Hot Mod Your Guitar: Shielding

Simon Croft shows you how to reduce unwanted noise from a guitar fitted with single coils by using conductive paint and foil. http://www.playmusicpickup.co.uk

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Hot-Mod
• mod
• Strat
• Playmusic
• custom
• guitar
• electrics
• Fender
• shielding
• screening
• noise

[jfs47]

It appears you only coated the cavities once. The can of black goo I have instructs to apply 3 coats waiting 24 hours between.

How many coats did you actually apply?

And how long did you wait before replacing the pickguard?

[PlayMusicPickup]

@jfs47 Sorry I've taken so long to reply - I should have seen your question earlier. I used two coats but probably best to follow the instructions for whatever paint you've bought.

Si

[PlayMusicPickup]

I don't know exactly what's in the paint but it's 'magnetic' or 'conductive' because it has metal particles in it. I bough mine on ebay. Yes, you can use foil but it tears easily and you have to glue it in place very carefully. If your Les Paul had humbuckers and a lot of buzz, it's probably a dry solder joint or a loose jack socket causing the problem. The ground wire is in the right place. Si

[PlayMusicPickup]

Hi Fella, happy to answer your questions. The most important thing is that the entire of the cavity and the scratch plate forms an electrical 'cage'. That means there needs to be continuous electrical contact all round that cage. Painting a little bit over the cavity wall so that the foil on the scratch plate contacts it is good. Ditto putting some copper foil under the paint and contacting it with the plate. Your ground wire can go onto the trem claw, the painted cavity wood, or both. 30 mins!

[PlayMusicPickup]

You can buy the conductive paint on ebay for a few pounds and a small pot will do two guitars (with two coats each). The procedure is the same for any electric guitar. The only variation is taking it apart and putting it back together again, really.

[drewjhyork]

Hey, great video. I'm shielding my guitar as we speak, and something I've found really useful is copper tape. They sell it on amazon for like £5 as a snail and slug repellant. Hopefully it'll do the job.

[jarrodhroberson]

One thing you can use that is less messy than gluing foil in the cavity or painting it, is using HVAC ( heating and air ) aluminum tape that is sticky on one side. Just as effective as anything else.

[themanfromwem]

Maplin used to do a silver paint, i used it to repair my pcb's....good vid. , english as welll, Howard

[RikardDK]

AMAZING! I did not think one tiny layer of stupid kitchen foil could improve sound so much.. Not only is the noise gone - it sounds way better. I did not have the tools or courage to cut the wires of my guitar or money to buy conductive paint - so I just glued aluminum foil on the back of the pickguard.. So simple man.. just do it.. :)

[wickedexp]

My guitar picks up radio stations... Does it prevent that?

[TheGubernot]

Hi I'm following your suggestions but I've painted the cavities without first putting the copper strip down. Is it ok to put the strip down OVER the conductive paint and then paint over the strip? Or do I need to wear the dunces hat again lol!

[mouloudo]

@OakPark11MileRd :)

[mouloudo]

@OakPark11MileRd golpeador is for flamenco... scratchplate and pickguard are the same thing... it's like saying plectrum or pick that's the same thing

[mouloudo]

@OakPark11MileRd From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A pickguard (also known as scratchplate or golpeador in Flamenco music, and uncommonly, a fingerrest[1]) is a piece of plastic or other laminated material that is placed under the strings on the body of a guitar, mandolin or similar plucked string instrument.