JamesW Posted June 28, 2004 Report Share Posted June 28, 2004 What's the best way to insulate the control cavity of a guitar? Some kind of foil sheeting? Or conducting spray paint? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biohazard Posted June 28, 2004 Report Share Posted June 28, 2004 Yeah thats right. Control cavities are either lined with conductive paint or copper foil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Mariah Posted June 28, 2004 Report Share Posted June 28, 2004 The best way is to use both. Coat it with conductive paint, then copper shield over that. This is complete overkill, but since when is that a bad thing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biohazard Posted June 28, 2004 Report Share Posted June 28, 2004 Lol, that is a damn good point. But if you are on a buget, either will do, my guitar is having foil. They are both as effective as each other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesW Posted June 28, 2004 Author Report Share Posted June 28, 2004 Thnks, I'll properly opt for conductive paint, if I can find some. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbkim Posted June 28, 2004 Report Share Posted June 28, 2004 Ooh! I was gonna suggest fiberglass or foam . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovekraft Posted June 28, 2004 Report Share Posted June 28, 2004 Ooh! I was gonna suggest fiberglass or foam . Me, too, but I was afraid I'd see styrofoam-lined pickguards show up in the Progress section. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jefm Posted June 29, 2004 Report Share Posted June 29, 2004 Hehehe...yeah I was going to say rubber Copper foil would be best....and actually cheaper I think... although aluminum foil has been used successfully...and everyone has that...cant solder it though....that's a bit of a pain... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Mariah Posted June 29, 2004 Report Share Posted June 29, 2004 Just put a ground lug like you'd use anyway through the foil and solder to that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapbarstrat Posted June 29, 2004 Report Share Posted June 29, 2004 I wouldn't use both. It could possibly cause a ground loop, although electronics is hardly my thing. I like the foil better, because you can always take it out if you want. I have used Stew-mac sheilding paint in the past and my multi-meter could hardly read that it was conductive, and I put several layers until it was really thick ( and I hate thick paint in a guitar, it's crappy for the tone of the wood) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ansil Posted June 29, 2004 Report Share Posted June 29, 2004 actually lead is the best not to step on anyones toes but i got a whole sheet of it when they were remodeling an office building and putting in a xray room for a doctors office or dentist or something. i got a whole roll when they were trhoguh with it. very bendable good stuff i use it under the pickguard in the cavities. i still have aluminum tape inside of it. but this keeps rf down more than anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lucky1 Posted June 30, 2004 Report Share Posted June 30, 2004 (edited) Edited September 19, 2004 by lucky1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truerussian558 Posted June 30, 2004 Report Share Posted June 30, 2004 you can always take some aluminum foil (2 bucks for like 50 square feet), spray some adhesive on it (or coat), and just use it like tape inside the cavities and on the pickguard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jefm Posted June 30, 2004 Report Share Posted June 30, 2004 Ansil....you crack me up all the time....you could also play guitar right through a nuclear war....except I heard burning skin messes with your tone Is it thin Lead though..lead is pretty heavy?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nonamemx Posted June 30, 2004 Report Share Posted June 30, 2004 So where can you get sheets of Lead? Without stealing the doctor's X-ray blanket. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truerussian558 Posted June 30, 2004 Report Share Posted June 30, 2004 So where can you get sheets of Lead? Without stealing the doctor's X-ray blanket. you could always find an old hous painted with lead paint, strip the paint and grind it to a paste Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ansil Posted June 30, 2004 Report Share Posted June 30, 2004 lucky1 yes this is the nice metallic aluminum sheets that are sticky and go around the duct work. not actual duct tape but i think you know what i mean. see what i did was shield the whole guitar with that as per instructed by my luthier friend. and then i added my own twist on it. instead of relying on it to just touch with the pickguard to make a good ground joint. i added a nice small sheetmetal screw with a little eyelet on it. so all the wires for ground go to one point and then it is soldered to the ring the ring gets a screw fed through it and the whole thing is mechanically held together via