Question About Shielding Paint

[Kid]

Hey everyone, I just got an Ibanez bass, and the J pickup cavity didn't have shielding paint but the P cavities did, is that normal or do I need to fix it? Also, what exactly does it do, and what are the consequences if it isn't replaced?

[wood is good]

All shielding does is stop excess noise from the pickups...

[Mitch]

if you want a cheaper option than sheilding paint you can use sticky backed copper sheilding tape which you should be able to get from gardening stores fairly cheaply (though it would probably be called slug tape).

[Woodenspoke]

if you want a cheaper option than sheilding paint you can use sticky backed copper sheilding tape which you should be able to get from gardening stores fairly cheaply (though it would probably be called slug tape).

I looked up the slug tape which was a good idea.. Except you want a conductive adhesive to make sure the tape makes a complete circuit. I guess a bit of solder will connect the strips, but is it worth it.

I picked up some conductive paint finally and I believe it will go much further than any tape roll so the cost is relative to the amount of shielding you get.

[Mitch]

if you want a cheaper option than sheilding paint you can use sticky backed copper sheilding tape which you should be able to get from gardening stores fairly cheaply (though it would probably be called slug tape).

I looked up the slug tape which was a good idea.. Except you want a conductive adhesive to make sure the tape makes a complete circuit. I guess a bit of solder will connect the strips, but is it worth it.

I picked up some conductive paint finally and I believe it will go much further than any tape roll so the cost is relative to the amount of shielding you get.

I tested the tape with a multimeter and the adhesive is conductive.

I was suprised at how much tape i used for my build (about 2 and a half meters) so yeah. It probably does work out about the same. But i was just trying to show that things not designed for building guitars can be used to build guitars

[Sami Ghouri]

I DO NOT WANT TO hijack the thread, but i have a similar question. I can't seem to find any shielding tape around where i live. The only solution I can think of is aluminum foil that's connected with some solder. As hard as fixing that would be, is it gonna make any difference? Or should i just keep looking?

Thanks!

[Rick500]

I think you'll find you won't be able to solder aluminum.

[Keegan]

I think you'll find you won't be able to solder aluminum.

I've soldered to aluminum tape before. The problem is that the back isn't conductive, so you'd have to joint the pieces.

[Southpa]

I've used the copper adhesive shielding tape from Stewmac and found it conducts very well across the overlapping joints, no soldering required. I have a friend at work who does TIG welding on copper-nickel piping, all diameters and sizes. He uses aluminum tape (mfg: Ideal Tape Co.) to seal the pipe ends for containing the shielding gas (Argon). I took some of the material home and used it on a few guitars. It does not conduct across the joints, ie. non-conductive adhesive but I just hit some joint areas with a soldering iron and burned away the glue. The heavy copper tape is also used by stained glass artisans.

[Woodenspoke]

I tested the tape with a multimeter and the adhesive is conductive.

The slug tape is inexpensive do you have the brand name available. It would be nice to have a cheaper source.

Also I have seen aluminum shielding tape. All electronics has some Look here 36 yards 2" wide for a good price. If you don't have to solder the shielding together you don't need to solder. The point at which you attach your pot to the body becomes the ground connection to the shielding tape. They have other sizes as well.

[Mitch]

I tested the tape with a multimeter and the adhesive is conductive.

The slug tape is inexpensive do you have the brand name available. It would be nice to have a cheaper source.

Also I have seen aluminum shielding tape. All electronics has some Look here 36 yards 2" wide for a good price. If you don't have to solder the shielding together you don't need to solder. The point at which you attach your pot to the body becomes the ground connection to the shielding tape. They have other sizes as well.

Err. Ebay brand. Mine cost about £4 including postage for 4 metres of 1.5" wide roll. The price has gone down since then though.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SLUG-TAPE-COPPER-TAP...Q2em118Q2el1247

I think that's the one I bought. I think the adhesive should be conductive on all slug tape because if it's not then it wouldnt work. I'm not sure how it works but aparently when the slugs slodge (what word do you use for a moving slug?) onto it it gives them a tingle which is like when aluminium foil touches a metal filling in your mouth or something.

