Finish the cavities and how?

[Watchie]

As a matter of good practice, should the PUP and control cavities be keep "raw" or should a finish of some kind be applied (sealer or even final finish)?  Note that my intention in either case is to line the cavities with copper tape for shielding purposes.

Thanks

 

[DangerousR6]

As a matter of good practice, should the PUP and control cavities be keep "raw" or should a finish of some kind be applied (sealer or even final finish)?  Note that my intention in either case is to line the cavities with copper tape for shielding purposes.

Thanks

I usually leave them raw, especially under the pups, but that's because I direct mount my pups to the body...

 

[Jusatele]

I did not tape mine during staining which I did by hand, and on one coat did stain them, but during spraying of the finish I taped then, so I guess I kept them semi raw

 

[Cagey]

I usually leave them however I found them, since they always get covered up.

Also, the copper tape is a waste of time unless you just like the looks of copper tape. As shielding, it does next to nothing for you. The only reason anybody sells it is because some people ask for it. No sense leaving money on the table.

 

[DangerousR6]

I usually leave them however I found them, since they always get covered up.

Also, the copper tape is a waste of time unless you just like the looks of copper tape. As shielding, it does next to nothing for you. The only reason anybody sells it is because some people ask for it. No sense leaving money on the table.

I call bullshyt on that,  shielding does make a difference. Specially if you live in an older house, I used to think it was all just a gimmick, until I used it and heard the difference... :icon_thumright:

 

[JaySwear]

The other thing I like about copper tape is getting a better ground connection. The more contact points the better I think. Whether or not it actually works for shielding (and I think it does, at least a little and every bit counts). If you shield carefully and don't notice a difference then at least you tried. Never shielded any guitar I've owned with humbuckers in it, but the one singlecoil guitar I have is shielded and isn't very loud at all. Not sure if it's the shielding or the pickups, but I'm happy I did it.

 

[Watchie]

Does it make sense to tack a small screw through the shielding in each of the pockets (PUPs, LP switch, Control Cavity) and connect a wire to each screw to in effect tie all the shielding together before going to ground?

 

[Cagey]

I usually leave them however I found them, since they always get covered up.

Also, the copper tape is a waste of time unless you just like the looks of copper tape. As shielding, it does next to nothing for you. The only reason anybody sells it is because some people ask for it. No sense leaving money on the table.

I call bullshyt on that,  shielding does make a difference. Specially if you live in an older house, I used to think it was all just a gimmick, until I used it and heard the difference... :icon_thumright:

You're right; shielding does make a difference. However, lining the control/pickup cavities with copper tape doesn't do much along the lines of shielding. It's an urban legend in the guitar community that just refuses to die no matter how many times the fallacy is explained.

The problem is that the pickups are the source of the majority of your noise. You essentially have about a 1/4 mile long antenna sticking out through some pickup-sized holes in your shield. What you're trying to create with all that copper tape and sheeting is called a "Faraday Cage", and holes the size of pickups render it nearly useless. Adding antennae (pickups) outside those holes just takes you from pointless to ludicrous.

When it comes to shielding, most guys figure if some is good, then more must be better, and too much should be just right. Problem is that shields with big holes in them are about as useful as submarines with screen doors or buckets with bullet holes. Of course, the power of suggestion is tremendous, so they keep installing all that "shielding" and simply convince themselves that they're doing a Good Thing and Making A Difference, even though they're not. It's important to shield the right thing(s) the right way, and safe to ignore the rest. Given typical electric guitar design and single coil pickups, there's only so much you can do. Past that, there's little effect.

Some amount of noise is picked up by the control cavity wiring, even in guitars with "noiseless" pickups, but a great deal more of that can be eliminated with shielded cabling than with a shielded cavity.

 

[Steve_Karl]

I usually leave them however I found them, since they always get covered up.

Also, the copper tape is a waste of time unless you just like the looks of copper tape. As shielding, it does next to nothing for you. The only reason anybody sells it is because some people ask for it. No sense leaving money on the table.

I call bullshyt on that,  shielding does make a difference. Specially if you live in an older house, I used to think it was all just a gimmick, until I used it and heard the difference... :icon_thumright:

Agreed. And copper tape is the better than shielding paint.

 

[NovasScootYa]

I've noticed Fender has been leaving some control cavities unfinished. As for me, control routes always get sprayed with finish. I've never used any shielding mostly based on Cagey's post and a foil, copper lined contoll cavity reminds me of a skillet. I do use Aluminum Pickguards with SSS Strats which have been rumored to help...by those who make them and not to help by those who do not use them.  

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

The other thing I like about copper tape is getting a better ground connection. The more contact points the better I think. Whether or not it actually works for shielding (and I think it does, at least a little and every bit counts).

You do end up with more surface area grounded but the actual path to ground is dermined by the black wire on the jack.  More surface area doesn't necessarily mean more or even better ground.