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Post subject: Ground wire hanging outside the body?
Posted: Fri Jul 02, 2010 2:46 pm
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Yoo,

I've got an Fender made in Japan 1984-1987.
And the ground wire is outside the body and going from the bridge pickup to the bridge.
Image

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Is there a way to put this in the body?
I want to know because i don't want to open everything up and its not possible.[/img]


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Post subject: Re: Ground wire hanging outside the body?
Posted: Fri Jul 02, 2010 4:42 pm
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phoenix555 wrote:
Yoo,

I've got an Fender made in Japan 1984-1987.
And the ground wire is outside the body and going from the bridge pickup to the bridge.
Image

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Is there a way to put this in the body?
I want to know because i don't want to open everything up and its not possible.[/img]


Yes. Looks like someone was trying to simulate the copper grounding strip present on early Jazzes on that one. Obviously your bass was not factory wired that way, so someone changed it up. It can be restored to original wiring. Go to this link and find the wiring diagram for a modern passive American Standard or Standard Jazz as either should work. (NOT an S-1 SWITCH model please!) http://www.fender.com/support/wiring_diagrams_parts_lists.php

You'll need very basic hand tools like screwdrivers to open control plate and remove bridge screws plus something to cut and strip the wire. You will also need a soldering iron, solder and a length black stranded wire.

There is a wire channel that runs from the control cavity to each pickup cavity and there is a much smaller wiring channel that runs from a hole under the bridge to the control cavity.

When wiring the ground wire to the bridge, sometimes it is easier to insert the new ground wire in the hole under the bridge first instead of starting from the control cavity.

At the factory the bridge grounding wire is stripped and tinned and arranged so that the tinned bare wire makes good contact with the metal when the bridge is screwed back on. While it really isn't necessary, some people make this wire a little longer than the factory and tin a little loop in the bare wire and then when putting the bridge back on insert one of the bridge screws through the tinned loop under the bridge. Should be invisible when you get done.

I would use very small wire if going with the non-factory bridge screw through method. It doesn't have to be big at all to work correctly. Or you can just do what the factory does and tin the stripped wire and count on the compression of the bridge plate against the body to make the contact. That is what I do.


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Post subject: Re: Re: Ground wire hanging outside the body?
Posted: Sun Sep 26, 2010 1:55 am
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> Obviously your bass was not factory wired that way, so someone changed it up.

I wouldn't be so sure about that. I have a similar bass and that has a grounding strip like yours. Fender Japan put these on their 60s replica Jazz Basses . Original Jazz basses didn't get an internal ground connection until the mid 60s. Difficult to see from your picture but if it's a thin copper? strip it's as fitted by the factory.

I understand that on modern re-issues the ground strip is purely decorative as there is an internal one as well, but I don't know about the MIJ models. (I've only just got my bass - I'll have a look in the pickup cavity at some point). In any case I would leave it as is - these Japanese
replicas are becoming collectable and you would almost certainly reduce the appeal and value if you moved it.

best

Von Mek


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Post subject: Re: Re: Ground wire hanging outside the body?
Posted: Sun Sep 26, 2010 9:00 am
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VonMek wrote:
Fender Japan put these on their 60s replica Jazz Basses.


The instrument does appear to be a re-issue of some persuasion since it is fitted with the 11-screw pickguard.

The external pickup ground may in fact be original.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Ground wire hanging outside the body?
Posted: Sun Sep 26, 2010 10:57 am
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brotherdave wrote:
Yes. Looks like someone was trying to simulate the copper grounding strip present on early Jazzes on that one. Obviously your bass was not factory wired that way, so someone changed it up.


Incorrect.....that ground wire is very common on Fender Japan bass models. That is how they come from the factory. The bass in the photo is stock.

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Post subject:
Posted: Thu Oct 28, 2010 10:19 am
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The grounding strip is stock on the Japanese vintage style Jazz basses as well as the 1962 vintage reissue bass.


I own a Japanese Squire Jazz bass and a Fender Japan fretless Jazz and both have that strip of brass.
Fender Japan uses a very thin strip of brass to connect the bridge pickup grounding strip to the bridge and strings.

The '62 Reissue Bass uses a wider brass strip in the same place.

The original 1960 - 1962 Fender Jazz basses had a very thin strip that was crudely cut. This strip was covered by the famous ashtray and the string mutes on the original Jazz Basses.

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