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Author Topic: Shielding a Noisey Bass  (Read 24676 times)

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rabidgerry

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Shielding a Noisey Bass
« on: Time Format »

Shielding my friends Rickenbacker copy Bass guitar,  just sharing this project with you guys.

I'll add to this as I go along, just started it last night.



Not the black carbon paint on there before I put foil on.  This black carbon shite is............well shite!!!  Also a complete faraday cage cannot be made unless the entire back of pick guard is covered in a metallic surface (i.e copper foil or silver will work but copper is better apparently)




The Bridge pickup on this bass is not sheilded by anything.  Hence the GODDAM NOISE!!  There is no cover to completely cover it.  I am going to make a shield.  Watch this space Boyos!
« Last Edit: Time Format by rabidgerry »
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"whadda ya want? we want Heavy Metal"

Guitars:1986 Westone Dimension IV, 1989 Korean Squier Fat Strat Silver Series, 1998 Korean Squier Fat Strat, MIM Fender Fat Strat - FR, Squier Stagemaster Deluxe - Thru Neck x 2, Squier Stagemaster 22 Fret - 1st Gen, 1999 Squier Showmaster - Anniversary Edition, Squier Showmaster, Tokai FV40 Flying V

Effects:  Ada Mp1, Peavey Rockmaster, Boss GX700 Boss SX700 * Amps:   Rocktron Velocity 300 - Koch ATR4502 - Peavey Classic 50/50
Cabs: 4 x Bugera 2 x 12"
Midi Controller: Behringer FCB1010

Systematic Chaos

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Re: Sheilding a Noisey Bass
« Reply #1 on: Time Format »

Nice work!  :thumb-up:
I actually use highly conductive shielding laqueur/Copper Spray (same mil-spec brand like the Contact Cleaner i mentioned in the other thread)....
Easy to apply and does the job....
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rabidgerry

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Re: Sheilding a Noisey Bass
« Reply #2 on: Time Format »

Nice work!  :thumb-up:
I actually use highly conductive shielding laqueur/Copper Spray (same mil-spec brand like the Contact Cleaner i mentioned in the other thread)....
Easy to apply and does the job....

Dam you and you military ways of getting stuff the rest of us cannot get!! lol

I think that paint is mega expensive right?

Is it better than foil do you think?  The black carbon paint is bullshit and wears off.  You use something like this?

http://www.cybershieldinc.com/conductive-shielding-paint/

I have a few appliances with this stuff inside it.
« Last Edit: Time Format by rabidgerry »
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"whadda ya want? we want Heavy Metal"

Guitars:1986 Westone Dimension IV, 1989 Korean Squier Fat Strat Silver Series, 1998 Korean Squier Fat Strat, MIM Fender Fat Strat - FR, Squier Stagemaster Deluxe - Thru Neck x 2, Squier Stagemaster 22 Fret - 1st Gen, 1999 Squier Showmaster - Anniversary Edition, Squier Showmaster, Tokai FV40 Flying V

Effects:  Ada Mp1, Peavey Rockmaster, Boss GX700 Boss SX700 * Amps:   Rocktron Velocity 300 - Koch ATR4502 - Peavey Classic 50/50
Cabs: 4 x Bugera 2 x 12"
Midi Controller: Behringer FCB1010

Systematic Chaos

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Re: Sheilding a Noisey Bass
« Reply #3 on: Time Format »

It´s not the cheapest....but readily available to everybody: http://www.amazon.de/KONTAKT-CHEMIE-EMV-Abschirmlack-5412386775093/dp/B00154KONS
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rabidgerry

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Re: Sheilding a Noisey Bass
« Reply #4 on: Time Format »

so it is.  Actually thinking about this, a spray would be a lot messier and awkward than tape.  Tape you can just take off as much or as little as you want.  If the spray you had came in a tub that would be handy also.

I have used a guitar sheilding paint before, it basically was a clear liquid that had many metal particles ground down and mised within it.  It was really conductive but I think foil tape is the best and cheapest.  No need to mask the guitar off for spraying or any of that nonsense.
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"whadda ya want? we want Heavy Metal"

Guitars:1986 Westone Dimension IV, 1989 Korean Squier Fat Strat Silver Series, 1998 Korean Squier Fat Strat, MIM Fender Fat Strat - FR, Squier Stagemaster Deluxe - Thru Neck x 2, Squier Stagemaster 22 Fret - 1st Gen, 1999 Squier Showmaster - Anniversary Edition, Squier Showmaster, Tokai FV40 Flying V

Effects:  Ada Mp1, Peavey Rockmaster, Boss GX700 Boss SX700 * Amps:   Rocktron Velocity 300 - Koch ATR4502 - Peavey Classic 50/50
Cabs: 4 x Bugera 2 x 12"
Midi Controller: Behringer FCB1010

