Geek » Fender Deluxe Amp Project
Grounding
Grounding turned out to be the most nebulous aspect of this project, as there are so many right and wrong ways to go about getting a signal grounded.
Fender amps had a brass plate which mounts between the pots/inputs and the chassis. Think of it as a giant square brass washer. Then you are supposed to ground the circuit board, the pots, and the inputs to this plate.
But to make the matter more confusing, a lot of builders don't think this is a good option. They recommend NOT using this method because the brass corrodes.
There are two other options, star grounding, and buss grounding. One camp says don't use star grounding, the other says definitely use star grounding.
So it's pretty much up to you to figure out what works best for you.
I stuck with the brass plate approach as that was what the original Fenders were like, and I just wanted to get the damned thing done and in my club ASAP. If it hums I'll probably go the buss route.
Here's some good information from Hoffman Amps with a good diagram of how to buss ground.
Aiken Amps provides all the information you will ever need to know about star grounding and buss grounding.
More good info on ground hum and grounding:
Star grounding in tube amplifiers
Ground - A path for current flow (for the serious ground geek)
For a more Yoda approach: First rule to remember - there is no such thing as ground, only an approximation of ground... from "Grounding and Shielding Primer for Tube Circuits"
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