Here's a look at some shielding work, it's more effort than copper tape or shielding paint but the results can be much better.
We use "Light" weight copper foil which is available at a Craft Supply store, we feel the medium and heavy weights dampen the guitar body's resonance so we use "Light" weight copper foil which is thinner but still a great sheilding material.
After the scratchplate, jackplate and all the electronics have been removed, now is a good time to clean up any dried polishing compound left in the control cavity. A washcloth with hot water can be used and a little scraping will usually get it clean.
Here are the supplies needed to do the shielding job, copper foil can be sourced at any decent Arts-n-Crafts store.
- Light weight (40 gauge or higher) Copper Foil *
- Spray Contact Cement (brush-on is way too messy)
- Embossing tool *
- Soldering gun and some 60/40 solder
Here you can see the paper templates patterns of the bottom of the ctrl cavity shapes and a piece of copper foil cut from one of them.
Here are two views of the cavity with the copper foil cut, fit, and glued into the bottom and sides of the ctrl cavity
Here the copper foil has been soldered, joining the bottoms with the sides to make a complete shield of the ctrl cavity in the guitar.
Note the small tube connecting the jack cavity to the ctrl cavity, I do this to eliminate the use of shielded wire inside the Strat altogether.
Remove the Pickups and all electronics from the scratchplate, then make a template of the shape that will cover the routed cavity holes. Then make the piece of copper foil for the scratchplate, before attaching the foil apply some solder and some ground leads, this prevents the need to solder to the copper after it's been attached.
(which can deform the plastic scratchplate)
Replace the Pickups, all electronics, re-assemble the guitar and get after it!
The Control cavity, before and after...
and don't forget the toggle switch cavity:
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© 2002 Brad Burt