Copper Foil/shielding guitar cavities

Fran · Post by **Fran** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 11:08 pm

Does anyone ritually swear by this? Is it needed?
I tried this on my Strat. I thought whilst i change the pickguard i shall shield the cavities for good measure but i am not impressed.
It does not seem to have stopped any noise and it seems to have changed the guitars sound somewhat. I might be imagining this but the guitar sounds brighter.
Gash.

othomas2 · Post by **othomas2** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 11:15 pm

I tin foiled the back of my scratchplate... I was suitably impressed.

I think it's mostly in the head.

Fran · Post by **Fran** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 11:21 pm

The scratchplate i took off was shielded, the new one is'nt (except for the control cavity part). I may just try shielding that before i rip the lot out.

othomas2 · Post by **othomas2** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 11:47 pm

Yeh I would...

Sloan · Post by **Sloan** » Wed Feb 25, 2009 12:27 am

I took the shielding out of my AMP because i was tinkering with it so much the big sheet kept getting caught on the chassis. Well, the last few rehearsals, I was picking up some radio station that I've never even heard, it was funny but annoying. So I went to LOWE'S (home improvment store) and bought some HVAC aluminum tape. Fixed the shit out of it. So I also put some in my les paul, but can't really tell if it's done anything yet.

I think most noise in the Strat is going to be due to the single coil pups anyway. I used my artcore with teh MEAN 90 last time and got a SHIT TON of buzz, i wish i could fix it, but i can tolerate it for the p-90 magick.

TheBurbz · Post by **TheBurbz** » Wed Feb 25, 2009 12:42 am

I thought that when you shielded the cavities you also had to do the pickguard, overlapping the foil round the edge of the cavities so that it all connects with the pickguard and makes one continuous shield.

Will · Post by **Will** » Wed Feb 25, 2009 1:00 am

Shielding my Mustang reissue was the only way I could make it usable. Before, the buzzing was so loud I couldn't use any position other then middle.

Now I can play under a fluorescent light in front of a computer with no problems.

Sloan · Post by **Sloan** » Wed Feb 25, 2009 1:34 am

DuoSonicBoy wrote:Shielding my Mustang reissue was the only way I could make it usable. Before, the buzzing was so loud I couldn't use any position other then middle.

Now I can play under a fluorescent light in front of a computer with no problems.

did you actually ground it all and all that shizz?
seems like a ASSPAIN.

Will · Post by **Will** » Wed Feb 25, 2009 1:37 am

Yep. I put some shielding under the PUP covers too just for the heck of it. It's not that bad as all the tape overlaps and you just need a little bit extending out to the control plate or bridge to ground the whole shebang.

chisa · Post by **chisa** » Wed Feb 25, 2009 2:50 am

yep, do it on all my guitars. it is necessary to prevent "pops" when touching the strings or other metal bits on the guitar

Post by **Mike** » Wed Feb 25, 2009 9:01 am

It's supposed to form a Faraday cage to reject inteference from Radio, Monitors etc.

Mages · Post by **Mages** » Wed Feb 25, 2009 10:33 am

Fran wrote:It does not seem to have stopped any noise and it seems to have changed the guitars sound somewhat. I might be imagining this but the guitar sounds brighter.

might be possible. people say the anodized gold pickguards make the guitar sound different. also, in strats the pickups get a little something from the trem springs. it sort of creates a little reverb. if you shield the pickup cavities that goes away.

blacktaxi · Post by **blacktaxi** » Wed Feb 25, 2009 12:56 pm

Fran, did you ground the shielding? if no - it's of no use.

Post by **Mike** » Wed Feb 25, 2009 2:18 pm

haha.. That would be amusing. 'Fess Up, Franb0t!

Fran · Post by **Fran** » Wed Feb 25, 2009 7:03 pm

Ha! I did actually, well it touches a wire that goes through to the trem claw.
Im positive it sounds different. I know Tele bridge pups originally had copper base plates which supposedly gives the true Tele sound (so i read some place), maybe this shielding can effect the sound.
I think i'd rather have the RF interference than the extra brightness.

Will · Post by **Will** » Wed Feb 25, 2009 9:06 pm

Shielding my Mustang seemed to make it brighter as well. That's what tone knobs are for.

Fran · Post by **Fran** » Wed Feb 25, 2009 9:20 pm

DuoSonicBoy wrote:That's what tone knobs are for.

Lollypops.
Maybe you should make me a Youtube demo on "Tone nob for n00bz"?

chisa · Post by **chisa** » Wed Feb 25, 2009 9:36 pm

use aluminium tape, it is cheaper and does the same job

robert(original) · Post by **robert(original)** » Wed Feb 25, 2009 10:27 pm

i shielded the G&L asat tele i had, not becuz it needed it, but becuz i wanted to.
did around the pups on the guard, all along the inside, didn't really notice much of a change, i also did that to my j.s. still nothing.
altho in my tele with the p-90s i did notice a change. it got more nasty sounding, and a bit.. lower, in volume anyway.
but to be certain a/b 'ing it is a must.
I can't say what my duo would sound like without the metal guard, but i don't imagine it would be that much different then a fully shielded pickguard made of plastic.

Sloan · Post by **Sloan** » Thu Feb 26, 2009 12:10 am

HEADS UP

The Classic Vibe DUO-SONIC has aluminum along the whole back of the pickguard. it looks fucking amazing. I can't believe how amazing these guitars are.

Copper Foil/shielding guitar cavities

Copper Foil/shielding guitar cavities

Re: Copper Foil/shielding guitar cavities