Strat shielding tip

[beandip]

I always shield my strats, its a habit I guess. Well on my new squire, it wouldnt stop humming, even after doing the guitarnuts.com shielding that I do to all my other guitars. So I got some of the copper tape that I used, and took a sheet, and scraped a little of the stickyness off of a aprox. 3 1/2 in. piece. I then took the strip and wrapped it aroundt pup, leaving about a 1/2 in. overlapping. This thing I quiet now! oh, dont ground the foil, thats what sucks away the top end that everyone complains about. Just use it as an antenna and let all the noise stay in the foil, and not go to ground. Try it, it really works.

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Strat shielding tip

I always shield my strats, its a habit I guess. Well on my new squire, it wouldnt stop humming, even after doing the guitarnuts.com shielding that I do to all my other guitars. So I got some of the copper tape that I used, and took a sheet, and scraped a little of the stickyness off of a aprox. 3 1/2 in. piece. I then took the strip and wrapped it aroundt pup, leaving about a 1/2 in. overlapping. This thing I quiet now! oh, dont ground the foil, thats what sucks away the top end that everyone complains about. Just use it as an antenna and let all the noise stay in the foil, and not go to ground. Try it, it really works.

I've done that also buddy and I seemed to think I Lost some highs? Didn't you think so also?

I always just put an entire copper shield onto the back of my pickguard and make sure I also ground the pots and the switch together...I'm of the belief that more of the noise we do hear from a strat is from the antenna effect of the single coil pickups themselves...My findings have always been that even if I shield the cavity and solder the guard to the shielded cavity etc..that the noise is still very much there because of the very nature of single coils...Alot of people claim they kill alot of noise but I've never felt the shielding was worth the extra effort...Just my opinion though,but I've sure been there,done that...When we play out,it's really a matter of finding a sweet spot where the single coils don't buzz as much...No shielding of your strat is going to knock out the annoying noise you get from that Budweiser sign 5 feet away...Again,don't be mad at me but it is my findings...Whatever works for you is all that matters! :dance:

John

 

[beandip]

Re: Strat shielding tip

I dont think I lost alot of the highs. I always shield the entire pg and the control cavity. It makes it pretty quite, but not all the way. But now that I shielded my singles, its completely quite. Just dont ground them, or let the copper foil touch the hot or ground solder joints on the pickup.

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Strat shielding tip

I dont think I lost alot of the highs. I always shield the entire pg and the control cavity. It makes it pretty quite, but not all the way. But now that I shielded my singles, its completely quite. Just dont ground them, or let the copper foil touch the hot or ground solder joints on the pickup.

Right...If you ground the shield around the bobbins,you ground out your pickups! Not good right buddy? I've even read somewhere that wrapping your single coils with a shielding takes highs away..Something to do with inductance? Anyway..Whatever works is cool.. :cool3:

John