"HOW-TO" SHIELD TIP SHEET

[bluespckr]

The folks at Stew-Mac send out monthly how-to tips. I just received this on how to fully shield a single-coil electric guitar. This one is an excellent tip sheet that might be useful to builders or anyone wanting to quiet down a buzzy old Strat or Tele.

Click HERE FOR THE STEW-MAC TIP SHEET


Paul

[Don]

I saw that.

That's way too much shielding!!!

That guitar will sound dead and lifeless (though quiet) to those of us who are (over?) sensitive to that kind of thing!

[pseudocat]

Shielding is a tricky thing. I once shielded a set of strat pickups with copper tape, and they sounded kind of dull. I pulled the shielding off, and they really woke up.

I've had less of a dampening effect from shielding in the body, though. I suspect that the closer the shielding is to the coil, the more the capacitance effect on the tone.

If I were going to shield, I'd try to balance it all out and only use as much as I needed, without going overboard.

[Don]

Exactly.

[melody]

The buzz is part of the sound of a Strat or Tele like stated above you lose some goodness..

[Fort Wayne Sucks]

You guys do indeed have it right. Anytime you shield a guitar in this fashion, you add capacitance which does change the sound slightly.
It however really comes down to player preference. Carlos' Strat was shielded to the max and he loves it!
I personally consider 60 cycle hum to be one of the characteristics of the overall sound of a single coil pickup. I wouldn't have them any other way....... And I wrote the article!

[Don]

I can see Santana not having a problem with that much shielding.

With all the gain that he uses and his thick tone, it wouldn't be as much of an issue.

Also, some folks have to have their guitars shielded like that. I'm fortunate to not have that problem.

[old blue]

I'm putting in new vintage style single coils in my strat by wiring up a new pickguard. I have a piece of 2 conductor shielded cable to run to the guitar's output jack.

Question is do I ground the shield at both ends or float at 1 end (jack end)?

[melody]

I'm putting in new vintage style single coils in my strat by wiring up a new pickguard. I have a piece of 2 conductor shielded cable to run to the guitar's output jack.

Question is do I ground the shield at both ends or float at 1 end (jack end)?

Both ends should be grounded.. Why are you uesing shieded wire?

[rudutch]

....... And I wrote the article!

and a fine job you did, sir