copper tape?

[yesak67]

hello,  ok to the point does copper sheilding tape inside the control & pickup cavities really make a difference?.... your thoughts. thanks for looking

 

[mayfly]

I've shielded the insides of guitars before, but I didn't think it makes much of a difference...

... until now.  On my Telecasters, I found that if I touched the pickguard with my finger and moved it around, I'd get a 'crackle' through the amp.  After a little research, I found that this was caused by static electricity buildup on the pickguard that was discharging through the (unshielded) pickup wires.  A little copper tape on the back of the pickguard that was grounded to the guitar ground cured it.

Bottom line - if you are not getting any noise, don't worry about it.  If you ARE getting noise - worry about it.  Simple, really.  ccasion14:

 

[yesak67]

Cool thankyou

 

[TroubledTreble]

I agree with mayfly. I have done em' both ways and have found no significant difference. The back of the pickguard is good for many reasons however..

 

[jlegnor]

I've got copper tape to tape the insides of my first build, but doing it more for stray RF signals and interference from compact flouresence lights.  I think all of my past store bought guitars only had the conductive paint along with the shielded cover plate.  For my first build, I figured I'd rather go over kill since I'll have enough tape.  Plus it'll look cool with all the copper in there! :glasses9:

 

[yesak67]

awesome thanks everyone :hello2:

 

[djf67]

Don't buy 'guitar shielding tape' - buy slug repellant tape - it's exactly the same and way cheaper (tip I picked up from Crimson Guitars).

 

[blue313]

Don't buy 'guitar shielding tape' - buy slug repellant tape - it's exactly the same and way cheaper (tip I picked up from Crimson Guitars).

Most copper shielding tape these days has conductive adhesive, which eliminates the need for tack soldering.  No guarantees on the slug repellent type....but it is cheaper and may work well in your application.

 

[Patrick from Davis]

There is an argument that shielding a guitar or bass with active electronics is helpful.  The electronics themselves tend to pick up more stray noises than wire, but for passive instruments I just use shielded wire for the most part and I have not noticed a difference.
Patrick

 

[bpmorton777]

I saw that slug tape at the hardware store and was thinking the same thing.

Brian

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

I've found that it is most noticed if you do any coil tapping.  It really helps reduce the noise.