Hey guys, I was wondering if a graphite saddle would make for a good ground for my strings on my electric acoustic (which has a mini humbucker)? Any thoughts on that? Thanks.
I wouldn't think so. I usually think of graphite more as a resistor than a conductor.
And even if it did, it would be difficult to connect the ground wire to it.
I wrapped a newspaper ’round my head
So I looked like I was deep
even if one assumes graphite is a good enough conductor, the bridge is not really made of a solid piece of graphite, but graphite-impregnated plastic alloy ... or similar. that plastic or nylon alloy base material is not conductive, and embedding isolated bits of graphite or similar lubricating substance in the plastic/nylon alloy, does not effectively make it conductive. in fact, I would be very surprised if if so-called 'graphite' bridge material not a pretty good insulator.
nope - not a good ground.
-=tension & release=-
The other option on an electric would be to ground the tailpiece - this is in fact what is done on my beater semi-hollow. On an acoustic you'd have to come up with some other way. How about a thin piece of metal attached to the bridge plate inside the guitar? You'd want to put holes in it for the strings to go through and then you'd run a ground wire to the copper plate. You have to set it up so that the strings would touch it.
I'm not 100% sure this would work and I haven't tried this - just speculating. You can buy pretty thin sheets of copper from some of the hobby supply places.
Pop music is about stealing pocket money from children. - Ian Anderson
The other option on an electric would be to ground the tailpiece - this is in fact what is done on my beater semi-hollow. On an acoustic you'd have to come up with some other way. How about a thin piece of metal attached to the bridge plate inside the guitar? You'd want to put holes in it for the strings to go through and then you'd run a ground wire to the copper plate. You have to set it up so that the strings would touch it.
I'm not 100% sure this would work and I haven't tried this - just speculating. You can buy pretty thin sheets of copper from some of the hobby supply places.
your speculation is correct. I've done this on a friend's pin-bridge acoustic-electric (Lennon-style Epi J160, IIRC), and it works well. I used heavy copper tape, but since have found that Stew-Mac sells a thin metal reinforcing "bridge saver" made to fit a pin-bridge plate perfectly -- exactly what's needed for this.
-=tension & release=-
I have some graphite here 8X3mm cross section and about a metre long. End to end it measures about 8 ohms so I would think it would be ok for this.
I have some graphite here 8X3mm cross section and about a metre long. End to end it measures about 8 ohms so I would think it would be ok for this.
is it real graphite, or a graphite bridge material? "graphite" bridges are not really made of graphite. they are mostly Delrin or nylon or plastic alloys.
-=tension & release=-
I have some graphite here 8X3mm cross section and about a metre long. End to end it measures about 8 ohms so I would think it would be ok for this.
I think that you'll find graphite to be too soft to be a viable bridge material. I have a graphite "nugget" and I wouldn't want to try and use it for a bridge - it would crumble under the stress of the strings.
I started with nothing - and I've still got most of it left.
Did you know that the word "gullible" is not in any dictionary?
Greybeard's Pages
My Articles & Reviews on GN
I think Graph Tech's marketing has confused a lot of people. their products don't even contain graphite.
-=tension & release=-
Sorry I'm thinking about carbon fibre similar to http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Truss_rods/Carbon_fiber/Carbon_Fiber_Neck_Rods.html for strengthening guitar necks. It's not the guitar nut type graphite although I didn't know you could get it for bridge saddles.
