Copper strip from bridge - will this work?

[waldemar]

Hi all.

I'm currently chopping together a Bronco and a Telecaster (in the build diaries) and because the bridge is now so much further back from the original Tele bridge I'll have to re-drill a hole for the ground wire. Not that much of a big deal, but the angle the new channel will have to go through at will come very close to the bridge screws. I'd like to keep the wood around these as intact and solid as possible so I'm wondering if this will work as an alternative...

You know that adhesive copper cavity shielding you can get? What if I ran a strip of this from under the bridge, under the pick-guard and into the pup-cavity and then soldered the ground wire to the surface of the copper sheet?

Ignoring the aesthetic(although I'll make it as tidy as I can), is this viable?

Or have I missed something that renders the whole idea as total idiocy?

As ever, ta for your help!

w./

[Ou7shined]

I'll work beautifully.
Once it's in place, test it with a multimeter if you have one just to make sure.

[icastle]

Yep it'll work fine - Fender used the same principle on some of their early models.

[BassBod]

Will work fine..but use thin brass sheet instead of tape?

[mart]

[quote name='icastle' timestamp='1322020074' post='1445550']
Yep it'll work fine - Fender used the same principle on some of their early models.
[/quote]
E.g.

[waldemar]

Cheers guys!

[Ou7shined]

[quote name='BassBod' timestamp='1322035772' post='1445574']
Will work fine..but use thin brass sheet instead of tape?
[/quote]

Why?

[synaesthesia]

[quote name='Ou7shined' timestamp='1322048918' post='1445753']
Why?
[/quote]

Fender used a brass metal strap, not tape, from my recollection.
Presumbably because it is stiffer, stronger and adhesive metallic tape was probably not readily available at the time.

That said, I used thin 6mm wide copper tape on my '62 RI Jazz. Works perfectly and 'looks' correct. A replacement strap is available to vintage spec if you are worried about being correct to orig. spec.

[url="http://angela.com/jazzbassbridgegroundingstrap.aspx"]http://angela.com/ja...ndingstrap.aspx[/url]

You could buy a sheet here and cut it yourself.

This fella on ebay sells 6mm copper tape really cheap:
[b][url="http://tinyurl.com/cel3mss"]http://tinyurl.com/cel3mss[/url][/b]

Edited November 23, 2011 by synaesthesia

[Ou7shined]

[quote name='synaesthesia' timestamp='1322050986' post='1445800']
Fender used a brass metal strap, not tape, from my recollection.
Presumbably because it is stiffer, stronger and adhesive metallic tape was probably not readily available at the time.

That said, I used thin 6mm wide copper tape on my '62 RI Jazz. Works perfectly and 'looks' correct. A replacement strap is available to vintage spec if you are worried about being correct to orig. spec.

[url="http://angela.com/jazzbassbridgegroundingstrap.aspx"]http://angela.com/ja...ndingstrap.aspx[/url]

You could buy a sheet here and cut it yourself.

This fella on ebay sells 6mm copper tape really cheap:
[b][url="http://tinyurl.com/cel3mss"]http://tinyurl.com/cel3mss[/url][/b]
[/quote]
I make them all the time using copper tape.
They solder like a dream and when stuck to the body are as stiff as the wood they are stuck to (and are fantastic conductors). I was just wondering why a recommendation of a brass strip over copper might be thought to be better.