Stock ASAT Classic grounding

[Encinitastubes]

I experimented over the weekend with changing the stock MFDs on my ASAT Classic. When I changed them, there was a lot of buzzing coming from the bridge pickup. I'm aware that you can connect a wire from the pickup's base plate to the bridge, but I did not see any wire. In any event, I changed the pickups back and now the MFD is buzzing. I'm wondering what the stock grounding is. Thanks.

[Craig]

I experimented over the weekend with changing the stock MFDs on my ASAT Classic. When I changed them, there was a lot of buzzing coming from the bridge pickup. I'm aware that you can connect a wire from the pickup's base plate to the bridge, but I did not see any wire. In any event, I changed the pickups back and now the MFD is buzzing. I'm wondering what the stock grounding is. Thanks.

See this post in the G&L Tech Tips section of our G&L Knowledgebase: ASAT grounding question.
You might also see the Album: Instrument Manuals and Wiring Schematics in our Gallery.

Hope this helps.

[NickHorne]

Looking through some schematics, it seems likely that G&L have fiddled with the colours of pickup wires over the years.
Although if a pickup has one black wire, it's a fair bet that that one is for ground...

You don't say whether the whole guitar hums all the time now; the Classic gets its bridge-and-strings ground via the metalwork of the back pickup. If there's no big hum with the neck pickup selected, it would seem that the back pickup's ground connection is ok.

But if you have big, constant hum, then you have a grounding issue in the back pickup circuit. Rather than take the bridge off again, I would be inclined to check wiring at the controls first. You don't want to be working the screw holes at a T-type bridge more than necessary. And if there's no black wire coming from the back pickup, try reversing what there is (at the controls, NOT the pickup!).

Is the back pickup actually working, producing music as well as hum?

It shouldn't concern you in your case, but just for info there is a grounding wire on a Classic back pup; it's just very short, at the pup itself, going from one of the wiring eyelets to the metal backplate. It should not be disturbed! Neither should the wires be detached / reattached at the eyelets to change a pup, but always at the control end. Pickup windings go directly to the eyelets and are extremely delicate; they can be broken by a very small force.

If you have removed / replaced wires here and got away with it, it's just possible that the little ground wire has come away unnoticed. If you haven't got away with it, well let's not worry prematurely.....

[Encinitastubes]

Thanks for taking the time to answer. When the neck pickup is selected, there is no hum. It only occurs in the middle position and, more pronounced, in the bridge position. I'll try reversing the wiring to see if that helps.

[Craig]

Thanks for taking the time to answer. When the neck pickup is selected, there is no hum. It only occurs in the middle position and, more pronounced, in the bridge position. I'll try reversing the wiring to see if that helps.

Please let us know your resolution to this. It does sound like the ground wire for the bridge pickup is not connected or has a cold solder joint.