sinner16 Posted May 7, 2004 Report Share Posted May 7, 2004 Ok ... here's the deal.... After scoring some copper sheilding tape off of E-bay ... I've taken the time to shield my Jackson's PU cavities. My one issue is.. this is a top mount type of body..(no pick guard) So after I drop in the P/U's in, I'll still have a little copper showing . Can I just use some black paint on this area... Maybe a permanent marker? I thought to use some black electrical tape... but the adhesive on it usually is crap. Any suggestions ??? Will painting the copper tape kill the shielding qualities ???? Any ideas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primal Posted May 7, 2004 Report Share Posted May 7, 2004 Shouldn't effect the shielding at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nonamemx Posted May 7, 2004 Report Share Posted May 7, 2004 If intereference can pass though your guitar's body, then why would a little bit of vinyl tape bother it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sinner16 Posted May 8, 2004 Author Report Share Posted May 8, 2004 Yeah ... I guess you're right. I just didn't want the fruits of my labor to go sour. Besides, after thinking about it, I'll only be coveing up maybe a 1/4" of copper tape with black electrical tape. The rest will be covered by the pick up itself. Anyway... I probably screwed up anyway..... The single coils I have are Dimarzio's HS2 and a YJM. I am completely forgot those are supposed to be hum canceling singles Oh well... I guess it was good experience anyway... Thanks for the input.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovekraft Posted May 8, 2004 Report Share Posted May 8, 2004 Shielding will help out humbuckers too. They're quieter than singles, but they're still vulnerable to EMI/RFI, and the shielding will protect the pickup lead wires (which are not humbucking, and not shielded where they connect to the switch/pot), switches and pots. A well-shielded axe with a pair of hums and no ground loops should be quieter than most amps you'd plug it into. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sinner16 Posted May 10, 2004 Author Report Share Posted May 10, 2004 Lovekraft: You mentioned "grounding loops" .... If I were to run say 22 AWG or 24 AWG wire from cavity to cavity... then to ground .... I guess thats a ground loop ..huh? I really have no other choice because the body it a "top mount". I have no pick guard.. just 1/4 holes to run the wire through the body. Smack me if I'm wrong .... but each cavity is supposed to be shielded and grounded..right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregP Posted May 10, 2004 Report Share Posted May 10, 2004 I don't know the actual reasoning behind it all, so someone with more knowledge could help me out here... My impression of a ground loop--which is not founded in any sort of fact or research other than picking up bits of conversations--is caused by current that isn't finding its way to ground but is instead circulating around...? In any case, what I DO know is that ideally for noise reduction you want all your grounds to go to one central spot ("star grounding") for ground (which is in turn grounded to an area that will contact your body; usually the bridge which is in turn connected to the strings, which touch your fingers), a technique which will somehow kill the ground loops. Each cavity does not need to have its own ground-- you can connect the ground from one cavity to the next with a length of wire or other conductive material, and then connect that second (or third, depending on your configuration) cavity to ground. Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kings_x Posted May 10, 2004 Report Share Posted May 10, 2004 A ground loop occurs when a circuit has two separate paths to ground. And those two grounds are not tied together electrically. Example: Using the bridge for a ground of part of the guitar circuit and the signal return (amp) for the other part of the circuit. To remedy this problem all you would have to do make sure there is a direct electrical path from the bridge to the signal return (ie, solder a wire between the two) and the ground loop is eliminated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kings_x Posted May 10, 2004 Report Share Posted May 10, 2004 Each cavity does not need to have its own ground You are correct that is what you do not want to do. That is the definition of a ground loop. Like you said, tie everything back to one central point, say the volume pot housing. Then make sure it is tied to the bridge and the signal return (the ground that goes to the amp). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stalefish Posted May 10, 2004 Report Share Posted May 10, 2004 GregP: Almost there.. Ground loops are formed when the current has more than one way to get to electrical ground and the 2 'grounds' (eg 2 separate pot casings) are of different 'voltages' (or in nerd-speak, are not of the same electrical potential).. Basically, what's going to happen is that there is going to be a small little current running in between the 2 grounds because of this difference in 'voltage' which, in turn is what's going to give that all too familiar hum.. That's about the basics of ground loops.. If I've missed anything or gotten anything wrong, please do tell.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stalefish Posted May 10, 2004 Report Share Posted May 10, 2004 Oops.. Kings_X beat me to it.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregP Posted May 10, 2004 Report Share Posted May 10, 2004 Thanks for the info, both of you. ;-) Knowing what to DO is one thing, but I always like to know WHY it's done, too, so that's great. Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sinner16 Posted May 11, 2004 Author Report Share Posted May 11, 2004 Thanks guys...it's all making sense to me now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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