Shielding - what a PIA
- Thread starter dilver
- Start date
Guy Incognito
Senior Stratmaster
Looks better than any time I've tried.
nickmsmith
Dr. Stratster
It made a huge difference in my Tele that came unshielded. I use compression and gain, so a badly shielded guitar is a problem. Noticeable hum reduction when I added the shielding tape. If it’s already got shielding paint, probably much less effect.
Teles are so much easier to shield. Strats really are a pain.
Guy Incognito
Senior Stratmaster
I don't think I've ever actually shielded a guitar for myself. I've only ever done it for friends while putting in pickups for them (at their request).
I've never owned a guitar I couldn't deal with. Or rather I've never owned one where shielding tape was the difference between keeping vs selling.
I can still appreciate a good job of it though.
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I've done it on a couple of Strats, and found it was not worth the effort.
I’m just so used to doing it that I don’t know if it really makes that much of a difference. This 2” copper I found on Amazon is easier than using the flat sheets I was buying, but it still takes a while. I’m going to add a couple layers to see if it makes a difference.
Ocaster Ben
Strat-Talk Member
Does gold leaf offer shielding? If so, much easier to work with, have some experience with both copper and gold.
Nice
I call it over shielding.
I over-shield mine too.
I like quiet as I can get...not wondering if it could be quieter....bzzzzzz
Takes me 5 minutes.
I solder the claw ground wire and the ground wire meant for the claw to the copper right under the volume pot and I use the aluminum shielding plates under the pickguards too.
On this one the middle reverse wound pickup was a bit staticky and this trick fixed it up right up.
Other strats are buzzing around me and mine is quiet.
Attachments
None of my three main Stratocasters ( SSS/HSS) have cavity shielding just the Scratch-plate and are very quiet. If the grounding in the location is working as it should there's no need for over-shielding.
I did this demo to show quiet my single coils are ,
app.box.com
If anyone wants to reduce the noise in their guitars/systems then have a read here,
www.strat-talk.com
I did this demo to show quiet my single coils are ,
Box
app.box.com
If anyone wants to reduce the noise in their guitars/systems then have a read here,
How important is it for you to eliminate single-coil noise?
. Show a way to install without soldering (soldering frightens some/many players who do not mod). Option for crimp connectors could do it. Possibly a switch option to turn it off and on when desired. See if you can get one of the youtube channel people to demo it, phil Mcknight or 60 cycle...
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Thrup'ny Bit
Grand Master Curmudgeon
^This.
I've done it on two guitars...
Really is a slight improvement imo
This guitar has neck and middle SD Quarter Pound pups though... with a JB humbucker in the bridge position
Really is a slight improvement imo
This guitar has neck and middle SD Quarter Pound pups though... with a JB humbucker in the bridge position
I believe gold is more conductive or the same as copper and does not tarnish like copper or silver. I would think gold leaf is a lot more expensive and while much more flexible, it has it's own troubles while applying. Never sneeze. It'll cost ya a fortune. If you are practiced at laying gold leaf, you probably can get it on a little quicker. I have my own technique for applying copper foil tape.
I add shielding on my builds as it is easier during construction than to retrofit it. My Brand made guitars I leave alone.
ThreeChordWonder
Senior Stratmaster
Word to the wise: shielding only works if it's properly grounded. Several ways of grounding exist, including:
- relying on your pots' crinkly washers (not good. IMHO)
- forming a loop in the end of a wire using solder, then using a pickguard screw to clamp that to the shielding by screwing it into the body, remembering, of course to ground the other end of the wire to a pot casing
- as above but soldering the wire to the shielding.
Remember to overlap the shielding in an unseen area or to so that the pickguardcshielding makes contact.
On my recently purchased Epi LP and my recently built P90 thinline, I've gone as far as using copper braided sheathing the shield the "long" wires between the selector switch and the control cavity. It can be bought on Amazon, 22 bucks for 12 feet:
12ft Tinned Copper Braid...
- relying on your pots' crinkly washers (not good. IMHO)
- forming a loop in the end of a wire using solder, then using a pickguard screw to clamp that to the shielding by screwing it into the body, remembering, of course to ground the other end of the wire to a pot casing
- as above but soldering the wire to the shielding.
Remember to overlap the shielding in an unseen area or to so that the pickguardcshielding makes contact.
On my recently purchased Epi LP and my recently built P90 thinline, I've gone as far as using copper braided sheathing the shield the "long" wires between the selector switch and the control cavity. It can be bought on Amazon, 22 bucks for 12 feet:
12ft Tinned Copper Braid...
I've found it to make quite a difference, especially on one noisy strat I bought that had minimal shielding. Also, I always make sure that the shielding on the back of the pickguard is grounded. I connect the bridge ground and a ground wire from the pots both to a small screw in the cavity.
Ronkirn
Most Honored Senior Member
Sure, as long as there's continuity between ALL the shielded areas... the problem is.. on copper foil the adhesive is usually conductive... and/or the foil itself is thick ehough to witstand the shock of being soldered... Gold and other such foils are considerably less thick, and will not tolerate soldering.. thus the chance of winding up with a fully shielded, and/or problem free shield job is somewhat questionable...
and yes.. if it's not PROPERLY grounded all it is is eye candy...
r
and yes.. if it's not PROPERLY grounded all it is is eye candy...
r
