Shielding.......again (newbie)

[ratherplay]

I got a prewired guard with texas specials in neck and mid, and a pearly gates humbucker in bridge. Routed out body for humbucker, sealed with paint and was told to sheild the cavities. I have some alum. tape with conductive glue ( for airplane floor grounding) All the Info I read has rewiring. I just want to hear this set up (kept the old one) I don't want to rewire this now. But thought I should sheild anyway? This guard has an extra ground with a screw size ring connector. I assume this goes to the sheilding I put in? Thanks in advance, hope you don't mind the ignorance.

[newey]

RP-

Hello and Welcome!

But thought I should sheild anyway?

You're preachin' to the choir around here!

I have some alum. tape with conductive glue ( for airplane floor grounding)

That should fly . . . ;D

All the Info I read has rewiring

You may have to move a ground wire or two.

This guard has an extra ground with a screw size ring connector. I assume this goes to the sheilding I put in?

Probably a valid assumption, but some photos to see where the other end goes might be helpful. Sounds like you may have a connection for screwing into shielding paint in the cavity. Lots of modern solid bodies come from the factory that way, so the friendly replacement pickguard folks probably replicated that for you.

It should work just as well screwed to your shielding tape. However, always check for continuity between the various strips of tape as well as to the screw connector.

I assume you have already read the original Guitar Nuts site on this topic (link at top of this page), you should follow those instructions. You may not need to move pot grounds, however, (again, depending on to what your screw connector wire is attached.)

Bottom line, as long as you have it apart and you have the tape, why not shield it?

[ratherplay]

Thanks...no photos They are on the volume pot, one to the terminal which is bent up and soldered to the pot, and the other two (one with the ring) to the pot. along with one from each pickup , one to the switch and one jumps the two tone pots(each with a cap.

[newey]

Ok, if it's grounded to the pot shell, along with all the rest, you should be able to just screw it down to your shielding at a convenient spot. I usually bring the string (bridge) ground to the same spot.

Are you shielding the backside of the guard as well? You didn't mention it, but it's necessary to do so if your shielding is to be effective. If your prewired guard already has the shiny stuff on the backside, that should do ok but it still needs to be in contact with the cavity shielding.

The idea is a metal "box" completely surrounding your electrical bits, with all parts of the "box" grounded.

[ratherplay]

Yes I will do the back side of the pickguard. It is pretty good but I want to have as much contact at the screws as I can. I also plan on Doing all 3 of the cavities.

[newey]

I also plan on Doing all 3 of the cavities

(Obvious punchline omitted here) ;D ;D

Seriously- This is a Strat-style guitar, right?. If so, it's a bit of overkill to shield the trem cavity. Since there's no electrical bits in there, it can have no effect on noise.

There's been debate around here as to shielding the jack cavity. The original GNutz site recommends using a two-conductor shielded cable to the jack, doing so eliminates the need to worry about shielding the jack cavity. Since you're not rewiring, I assume you won't be doing that aspect, but remember that the jack cavity shield won't help unless it's connected to the rest of the shield in the control cavity. You may also have some space problems in there, you don't want the shielding to contact the end of the jack.

Given what you said about not wanting to rewire stuff, I'd leave the jack cavity alone, at least for now. The pickups are your main noise culprits, as well as (possibly) the controls, so that's where your attention should be directed.

[ratherplay]

Thanks for the info. By the time I got it I had shielded all 3"holes" lol and did have problems with the jack, so removed some and it works. Thanks again.

[jwj4856]

You shoulde be OK with the way you have stated you shielded everything, just make sure you have continuity all through your shielding and it will work. I have one of my strats which is in my avatar that has the exact same pickups as you bought and it is shielded much the same and it sounds great, the pearly gate humbucker and texas specials are a very good combination.