Is this shielding job overkill?

[lidl e]

Why are they covering the entire back of the pickguard with shielding? Surely you only need to put it over the cavity bits?

 

 

[franzbassist]

You have to create an enclosed cage, so I would say they have done it correctly.

Edited May 15, 2023 by franzbassist

[BigRedX]

Are they posing for "Angry People in Local Newspapers"?

[lidl e]

1 hour ago, franzbassist said:

You have to create an enclosed cage, so I would say they have done it correctly.

But surely you dont have to shield the wood. Wouldnt covering the cavities make that cage?

[EssentialTension]

Fender make an aluminium pickguard sized and shaped shield that goes underneath the whole of the normal pickguard. Here's one for a Strat ....

 

https://www.fender.com/en-GB/parts/miscellaneous/aluminum-pickguard-shield-for-62-stratocaster/0019699049.html

 

[franzbassist]

1 hour ago, lidl e said:

But surely you dont have to shield the wood

Do you mean the lip over the edge onto the top of the body?  If so yes you do, as you need to ensure good contact all around to create the cage.

[lidl e]

5 minutes ago, franzbassist said:

Do you mean the lip over the edge onto the top of the body?  If so yes you do, as you need to ensure good contact all around to create the cage.

No, i know i need to do that, but if that is sorted, it would make that cage in the cavity space i think. 

 

Ill probably do the whole backside of it. I think i have enough tape.

 

I wonder if it will badly scratch the finish.

[ikay]

4 hours ago, lidl e said:

But surely you dont have to shield the wood. Wouldnt covering the cavities make that cage?

Yes you're right, shielding the cavities is the important bit. And, as franzbassist says, making sure you get good contact around the lip to create a continuous cage surrounding all the wiring and electronics. Shielding the upper part of the pickguard beyond the cavities has no shielding effect so it doesn't matter whether you do or don't.

[lidl e]

This is the shielding job i did last night. Im happy with it for sure!

 

Just windering if i need to fill in around the controls on the pickguard. I suppose not.

 

 

[PaulThePlug]

Have you got continuity between pickup cavity and control cavity?

Yep... worthwhile having tape that covers the holes, that way the pots are earthed... to the cavity screen, even if you are running a signal earth between them.

 

[ikay]

I was expecting you to shield the whole lower half of the pickguard! The minimum you'd get away with would be to add the areas marked in red below. The whole area above the control cavity needs to be shielded and continuity established with the pickup cavity.

 

[Crusoe]

On 15/05/2023 at 13:19, BigRedX said:

Are they posing for "Angry People in Local Newspapers"?

"I reported this bass to the council six months ago. They told me someone would be out to adjust the action within the week, but so far no one has been near it"

[rmorris]

55 minutes ago, lidl e said:

This is the shielding job i did last night. Im happy with it for sure!

 

Just windering if i need to fill in around the controls on the pickguard. I suppose not.

 

 

 

It would be better to have the 'inside' of the area around the controls filled with the copper tape. Since otherwise it's a bit "open top". But the screening iun place should help a lot and you may think it's not a problem. But may as well fill it imo. Better is better.

[rmorris]

On 15/05/2023 at 18:16, ikay said:

Yes you're right, shielding the cavities is the important bit. And, as franzbassist says, making sure you get good contact around the lip to create a continuous cage surrounding all the wiring and electronics. Shielding the upper part of the pickguard beyond the cavities has no shielding effect so it doesn't matter whether you do or don't.

 

Yes. But I can see that it might be preferred to have a uniform thickness under the scratchplate for mechanical reasons so that it can sit true to the body. Whether significant depends on the thickness of the aluminium (in the Fender case illustrated).

[Lfalex v1.1]

(As an aside more than anything)

 

Aren't some Musicman pickguards completely foil-lined?

[Count Bassy]

On 17/05/2023 at 12:19, lidl e said:

This is the shielding job i did last night. Im happy with it for sure!

 

Just windering if i need to fill in around the controls on the pickguard. I suppose not.

 

 

If it was me I would. In the old days when 50Hz main was the main problem you might get away with it. These days with all sorts of high frequency electrical noise in the environment you really should make that cage as complete as possible.

[rmorris]

On 25/05/2023 at 22:05, Count Bassy said:

If it was me I would. In the old days when 50Hz main was the main problem you might get away with it. These days with all sorts of high frequency electrical noise in the environment you really should make that cage as complete as possible.

 

Copper or aluminium shielding won't really help with 50 Hz mains interference. But can help with harmonics resulting from its rectification - 100 Hz, 200Hz etc. And that is a lot of the mains hum you hear.