GuitarBuilder

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Re: Sheilding a Noisey Bass
« Reply #5 on: Time Format »

I use the copper foil on every guitar I build; it is far superior to any other option.  Do make sure you solder all the seams together to guarantee good continuity.  Make sure the bridge is properly connected as well.  The very best practice is to terminate all grounds at only one point.  Finally, test the installation by measuring the resistance from the amplifier end of the guitar/bass cable to the bridge/strings - it will be a good indication of a job well done.
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MarshallJMP

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Re: Sheilding a Noisey Bass
« Reply #6 on: Time Format »

It seems there are a lot of different sizes of foil,what do you guys use?
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GuitarBuilder

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Re: Sheilding a Noisey Bass
« Reply #7 on: Time Format »

I use the three sizes sold by StewMac:

http://www.stewmac.com/Pickups_and_Electronics/Shielding/Conductive_Copper_Tape_-_Set_of_3.html

The largest for the flat bottom areas, medium for walls, and small for tighter fits.
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rnolan

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Re: Sheilding a Noisey Bass
« Reply #8 on: Time Format »

Hey GB, thanks for the link, looks good, I was getting my old Anson (now heavily modified  >:D ) Jap strat going the other day, had really bad hum, I changed out the output jack which helped allot but it still has a hum (which it never had before (or maybe it did and I just don't remember LoL)). It has a brass scratch plate (a mate made for me way back) but seems the cavity could use some of this tape. It also has one frett (13th) lifting on the treble side which I need to glue down (any thoughts ?), I could go for a complete refrett but as I routed out the truss rod years ago (it never worked anyway) and made the neck super thin (and is what the Frank Gambale Ibenez was inspired by, Frank played it and liked it not long before they made the Ibenez for him), I had to shape the fingerboard and fretts to come up just right for a set of 10-46, so refrett not straight forward...
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rabidgerry

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Re: Sheilding a Noisey Bass
« Reply #9 on: Time Format »

I use the copper foil on every guitar I build; it is far superior to any other option.  Do make sure you solder all the seams together to guarantee good continuity.  Make sure the bridge is properly connected as well.  The very best practice is to terminate all grounds at only one point.  Finally, test the installation by measuring the resistance from the amplifier end of the guitar/bass cable to the bridge/strings - it will be a good indication of a job well done.

I don't actually do that with the solder.  The reason I don't is because when I test conductivity with a multi meter from many points and positions I get full conductivity.  If I was using the tape without the conductive adhesive I would solder here and there.  Just out of curiosity, how do you get your solder trails to stick?  Any time I have soldered anything to copper tape it feels very weak and would just scrape off.

As far as terminating grounds, what I think you mean by this is remove all the wires that attach to the back of pots etc.  I will do this.  The trem had a wire going from it to one of the backs of the pots so I will remove that and attach it to an earthing screw that was already installed on this bass.  In the main cavity the earthing screw had a wire run from one of rears of the pots to it so mechanically attaching the pots to the carbon paint in the control cavity.

What I will do is run the trem earth wire to this screw instead which is now screwed in and resting on the copper tape.  The copper tape then connects all the way around creating connectivity.  When the scratch plate is reinstalled and had the back completely covered by foil (I have a single sheet for this) it will make contact with the cavity foil because I have an area where the cavity foil comes up over the top of the body so it will touch the foil on it.  For good measure I have an area where the foil from the cavity comes up onto the face of the bass and runs over a screw hole for the scratch plate.  This will guarantee that the scratch plate gets screwed down tight and makes a connection with the foil below.

Basically everything then will be terminating at one single point because pots are screwed to the scratchplate which has the shield on it, the selector switch also, then then will all connect to the control and pick cavity shields which are all connected as one also.  Both combined creates one single point.

I used to to the guitar nuts way and solder all to a single ring, star grounding I believe it is called,  then I realised it was over kill!!!!!!!

If I plug in a cable and touch the earth and then touch the trem I will get connectivity with multimeter and the same goes for any other point I choose to put the multimeter.
« Last Edit: Time Format by rabidgerry »
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"whadda ya want? we want Heavy Metal"

Guitars:1986 Westone Dimension IV, 1989 Korean Squier Fat Strat Silver Series, 1998 Korean Squier Fat Strat, MIM Fender Fat Strat - FR, Squier Stagemaster Deluxe - Thru Neck x 2, Squier Stagemaster 22 Fret - 1st Gen, 1999 Squier Showmaster - Anniversary Edition, Squier Showmaster, Tokai FV40 Flying V

