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Follow the signal return and keep shielding roles clear.
Signal ground is the circuit’s reference and return path. The output jack sleeve connects to that return; the tip carries the output signal. Identify tip and sleeve contacts on the actual jack, rather than using their apparent position.
The supported wiring uses authorised casing solder points and a shared ground harness. A grounded lug is a separate electrical connection from the metal casing. Check each required bond and the final sleeve connection.
A shield or drain conductor can connect to the ground reference while its purpose is to reduce interference reaching the signal wiring. Coil return and shield are separately identified even when they terminate at one casing point. A shield is not an interchangeable signal lead.
Where the instrument design requires it, the bridge/string bond connects the metal hardware to the guitar’s ground network. Touching grounded strings can change picked-up interference; it does not by itself prove the entire wiring is correct.
Disconnect the guitar from the amplifier before resistance or continuity checks. Compare the intended ground points with jack sleeve, and inspect for loose joints or shorts to hot terminals. A continuity reading alone does not diagnose every intermittent fault. This guide concerns passive guitars; do not open mains-powered amplifier equipment.
Create a physical connection list, conductor reference and printable bench diagram. Each example opens a supported starting circuit; it does not identify your actual guitar or pickup measurements.
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