nexprager
Rookie Solder Flinger
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
|
Post by nexprager on Feb 17, 2007 22:55:26 GMT -5
I was interested in making a copper pickguard out of 18 gauge copper, and I was wondering if anyone knew if it would interfere with the pickups. I have heard that over shielding can actually mess with your pickups, thereby hurting the sound, and I was wondering if this would cause the same thing to happen.
|
|
|
Post by sumgai on Feb 18, 2007 22:49:04 GMT -5
nex, Hi, and to the forums! No, a pickguard made entirely of copper won't affect your pickemups, not anymore than a thin layer of it does when plastered to the underside of a scratchplate. No, you can't 'overshield' your pickups. How many humbuckers, and original-style Telecaster neck pickups, can you recall that had permanently grounded shields (the metal cases were connected to ground), and they still operated just fine? It boils down more to physics and magnetics than to electronics. A (steel or nickel) string vibrates physically, which generates a magnetic field. In turn, a pickup detects that magnetic field. You can insert almost any material between the two, and not interfere with the magnetic field. But wait, you say, what about shielding our guitar, isn't that interfering with electromagnetic hum? Yes, that's true, it is. The difference is, our plucked string is vibrating at an audio rate (the pitch we can hear), and not at the speed of electricity, the very thing in the term 'electromagnetic'. Shielding works on the electromagnetic portion of the spectrum, it's worthless in the audio portion. Thankfully. (The foregoing is a generalization, there are some exceptions.) In summary, buff it up, make it look good! But be sure to protect that copper from bodily fluids like sweat and stuff...... a greenish tinge (called a patina) will develop in months, if not sooner. The aesthetic appeal of your handiwork will diminish accordingly. HTH sumgai
|
|