Cheep Shielding

[syxxstring]

Anyone else ever thought of or tried shielding using the bags computer parts come in?

Do they magnetically shied or do they just block static?

[kings_x]

They just block static.

The key to a quite guitar is good pickups and good grounding of the electronics and bridge. An unshielded cavity can be noise free if everything is well grounded.

[Scott Rosenberger]

just go in the Kitchen and Get Some Aluminum Foil and shield your cavity with that if you can't get Copper Foil

[lovekraft]

The key to a quite guitar is good pickups and good grounding of the electronics and bridge. An unshielded cavity can be noise free if everything is well grounded.

That's probably true in an electrically quiet environment, but shielding the cavity, or using shielded cable will lower the noise floor under almost all conditions. In the harsh environment of the average club musician, it's well worth the extra effort, especially if you have single-coil pickups. Why not take every advantage you have available?

[GregP]

Agree with all points above... properly grounded guitar will eliminate hum caused by ground loops (which are too often present on commercial guitars, even). However, proper shielding will reduce noise caused by fluorescents and suchlike.

Also, I agree that aluminum foils does the job if you're not looking to get copper tape. The copper tape seems a pretty sound investment, though, at only $5 more than a roll of kitchen foil. I've only done it the kitchen foil way, and it worked fine. My copper foil came in today with my StewMac order, so I'll let you know how it goes when I re-do my guitar some day.

One thing to consider, though-- the aluminum foil method worked fairly well because I had access to spray adhesive that someone else had already purchased. The experience would have been less enjoyable without the spray. If you do not already own spray adhesive, you'd be advised to buy it, in which case you're pretty close to what the copper tape would have cost in the first place.

Greg

[kings_x]

The key to a quite guitar is good pickups and good grounding of the electronics and bridge. An unshielded cavity can be noise free if everything is well grounded.

That's probably true in an electrically quiet environment, but shielding the cavity, or using shielded cable will lower the noise floor under almost all conditions. In the harsh environment of the average club musician, it's well worth the extra effort, especially if you have single-coil pickups. Why not take every advantage you have available?

You are correct. Especially at high volumes, a little noise goes a long way and shielding will help. I think people overlook proper grounding. No amount of shielding will eliminate noise in a poorly grounded guitar.

[Stalefish]

I used aluminum foil with some good results.. I also re-did the grounding like what Kings_X mentioned.. Especially recommended with single coil pickups..