PB-30 w/Tonerider upgrade - First PBG Kit Build!

[Route 58]

You’re a champ, WeirdBits! That’s the clearest wiring diagram I could have hoped for!

[WeirdBits]

The one thing it doesn't show is a ground connection from the back of the volume pot to the back of the tone pot, as it assumes you have shielding on the pickguard to make that connection. If you don't have the pickguard shielding to make that link you will need to connect a ground wire between the backs of the two pots.

[Route 58]

Awesome info, once again, WeirdBits. We’ve bought the copper tape, but I hadn’t gotten that far in terms of learning. All the images I’ve seen for the copper tape show it shielding the walls and floor of the cavity. The pick guard has no shielding. Do we apply the copper tape to the back of the pick guard, or just ground the vol and tone pots together as you mentioned, WeirdBits?

[WeirdBits]

Something like these (first images I could find):




These videos may also help guide you, bit rough though: wiring and shielding.

[Route 58]

That’s great, WeirdBits, really appreciate your help on this.
The big problem now is that it’s all on me to not screw it up - I can’t blame the forum for not being helpful enough!

[Sonic Mountain]

There isn't much that can't be recovered from so don't be too worried.

Post lots of pics

[Route 58]

Will do tonight.

[Simon Barden]

Just note in Weirdy's pictures that the copper foil is brought over the edge of the cavity onto the body so that it makes contact with the foil on the underside of the pickguard to give a path to ground. I'd normally have a wider overlap to that shown, as the bigger the contact area, the more chance that good contact will be made. Just make sure it's all hidden by the pickguard. It's also best to have the foil running around a few of the screw holes, so that you know the two surfaces are being firmly held together in those locations. Elsewhere, any unevenness in the pickguard may mean that the body and guard don't actually touch in places.

It's normally only EMG active pickup installations that suggest that you don't ground the strings/bridge as their pickups are very noise resistant anyway. Grounding the strings does reduce noise with passive pickups, but it also means that your body then has a good path to ground and (especially if you also sing) then touching a mic connected to a PA system that's got a fault on it so that the mic is at mains or 1/2 mains voltage, means that any shock you get will be worse as the good ground path allows more current to flow through your body compared to it having to pass through socks, and shoes and the floor with a much higher resistance.

The good news it that this is very unlikely to happen unless someone has bodged the wiring on the PA, and modern PA systems are far better made now than in the early days of rock 'n' roll. But still one reason to test any sockets used by your guitar/bass amp and PA, and never to remove a ground wire from a mains plug to try and stop a ground hum. Something like this https://www.jaycar.com.au/power-poin...ester/p/QP2004 can be a real life saver when playing somewhere unknown. I know all installations are supposed to be tested from time to time, but it only takes one rat or mouse to chew through a neutral or ground wire since any testing was done and the situation has changed. Also good to use an RCD both on the PA mixer and your amps.

[Route 58]

Thanks, Simon. I’ll bear all that in mind when I get to the wiring.
So, we’ve done bits and pieces when we can, time to post a progress update.
First session we cchecked all the parts and bagged them in separate bags. Drilled 4 holes in neck board. Mock build the bass. Placed a scratch plate and a bridge, marked the drilling holes. (Not necessarily in that exact order). This is what some of that was looking like:




Next session, drilled marked holes and placed a bridge and a scratch plate. Mock build again completely.

Next two sessions sanded body with 180p.
Next session inspected the body and found a minor crack following the grain on the lower edge of the body.
Fill the crack with wood filler. Let it dry for an half hour. Sand it with 180p. Found that filler wasn’t completely filled the crack, so applied again
All going well tomorrow night we’ll sand off that fill and start on a 220p sanding.

[Route 58]

Sorry, those pictures didn't come up very well at first. Managed to make it work a lot better now.