software

I asked my Luthier about shielding my Tele. He didn't recommend it, stating that most of the noise is coming from the pickups themselves. He did recommend shortening the hot wire as a minor help. I'm now confused as to how helpful shielding is. The noise I'm interested in eliminating is the buzz that occurs when I step barefoot off my carpet onto my tile floor and also the noise that my rig picks up at a local venue that has copper wire deco lights running full length along the back wall (where we play...it's a huge buzz with my gear, not the other guitar player's. I actually had to stand perpendicular to the lighting wires last time we played there). I'm not really bothered by 60 cycle hum and I think that may have been what my luthier was thinking of. Any ideas?

Get a really really good power conditioner. That'll help with any AC noise from those lights across the back wall, which is what that noise is.

Now, as for shielding your Tele, shield away. What your luthier said is a load of BS. Pickups work via low DC current, not AC. Yes, true single coil pickups make noise, but they shouldn't have to. Those lights across the back wall most likely emit some sort of RF interference themselves. The pickups will pick that up too. Good shielding can/will help cut down on it and possibly eliminate it.

EDIT: Check out Guitar Nuts for shielding info. Good stuff there. The one guitar I star grounded, but haven't shielded yet, is quieter than it was. Another that I did both to for a friend is silent as can be.

I shielded the inside of my Number One Strat. The difference in hum was barely noticeable. And yes, I did it properly. I didn't bother on my other electrics.

Unless you're playing next to a Tesla coil, I really don't think it's necessary. There's no harm in doing it though, so if you've got time and have the necessary tools, no one's stopping you.

EDIT: I suppose there is harm in doing it ... if you do it wrong, you might make the hum worse.

I did it to one of my Strats with very little noticable difference.

Kinda the cost to play them all in all.

You guys must play acoustics in woods or your instruments were reasonably shielded to begin with. It makes a significant difference. Particularly in nasty environments near monitors, neon lighting etc. It won't help with noise from the AC lines/bad house grounding etc. though

I shielded my duosonic with single coils and I can stand 6ft from a tv with very little hum. Since I shielded the body better than the pickguard it is best to face away from the source of A/C noise. Even facing the tv produces little hum. I thnik that shielding paint is more effective than the foil method.

Snowdog


Originally Posted by Ice ManI asked my Luthier about shielding my Tele. He didn't recommend it, stating that most of the noise is coming from the pickups themselves. He did recommend shortening the hot wire as a minor help. I'm now confused as to how helpful shielding is. The noise I'm interested in eliminating is the buzz that occurs when I step barefoot off my carpet onto my tile floor and also the noise that my rig picks up at a local venue that has copper wire deco lights running full length along the back wall (where we play...it's a huge buzz with my gear, not the other guitar player's. I actually had to stand perpendicular to the lighting wires last time we played there). I'm not really bothered by 60 cycle hum and I think that may have been what my luthier was thinking of. Any ideas?

Yer man is talking claptrap. The noise you are referring to is inductive buzz that is being picked up by the aerial farm inside the control cavity. You are quite right in wanting it screened. Done properly it makes a massive difference.

A lot of people don't understand that this noise is separate and distinct from 60hz hum that affects single coil pickups. It is mainly spike waveforms generated by the high voltage discharge inherent in fluorescent lighting and computer CRT screens.

A waveform such as this has a high mark/space ratio (the ratio between the time the waveform spends in the positive side of the zero line compared to the time spent in the negative zone) which makes it relatively unresponsive to polarity reversal noise cancellation, which is why you can still hear it on a Strat in positions 2 and 4. The choking effect of a high inductance coil will also limit its tendency to invade the circuit via the coils, which is why it is more important to screen the control cavity than the coils. Screening has no effect on 60hz hum though, as this enters the circuit via a different source, which is why our friend ratherdashing noticed no difference; he is looking at the wrong type of noise.

Go for the screening, but take it to a tech who knows what he is talking about...


Originally Posted by idsnowdogI shielded my duosonic with single coils and I can stand 6ft from a tv with very little hum. Since I shielded the body better than the pickguard it is best to face away from the source of A/C noise. Even facing the tv produces little hum. I thnik that shielding paint is more effective than the foil method.

Snowdog

I've found that as well, but I think it's because many people are sloppy about the way in which they apply foil. I use both; Alcan on the underside of the scratchplate or control coverplates, copper screening tape with a conductive adhesive (often a source of problems; not all copper foil has this) for sensitive areas and pickup coils and my own formula of graphite paint for the convoluted cavities. I tend not to screen the wires from the pickups if the cavity screening does the job in order not to enhance treble loss from the increased capacitance of cable screening, but when i do I use a screening braid which can be slipped over the signal wire and connected to earth. I leave the return wires from the pickup in situ.

It's also better not to screen the pickup coils unless the signal wires are taken from the inner coil terminals. If they come from the outer terminals then there will be a capacitance effect created by the screening which will affect the pickups perceived tone.


Originally Posted by ratherdashingEDIT: I suppose there is harm in doing it ... if you do it wrong, you might make the hum worse.

Absolutely; I've seen this many times... (mutters; bleedin' amateurs)

1 to everything Doc Oc said


Originally Posted by Zerberus 1 to everything Doc Oc said

Thanks Zerb, the cheques in the post...

Awesome stuff as always, Doc. I knew I wasn't crazy. Just don't ask my wife that though.

One thing to add: never EVER plug your guitar into that same line (outlet) that lighting is running on if you have a choice.. even with a good conditioner that´s just asking for hum problems....


Originally Posted by octavedoctorAbsolutely; I've seen this many times... (mutters; bleedin' amateurs)

You Called?

I shielded two of my old Strats and I noticed quite a difference. Some of the later made guitars do have some kind of shieldings on them and that is why some people may not notice any difference after they work in them because they have already had some shielding paint on them.

The only downside I can see to shielding is that you may lose some of the high end? I don't know if thats because you don't get some high frequency noise or if it is because of some sort of capacitance going on? I have noticed that pickups don't sound as quot;hotquot; as they did before the shielding. Although improved clarity and the ability to play at higher volume and with greater distortion is a plus. I think part of it is also psychological. Your happy the noise is gone but you somehow think somethings missing?

Snowdog

I think i could do with a power conditioner myself.... who makes a good but cheapest one? I sheild all my guitars if i can.....

I have a Rack Rider which is as I understand a simplified Furman. Nice and cheap. It makes a big difference.

Snowdog


Originally Posted by idsnowdogI have a Rack Rider which is as I understand a simplified Furman. Nice and cheap. It makes a big difference.

Snowdog

I notice a difference when i shield my guitars big time but i never thought of these power conditioners helping.... I should look into them...

I have a 59 pickup that seems to be extra noisey.. I took the sheilding out of my tele to see if the sheilding had some sort of bad effect on the electronics and was the cause of the noise.... wow that pickup was twice as noisey without the sheilded cavities.... What i like about Waynes guitars is he sheilds his guitars good... they are stage ready!

I'll take a Furman power conditioner any day. When it comes to dealing with AC and cleaning it up some, there's no skimping on it. Mother nature doesn't forgive very easily and she'll remind you from time to time why you should have spent that little extra.

Shielding will make quite a bit of difference, if it's done right. If it's not done thoroughly, it will actually create an antenna and attract noise.