Will copper shielding fix a ground buzz?

[Rick Turner]

Are those hats grounded?

Hmm, a wire down to track shoes with long spikes...

Resistance of shielding is measured in Ohms per square. A square is really just a giant series/parallel array of resistors, so if the conductivity is even all over the surface, the reading with probes 1" apart should be the same as though they were 10' or 100' apart. In practice, I find that if I read at 100 Ohms or less from any point in a guitar to the output jack, then it's fine.

[John_H]

I use aluminum tape for shielding. The adhesive isn't conductive, so I make little bandaids for jumpers between the pieces of tape. The tape has paper backing. It's easy to cut the pieces to size and fit them without having to worry about them sticking. It makes for a clean, smooth installation. To connect to the shielding, I screw an eyelet to it.

[Chuck H]

I use heavy duty aluminum foil for amp cabinets. I know aluminum forms an oxide layer, but what doesn't? I use copper for guitars because it's said to be most effective against EMF. But I do this based only on what I've read. I do know that most commercial pickguards use aluminum, including mine.

[ScottA]

And for some really interesting stuff to mess with:

Electromagnetic Field Shielding Fabrics

Yeah, it's the tin-foil hat crowd, but what cool fabrics...

Hey, it looks like they sell mithril!

[Leo_Gnardo]

The customer rented a meter to measure EMF levels in his home and as it happens the coating works. To what advantage is up for debate.

Did you ground the paint coating somehow?

[Chuck H]

Did you ground the paint coating somehow?

Yes. There was a kit provided that consisted of a 5"x5" aluminum plate to be lag bolted into the surface with a large stranded copper cable attached to a three foot lead terminated at a two foot steel stake to be driven into the earth. There was also a tube of goop and a cover that fit neatly over the plate for the purpose of corrosion protection.

But the directions for the coating indicate that it works equally well with or without the ground!!! Which is surely the case since the ground had not yet been installed when the effectiveness of the coating was tested. The ground, it is said in the instructions, is for protection from lightning or the unlikely event of a household electrical short to the coating.

[g1]

I've never tried it, so does anyone know if aluminum solder will stick to the aluminum tape?

[Rick Turner]

It is not practical to solder aluminum foil, and may be virtually impossible. Google "aluminum solder", and you'll see that what is available requires high heat and a system of getting past the layer of aluminum oxide that forms naturally on the surface of aluminum.

But why insist on shielding with aluminum when copper foil is so easy to get, conforms nicely, and is easy to solder? And why not just use shielding paint which is really easy and effective?

The other issue is that your connections to aluminum are going to be subject to corrosion and failure if direct mechanical connections loosen up in the future.

If you know how to get on-line and use this forum, you know how to buy copper foil tape, or better yet, the tin plated copper foil tape.

[g1]

Thanks Rick, it was more of an academic question. I have used aluminum solder before for other things and it's a bit of a pain.

[bjfly17]

Thanks again for all the help everyone. Final update:

Everything is working perfectly. After rewiring with shielded wire and then applying copper tape to shield all the cavities, the guitar sounds unbelievable. As I mentioned, I had some problems with the shielded wire touching my hot switch lugs, but once corrected, everything sounds great.

[bsco]

There you go. I also learned something here...I might take both of my strats and do exactly what you have done....and switch from aluminium to copper foil......

[big_teee]

On a strat pickguard, there is no need for the more expensive copper foil.
There is no need to solder to the foil, since all the pots and switches sit on the foil.
Heavy duty aluminum foil is cheap and easy to install on a pickguard, I do it on a regular basis.
Foil in a cavity is a different matter, and needs to be copper, and something you can solder to, Or conductive paint.
I use the heavy duty aluminum foil on the pickguard, and spray adhesive, It works great.
I use conductive paint on the strat body cavity.
IMO putting copper foil on a pickguard is just wasting good money, but if you like it, Though Unnecessary, it's fine by me!
T

[okabass]

The only problems with aluminum foil are 1) that you can't solder to it;

Yes you can. Solder inside a drop of oil (I tried olive oil) . Not the nicest looking solder but it works.

[Chuck H]

Yes you can. Solder inside a drop of oil (I tried olive oil) . Not the nicest looking solder but it works.

1) necrothread (not a big deal though, of course)

2) I'm confused by the technique as it's described.

[okabass]

A bit scratching or abrasion may help, especially if the aluminium is old, dirty etc.. Put a couple drops of oil on aluminium at point you are going to solder. Then solder normally, the tip & solder inside the oil drop.