Shielding a guitar

johnnyseven · Post by **johnnyseven** » Tue Nov 05, 2013 12:21 pm

A friend of mine is going to set up and shield my strat for me, but I need to supply the shielding material. I have no idea about shielding material, does it come in different grades/level of quality? If anyone can point me to what to buy for this job I would be most appreciative.

robert(original) · Post by **robert(original)** » Tue Nov 05, 2013 12:33 pm

i used to get the shielding copper from stew mac, but the auto parts store has a conductive tape that will register the same.

johnnyseven · Post by **johnnyseven** » Tue Nov 05, 2013 12:57 pm

Thanks for that. I should have pointed out that i'm in the UK and would prefer a more local supplier for cheaper postage.

h8mtv · Post by **h8mtv** » Tue Nov 05, 2013 1:08 pm

Aluminum tape used for duct work does well.

robert(original) · Post by **robert(original)** » Tue Nov 05, 2013 7:12 pm

^that stuff

dezb1 · Post by **dezb1** » Tue Nov 05, 2013 8:11 pm

johnnyseven wrote:Thanks for that. I should have pointed out that i'm in the UK and would prefer a more local supplier for cheaper postage.

Get your self to B & Q and get the aluminium tape...

Doug · Post by **Doug** » Tue Nov 05, 2013 10:10 pm

My Les Paul Special with P90s has the Stew Mac copper shielding and it's quiet as can be. I heard copper foil's the best but I don't really know how much better it is than aluminum tape, which I understand works well, too. Do you have a local Luthier with a solid reputation you could ask?

Let us know what you find out.

Cheers,

johnnyseven · Post by **johnnyseven** » Tue Nov 05, 2013 10:13 pm

I do know a guy actually. He works at the studio we rehearse in, if he's there on Thursday i'll see what he recommends.

Johno · Post by **Johno** » Tue Nov 05, 2013 11:17 pm

I use shielding paint in guitars it easier, 2 coats to be sure & it takes minutes.

Dave · Post by **Dave** » Wed Nov 06, 2013 12:19 am

Ebay is a good source of cheaper copper foil - both conductive sticky-back and the the type you need to use spray glue to put in (and solder the joins).

The real shielding comes with creating a proper grounded Faraday cage, though suposedl;y just putting some sheets over the electrics will help too.

THE site for this info is here:

http://www.guitarnuts.com/wiring/shielding/shield3.php

http://www.guitarnuts.com/wiring/shielding/tele.php

Be aware that a FULL shielding may well effect some top end (so the experts say - I've done this kind of shielding however not to a guitar that was already working to compare with...)

Fakir Mustache · Post by **Fakir Mustache** » Thu Nov 07, 2013 12:04 pm

Just want to post this Rockinger page because they have a cool little drawing to represent shielding: Rockinger

But if you're in the UK, check this thread, I think most or all of the UK shops in the link have shielding: recommended parts suppliers

speedfish · Post by **speedfish** » Tue Nov 19, 2013 1:50 pm

I use Stewmacs paint on the wood inside the cavity and metal duct tape on the back of the pickguard. It keeps it quiet, but you do seem to lose some of the sparkle.

This is probably the same as Stewmac's shielding paint:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Conductive-Sh ... 483e56ca35

Mikgolden · Post by **Mikgolden** » Fri Nov 22, 2013 4:24 am

I have used aluminum tape before, but prefer the copper simply because its easier to get a good solder connection on. I line the back of the pickguard, line the pickup and control cavities, make sure all pieces are soldered along their entire edge, and any jumpers and hardware grounds are all in the same spot. I was on a job site where we installed a bunch of high voltage electrical wire for some 1000+hp compressor motors, so I snagged all the copper shielding I could out of the scraps that came off the ends when I terminated the wires. The edges are razor sharp, but its pretty darn effective in guitars. Combine that with shielded wire and zero ground loops, you've got a really quiet single-coil guitar.