Mosrite Mark I Ground Issue

[Dennisthe Menace]

Here's a photo from Ed Romans web site. Apparently they use a different wiring and grounding layout than an original.

I can see the foil for the V&T Controls, but it is hard to tell
if there is a small piece of foil for the pick-up selector .........

[dubtrub]

I can see the foil for the V&T Controls, but it is hard to tell
if there is a small piece of foil for the pick-up selector .........

I just blew up the photo and yes there is foil at the selector switch. It appears that this is only for shielding. It would need to be a solid piece to serve as a grounding foil.

On the '66 I have, the previous owner had shielded the control cavity as well as used the foil on the pick guard. It makes zero difference as it is no quieter than my '64 that has nothing. When I restore that guitar back to it's original finish, which was sunburst, I am going to remove all the aftermarket shielding to return it to it's original state.

[Dennisthe Menace]

I can see the foil for the V&T Controls, but it is hard to tell
if there is a small piece of foil for the pick-up selector .........

I just blew up the photo and yes there is foil at the selector switch. It appears that this is only for shielding. It would need to be a solid piece to serve as a grounding foil.

On the '66 I have, the previous owner had shielded the control cavity as well as used the foil on the pick guard. It makes zero difference as it is no quieter than my '64 that has nothing. When I restore that guitar back to it's original finish, which was sunburst, I am going to remove all the aftermarket shielding to return it to it's original state.

Danny, i think this might bring up an interesting question....you said:

On the '66 I have, the previous owner had shielded the control cavity as well as used the foil on the pick guard. It makes zero difference as it is no quieter than my '64 that has nothing.

OK, this question is a little different referring to JUST THE "HUM" (if you should hear it).....
I'm not sure, nor do I want to shield my whole Pick Guard to test this out. But, is it possible
that the total shielding with foil, might make a difference if you have your amp in an overdrive mode,
distortion, fuzz,etc?? Another words, you might not hear the Hum in the clean mode, but you might
hear it get 'amplified' when activating your Distortion,etc. Would the Full Shielding help in 'FUZZ Mode?'
Basically, your Distortion, Fuzz, Overdrive, etc, takes your 'clean signal' and 'interrupts'
that signal (or waveform?), which will help create the "FUZZ" sound......

[surfdude2000]

Here's a pick of my pickguard with added copper foil. The result is, the guitar is now dead quiet.

Note: The guitar never had a 60hz hum or buzz, just a popping or crackle. At any rate, it is GONE!!!

Note: I'd also like to point out that there may have been nothing else wrong with the guitar from the beginning. I unfortunately don't know which of the fixes were not necessary, just that this is the one that finally fixed it.

-joe-

[dubtrub]

The main thing is you got it working right. The wiring looks proper, same as a vintage model. On some the tone pot is turned around and wired a little differently, but yours looks like the majority of the ones I have opened up.

[surfdude2000]

Just a little follow up.

I played and recorded it for over an hour without a hitch, testing it on all positions. This guitar sounds fantastic when played clean and gets unbelievable tone using an Analog Man modded Tube Screamer. I tightened the truss rod, just a little and now it stays in tune as well as any of my other guitars.

Finally!

-joe-

[surfdude2000]

Check out this post! It addresses the issue of static buildup from ungrounded pickguards.

I found the question and answer posted on Lollar Pickups FAQ Page.

Question >> I get a crackling sort of like a static sound that builds up in intensity as I play me Telecaster.

Answer >> This is due to the pickguard not being grounded and also happens on other guitars like archtops with pickups attached to the pickguard. Plastic gives off electrons as your body contacts it. This causes a static charge to build up and discharge through the strings and the pickup cover. This problem can get worse in the winter when the air is dryer from heating. You can temporarily alleviate the problem by wiping down the pickguard with an anti-static towel like you use in a dryer, or you can gook up a ground wire to the back of the pickguard and solder it to the back of a pot or any other ground point. This will also happen with certain finishes like metallics, Gibson goldtops, or polyesters (urethane).

~Lollar Pickups FAQ Page~

I also was talking to Kyle Alaniz, lead guitar player for The Verbtones out of Portland, OR USA who plays a Mosrite, a lot. He ran into the same issue and added foil shielding to his last year, which solved the problem.

joe