Effects:  Ada Mp1, Peavey Rockmaster, Boss GX700 Boss SX700 * Amps:   Rocktron Velocity 300 - Koch ATR4502 - Peavey Classic 50/50
Cabs: 4 x Bugera 2 x 12"
Midi Controller: Behringer FCB1010

rnolan

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Re: Sheilding a Noisey Bass
« Reply #10 on: Time Format »

Given the copper tape is such a big heat sink, it will be hard to get enough heat on it for the solder to "wet" properly and not damage the tape ?
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rabidgerry

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Re: Sheilding a Noisey Bass
« Reply #11 on: Time Format »

Given the copper tape is such a big heat sink, it will be hard to get enough heat on it for the solder to "wet" properly and not damage the tape ?

well that's why I think that it is overkill doing that RN.  I have successfully done it before (solder to copper tape)but really a little few dabs of solder over conductive adhesive is just not gonna work out for me.  As I mentioned earlier, the stuff I use connects no matter how many little tiny bits of tape have to over lap or what ever and I test all areas with millimetre.

Because I'm actually making a shield for the bridge bass pickup I have to rap the pickup in copper tape.  However so as I do not create a coil I have to break the tape somewhere so it's say 95% surrounded in copper.  Then the tricky bit..................solder a wire from that copper shield tape around the pickup to the main earth either at the pickup or the screw that attaches the trem earth to the shield.
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"whadda ya want? we want Heavy Metal"

Guitars:1986 Westone Dimension IV, 1989 Korean Squier Fat Strat Silver Series, 1998 Korean Squier Fat Strat, MIM Fender Fat Strat - FR, Squier Stagemaster Deluxe - Thru Neck x 2, Squier Stagemaster 22 Fret - 1st Gen, 1999 Squier Showmaster - Anniversary Edition, Squier Showmaster, Tokai FV40 Flying V

Effects:  Ada Mp1, Peavey Rockmaster, Boss GX700 Boss SX700 * Amps:   Rocktron Velocity 300 - Koch ATR4502 - Peavey Classic 50/50
Cabs: 4 x Bugera 2 x 12"
Midi Controller: Behringer FCB1010

GuitarBuilder

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Re: Sheilding a Noisey Bass
« Reply #12 on: Time Format »

The secret to soldering the copper tape is to use a larger soldering iron (40W or higher) and to make sure the copper is clean.  I wipe it off with Naphtha (lighter fluid) to remove all oils first.
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rnolan

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Re: Sheilding a Noisey Bass
« Reply #13 on: Time Format »

And I suspect with a (wider) wedge shaped tip to maximise the contact area (pointy tips would be very frustrating for this job) and probably at least 380 c (but be quick LoL), probably speaking to the converted but a bit of solder on the tip will help heat transfer.. but hey RG you don't need to solder with the conductive adhesive though I get where GBs coming from, it makes it more solid for the future in case the adheasive starts to let go (which they tend to over time).
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rabidgerry

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Re: Sheilding a Noisey Bass
« Reply #14 on: Time Format »

And I suspect with a (wider) wedge shaped tip to maximise the contact area (pointy tips would be very frustrating for this job) and probably at least 380 c (but be quick LoL), probably speaking to the converted but a bit of solder on the tip will help heat transfer.. but hey RG you don't need to solder with the conductive adhesive though I get where GBs coming from, it makes it more solid for the future in case the adheasive starts to let go (which they tend to over time).
In my experience, the adhesive doesn't wear off.  When you apply the tape you need to press it very, very firmly, smooth the foil out almost.  I have yet to see a piece of copper tape come off.  Indeed when you use the tape and make a mistake it's a f**king nightmare to pull off never mind wait for a few years.  There is more chance of the solder coming off in my experience as it heats up and cools down constantly, it picks right off unless you start getting the solderflux out to help it bond.

My iron is 50watts and has a potentiometer to control the power so I can get the heat no probs.  For the actual pickup sheild where I will have no choice but to solder a wire to copper tape I will have to use a bit of flux I imagine.  No need to do it anywhere else though since connectivity is fine with the sheilding.
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"whadda ya want? we want Heavy Metal"

Guitars:1986 Westone Dimension IV, 1989 Korean Squier Fat Strat Silver Series, 1998 Korean Squier Fat Strat, MIM Fender Fat Strat - FR, Squier Stagemaster Deluxe - Thru Neck x 2, Squier Stagemaster 22 Fret - 1st Gen, 1999 Squier Showmaster - Anniversary Edition, Squier Showmaster, Tokai FV40 Flying V

Effects:  Ada Mp1, Peavey Rockmaster, Boss GX700 Boss SX700 * Amps:   Rocktron Velocity 300 - Koch ATR4502 - Peavey Classic 50/50
Cabs: 4 x Bugera 2 x 12"
Midi Controller: Behringer FCB1010
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