i know this is a noob question but my friend told me not to take the back plate off the back because the ground wire could come undone. what is a ground wire

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Telecaster custom
MIM stratocaster
American Deluxe Strat
1952 reissue telecaster

You're friend is wrong. Unless you have something on your belt that will pull the wire off from inside the guitar cavity, its not going to happen. The plate is not attached to the ground wire, which is typically attached to the tremolo claw back to either a control pot or input jack. Basically ground wire is to complete the circuit between the pickups and the guitar amp. Without a good ground connection, the guitar won't work through the amp. It could also prevent contact with a dangerous voltage if electrical insulation fails or the other way around.

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"Epitaph on a blues musician’s tombstone: “I didn’t wake up this morning”" Davy Knowles


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Correct



Incorrect, if your using an old amp you should check or get it rewired for an earth. As amps use high voltages to be safe when playing especially outside of your home you should use an isolation transformer. One that shows if the mains earth is wired correctly is best.

When referring to electric guitar wiring the common terminology is hot and ground which is just positive and negative on an electric circuit.

So yes you can take your back plate off unless it has added shielding wired to it. I normally route the ground wire that is attached to the claw - under the springs and press it against the wood. That way it never touches the springs. This way you could use the back cover or not it would make no difference.