the ring and screw. works beautifully, but you need to make sure that the glue they use on the adhesive side is electrically conductive. otherwise you will have to put staples in it to connect sheet to sheet. also in a pinch you can dry fit aluminum foil from the dollar tree in there and remove it spray on adhesive and affix it in there that way i do my strat pickguards that way. jefm thanks i try to be humorous but usefull always. but yes it is heavy but its only around 1/16" thick give or take. i will see if i have a few small pieces left to take a picture of. i got this stuff some time ago and haven't gotten anymore. since then nonamemx. i know you must be able to get it somewhere i just haven't figured out where yet. i think i would probally have to ask a doctors office or someone who does construction on xray rooms.. hmmm wait a minute i will ask my chiropractor next time I go in july to see her she might have some stuff lying around or know where i could get some cheap. truerussian558 acutually i found some old lead based paint some time ago still in a can. i guess i could always use that but it tastes so darn delicious. lol another way is this. i dont' know how old everyone is here but my father used to make "lead heads" in the basement with a double boiler and a proprane torch. so we always had a bunch of lead around. for those who dont' know leadheads are those lovely little fishing hooks with big fat junks of lead cast on the ends of the hooks before they decided hmmm throwing junks of lead in our water isn't healthy lets just use somehting else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigdguitars Posted June 30, 2004 Report Share Posted June 30, 2004 I have used slip plate paint - its graphite based - and it works ok. I would like to buy the stewmac stuff, but its too darn expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveq Posted June 30, 2004 Report Share Posted June 30, 2004 Are those lead head things the same as what some people call "sinkers" ? I haven't gone fishing in a long time but if you're telling me you can't buy lead sinkers anymore, I'll be very sad . I actually caught a large mouth bass with nothing but a sinker once. I was practicing casting and didn't want to bother taking a fish off the hook so I left the hook on the dock. Doh!!! I bet you never thought you'd see a fish story in the electronics section!! I've been using the stewmac paint stuff. It's a hell of a lot easier than the copper tape and much easier on the fingers too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maiden69 Posted July 1, 2004 Report Share Posted July 1, 2004 truerussian558 acutually i found some old lead based paint some time ago still in a can. i guess i could always use that but it tastes so darn delicious. I know you are joking but it is good to know. My neighbohr is at this moment walking with a cane, after 20 yrs from lead poisoning from paint, he decided to paint his room and after he finished he went to bed... inside the room, he didn't got up the next day and when they founf him he had to be rushed to the ER... Be carefull with that paint! And in the case of shielding, I see most of the people here using EMG's, if you do you don't need the shielding... Unless you live or gig about 400 meters from a radio station, airport or military base... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biohazard Posted July 1, 2004 Report Share Posted July 1, 2004 Do you also shield the underside of the control cavity plastic cover? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Mariah Posted July 1, 2004 Report Share Posted July 1, 2004 Do you also shield the underside of the control cavity plastic cover? Yes, but don't use the paint on that. Use some foil. Well, I guess you CAN use the paint if you really want, but I have no idea if it will eat through the plastic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biohazard Posted July 1, 2004 Report Share Posted July 1, 2004 It's ok, the rest of my cavity is going to be foil anyway so foil will jut be used for that again. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stalefish Posted July 1, 2004 Report Share Posted July 1, 2004 I'm using plain ol' aluminum foil, the sort you use to line your baking pans and such.. I tend to use the heavier ones 'cause they don't tear so easily.. Works pretty well for me.. And it's waaay cheap.. I've heard that the paint stuff is a lot of trouble for more or less the same effect.. Dunno.. Just something I've heard.. Never had the chance to try it myself.. Ansil: Isn't lead kinda dangerous?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesW Posted July 1, 2004 Author Report Share Posted July 1, 2004 I'm wondering if it's worth painting glue over the foil (both sides) to stick it down and also help toughen it up and avoid it getting torn? Although perhaps water-based glue would make moisture get into the wood.... Maybe use double-sided sticky tape then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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