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Shielding electronic spaces

Fern's Guitars logo

Shielding electronic spaces

When the guitar signal is interfered by unwanted noise, like hum from a guitar amp transformer or a computer monitor, shielding the potmeter and switch cavity and sometimes even the pickup spaces can help to manage a clean signal.

For shielding I use a special 3M copperfoil tape, designed for shielding. Sometimes you see aluminum shielding tape used on pickguards, however, aluminum tape is mostly used for heath protection and not for shielding.

Typical all parts have to be removed to apply the shielding, so it is also a good moment for general soldering work or modifications.

Noise generated by the pickups itself (like P90 soapbars) can not me removed by shielding.

Electric guitar shielding and rewiring

This electric guitar needed to be as noiseless as possible with the current pickups. The electronic was rewired completely, and the cavity was covered with cupper foil.

old wiring of the electric guitar

The copperfoil is put in the cavity. This way all components will become in a grounded metal box.

copperfoil glued in

After rewireing, the guitar is indeed a bit more silent. It is also a bit more clean and clear if a future repair should be taken place.

electric guitar with new wiring and shielding

Tele shielding

Before all caveties can be fitted with a special shielding foil, all parts need to be taken off the instrument. The wiring is checked at the same time.

telecaster body with wiring loose and hardware of

The foil can now be applied to the cavities. All shielding parts are connected with a central grounding wire.

shielding foil is glued in the guitar body

All parts (pickups, bridge, electronics, output) are put back in place. This modification makes the guitar more quiet.

electronics and hardware are placed back in the telecaster body