A rotor for an electrical machine includes a rotor core having a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart rotor poles. A plurality of windings are seated in gaps between circumferentially adjacent pairs of the rotor poles. A respective wedge secures the windings in each gap configured to supply Q-axis damping. A pair of end plates are connected electrically to the wedges at opposing longitudinal ends thereof thereby completing a Q-axis winding circuit for each wedge.