Derrick1642607670 Posted September 23, 2007 Share Posted September 23, 2007 Ok I've been looking at guitar nut and some other sites and im not understanding the base of this because of all the details and crowdedness, What am I simply supposed to do? As of know im think I just buy some conductive copper tape from stewmac sheild all the guitars cavities with it and leaving a little excess to make contact with the tape covering the pickguard? is this all im going to have to do? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caevan O’Shite Posted September 23, 2007 Share Posted September 23, 2007 As long as the "tape covering the pickguard" is electrically conductive, and is also connected to ground (usually just by contact with lock-washers on control-pots). Also do a thorough job of completely covering the entire surface of the area to be shielded, leaving no gaps in between pieces of the foil-tape. If there's a whammy on your guitar, make sure that the foil-tape you add (or any on the pickguard) doesn't touch the screws or any of the bridge-hardware along the edge of the pickguard. Why? Years ago I did this and everytime I'd use the trem, a weird rustling, rumbling noise could be plainly heard through the speakers. It took me a while to figure it out; some strange ground-loop voodoo was making it happen, it went away after I trimmed the tiny little excess that was touching the two posts for the whammy-bridge (which tightly abutted the pickguard's edge). Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do? ~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~ _ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikesr1963 Posted September 23, 2007 Share Posted September 23, 2007 http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k9/MikeSr63/Shield4.jpghttp://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k9/MikeSr63/Shield2.jpg I didn't use copper tape. Bought mine from "Michael's" craft store and it comes in sheets. I used thin two sided tape inside the cavity to hold the foil in place, then sorder all the edges to make one piece. One sheet covers the pickguard. Make it trouble free, line the pot and switch are with black electrical tape, then if anything touches it does not short out. One last thing. You don't see my tabs in the picture where it contacts. That's because I sordered them on after I took the pictures. Hope this helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A String Posted September 23, 2007 Share Posted September 23, 2007 Nice job mikesr1963! How much of a difference did you find that it made? Craig Stringnetwork on Facebook String Network Forum My Music Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikesr1963 Posted September 23, 2007 Share Posted September 23, 2007 It doesn't make it silent, but it helps. If you're going to play in front of the t.v., with your computer on under floresent lights nothing will help. If you do it yourself, it won't cost much and is worth it. If you have to pay someone $20 and hour to do it for you I wouldn't. If you're going to push serious gain, it's gonna hum brother. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caevan O’Shite Posted September 23, 2007 Share Posted September 23, 2007 Yes, nice job! Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do? ~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~ _ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shoes Posted September 23, 2007 Share Posted September 23, 2007 Looks like a job from NASA! Very nicely done. I never think of going into Michaels.. they got all sorts of odd crap in there. Good call. I still think guitars are like shoes, but louder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caevan O’Shite Posted September 24, 2007 Share Posted September 24, 2007 Oooooooh... izzatt that stuff for making arts-and-crafts quasi-3-D bas-relief copper whatchamacallits? Seriously, I don't know what the Hell you'd call it, but they take thin, flexible copper and press designs into it, so that it almost looks like the outside of a mold of a picture? If so, I wish I'd thought of using it for that! Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do? ~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~ _ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg B. Posted September 24, 2007 Share Posted September 24, 2007 That is a nice job, Mike. I'da never thought about using that, great idea. I hunted and hunted, until I found a place that sells tape (they had hundreds and hundreds of different kinds). They sold me the leftovers of a roll of copper tape that was about 2" wide. There was plenty to do my Strat, and IIRC, they only charged me about 10 bones for it. Did a great job of quieting it down. Avoid playing the amplifier at a volume setting high enough to produce a distorted sound through the speaker-Fender Guitar Course-1966 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Ellwood Posted September 24, 2007 Share Posted September 24, 2007 It's copper art foil..HERE: http://www.basiccopper.com/1milcomingsoon.html OR: http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Electronics,_pickups/Supplies:_Shielding.html http://www.thestringnetwork.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Ellwood Posted September 24, 2007 Share Posted September 24, 2007 My guitar tech has created a "squeeze block" for Strats, If you do enough of these shielding jobs it pays off. He first uses pattern makers bees wax sheet (.005)thick and applies this to the complete control cavity. He then takes a maple plug of wood that is almost the net shape of the entire control cavity. He then puts a molding plastic into the bees waxed cavity and squeezes the maple plug in. When it is dried or set up, he has a forming tool. He places a sheet of copper foil over the bare control cavity and forms the entire cavity in copper as one contiguous piece. http://www.thestringnetwork.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zuben Posted September 24, 2007 Share Posted September 24, 2007 http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k9/MikeSr63/Shield4.jpghttp://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k9/MikeSr63/Shield2.jpg I didn't use copper tape. Bought mine from "Michael's" craft store and it comes in sheets. I used thin two sided tape inside the cavity to hold the foil in place, then sorder all the edges to make one piece. One sheet covers the pickguard. Make it trouble free, line the pot and switch are with black electrical tape, then if anything touches it does not short out. One last thing. You don't see my tabs in the picture where it contacts. That's because I sordered them on after I took the pictures. Hope this helps. :thu: Nice job. All my Strats are shielded pretty much the same way and it make a big difference on the road. Peace http://www.spotcheckbilly.com http://www.littlefeat.net http://www.bonnieraitt.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arneyz Posted September 25, 2007 Share Posted September 25, 2007 What exactly does shielding do? Hooray for the Moon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Ellwood Posted September 25, 2007 Share Posted September 25, 2007 What exactly does shielding do? It prevents, or greatly reduces RF (Radio Frequency) interference or other spurious emissions from getting into the electrical components of the guitar. http://www.thestringnetwork.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bennyguitfiddle Posted September 25, 2007 Share Posted September 25, 2007 Is this why I was picking up a radio station through my guitar when I played at this bowling alley last year. Why do you lay down? I say that it beats standing up! whats got you feeling so down? I hold up my empty cup! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zuben Posted September 25, 2007 Share Posted September 25, 2007 Any leanght of wire can act as an antenna and pick up RF. Mostly FM. It gets a bit deep in physics but antennas are "cut" to the freq of a transmitter. Most antennas are compromises. Very often, you will find a length of unshielded wire that is the exact or close to the wave length of the radio station frequency. It becomes a receiver. You could have a redneck down the radio with a 1000 watt unregulated linear (Transmitter) hookes to his good old boy CB and wreak havock all over the radio spectrum getting into your TV, stereo, phone and anything else that has wire and a speaker. By grounding and shielding the electronics of the guitar you eliminate this. Sometimes finding the source is the hard part. Some of the old tube amps were great at picking up radio stations that were close. Peace http://www.spotcheckbilly.com http://www.littlefeat.net http://www.bonnieraitt.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bennyguitfiddle Posted September 25, 2007 Share Posted September 25, 2007 where do you guys learn all this stuff thanks for the insight Zuben I have been wondering about for along time now. I guess I will shield my guitars anybody got more info on this stuff. Why do you lay down? I say that it beats standing up! whats got you feeling so down? I hold up my empty cup! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Ellwood Posted September 25, 2007 Share Posted September 25, 2007 Is this why I was picking up a radio station through my guitar when I played at this bowling alley last year. YES! OR, ground/wiring problems somewhere in your signal chain, OR bad cables OR electrical supply problems in the venue itself, but the shielding in the guitar itself is one thing that can be done to remedy one problem. http://www.thestringnetwork.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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