Anyway. Even if the adhesive isn't conductive you can just solder the bits together like i did just in case. It shouldn't take you 5 minutes.

[Mitch]

I Searched copper tape and it came up with loads of stuff. Some for making guitars and some for repelling slugs. Same thing though.

http://shop.ebay.com/copper%20tape?_from=R...tape&_naf=1

EDIT: I wouldn't reccomend getting less than 6ft for 1 guitar.

Edited April 28, 2009 by Mitch

[Woodenspoke]

I Searched copper tape and it came up with loads of stuff. Some for making guitars and some for repelling slugs. Same thing though.

http://shop.ebay.com/copper%20tape?_from=R...tape&_naf=1

EDIT: I wouldn't reccomend getting less than 6ft for 1 guitar.

At those ebay prices the Sheilding Paint is looking better and better. The upside it is less work to paint on your sheilding. I have copper sheilding tape but unless everything you do is perfectly routed (cavity) it can be a pain. The aluminum sheliding tape I linked to is very cheap in comparison.

Too bad no one has a brand name for that slug tape.

[ToddW]

Don't know about slug tape, but the shielding paint I used, CuPro, wasn't super cheap: http://www.lessemf.com/paint.html

But it is very easy to use, and looks nice. The 4oz size seems like plenty to do 3 or 4 guitars with 3 coats each, and the time savings worth it to me. Took less than 5 minutes per coat to do the control cavity, PUP routes, and the wire chanels (I used a q-tip to do those). After 2 coates, I read 2 to 3 ohms from the neck route to the furthest point in the control cavity. I'll put on a third before I finish it.

Todd

[Mitch]

Would higher resistance effect how well it stops buzzing or is the resistance to small to make any difference?

I dont think soldered copper tape has nearly that much resistance.

[ToddW]

The higher resistance probably does mean it's slightly less effective than copper tape. But, it's easy, there's no risk of gaps, it looks good, and it's a lot better than nothing!

[Woodenspoke]

here is another option for shielding that I have never tried. In the Stain glass industry they use a self stick copper foil for a solderable edge on the glass.

http://www.yglass.com/12559.html

[DC Ross]

Too bad no one has a brand name for that slug tape.

I use Correy's brand and it works just fine. I picked it up at the local Ace Hardware in the gardening section.

[postal]

Fender uses 1 single coat of shielding paint- an "acid" brush is really handy for this.

[westhemann]

I bought a pint of sheilding paint from stewmac years ago...I keep it capped and stored in a good spot,and I have done 5 guitars with it so far..it is quick and easy...and I can even get it onto the wire tunnels with my cheap hobby brushes.I never bother with all of that copper crap

I have not brought it out in the last two years or so...I wonder if it is still good?

BTW my ESP edwards is sheilded with paint and it is dead quiet...even with my Engl amp on 3/4 gain at 60% volume...so I would say it works.

[soapbarstrat]

I had less than 1/2 a can of the conductive paint sitting around for several years and found out of wasn't conductive anymore.

I also didn't like how you'd paint it on end-grain and had to recoat 'cause it would soak in so much.

Down-side to the foil is I've found the adhesive doesn't hold up too well. I think right now, I might have a piece loose in my guitar hitting the pickup switch and killing my neck pickup !.

But I like the foil better. It's either there or it ain't. Or in other words, "what you see is what you get" with the foil. I mean ever since I had that paint loose conductivity, the paint is too mysterious for me now.

I also like add-ons that can be completely taken back out easily.

A little glue next time I have that guitar opened, and I should be good. Not going to even bother checking if copper film is still conductive !

[westhemann]

The conductive part settles to the bottom of the can...you have to really get after it with the ol' stir stick to get it to mix in with the paint..

[soapbarstrat]

Yeah, I did that, but maybe the conductive part went into a really thin layer that dried hard on the bottom. I didn't pour it all out of the can to see if something like that was going on.

Can't find that can now. I sort of remember a while back I shook it and it was just dried chunks rattling around in there. Maybe took it when they had that hazardous materials drop-off.