover Grounding issue

[MetalManiac]

I bought a New Tele neck pickup with black cover off ebay. I needed a Black Pickup, and didnt want to risk trying to put on on mysel;f, having just botched the job on one, ruining a good pickup.

When the Tele neck pickup arrived, I noticed that the neckplate was not grounded like my other Tele pickup was.

Being concerned, I asked the seller , and he said that he had been selling these for 12 years, and never had a problem, and that it was "part of the design".

Does that sound right. The seller told me to just go ahead and hook it up and I'd be happy, but I am reluctant to do so, as this may well void any ebay Protetction polocies in force here.

What do you think ? Heres the pickup in question. It does appear to be heavily potted.;

http://www.ebay.com/itm/110638615387...84.m1439.l2649

[uOpt]

That looks like a non-conductive baseplate. Why would you want to ground it?

Are you sure the cover the conductive in the first place?

[MetalManiac]

you dont know very much about tele neck pickups do you? They are ALL noncunductive baseplates, yet in general, that metal cover hums like a sommabidge wihtout grounding it to the back negative wire.
My Fender Tx special I killed trying to put a cover on it was a chrome cover, and it was msot definitely grounded.
Now I'm thinking maybe this black cover is slathered with non-conductive paint.
I can't imagine they'd sell these things and have them be humming up a storm.
Thanks for trying to help though.

[idsnowdog]

I would just sand one of those tabs and attach a ground wire.

[jtougas]

Yeah. *gently* sand the tab closest to the rest of the wiring, and solder a lead to that. Wind that lead around the other wires, and connect it to ground.

Edit: actually, I just liked at the photo, and I think you're good to go. The photo of the underside shows a small lead going to the hole the neg & pos leads come through, and spot soldered. That should be the tab holding down that side of the cover.

[uOpt]

you dont know very much about tele neck pickups do you? They are ALL noncunductive baseplates, yet in general, that metal cover hums like a sommabidge wihtout grounding it to the back negative wire.

WTF. You are the one who who talked about the "neckplate".

No wonder you fatfingered the other pickup. Suits you right.

[MetalManiac]

WTF. You are the one who who talked about the "neckplate".

No wonder you fatfingered the other pickup. Suits you right.

Relax Broseph. does somone need some attention? < ( Brohugs)

OoPs.. you are right. I see that "neckplate" refrence. Sorry.
I guess I meant to say "base".

[idsnowdog]

I think that pickup is already grounded? The solder joint in the middle with the lead to the ground is probably grounding the cover. I would put a test lead on the cover and another on the ground to see if you have connectivity.

[MetalManiac]

I think that pickup is already grounded? The solder joint in the middle with the lead to the ground is probably grounding the cover. I would put a test lead on the cover and another on the ground to see if you have connectivity.

Not grounded. The Fender it replaced had that same solder joint in the middle , but a tab of the cover in the front was soldered to it.
No, no ground.
How would I do what you suggested;"put a test lead on the cover and another on the ground to see if you have connectivity".
Thanks.

[jtougas]

You have a multimeter?

Set it for continuity, and poke one lead at the cover, and the other lead at the neg pup lead, and see what it says.

[Funkfingers]

If you are in any doubt about the grounding of the metal pickup cover, give it its own ground cable. This will leave the existing black and white conductors free for all manner of phase reversal and series/parallel wiring fun.