I love how every video people post, shows meticulous work they do...then perform crappy soldering jobs. Solder does not make your connections. It holds them in place after a firm mechanical connection. I also love how people do not understand how to actually solder to avoid a cold solder joint. Here are the directions (once again for the thousandth posting) on how to do this correctly,, using fluxed solder: Clean off all the old solder from your terminal, and cut back the insulation, twist the new exposed wire. Pass the new wire into the terminal slot, squeezing it over using needle-nose pliers (make a firm mechanical connection). Here is the key to professional soldering, which no one ever learned: Now tin your iron by filing off the old hot solder, and apply more solder to just the iron. Wipe the excess onto a sponge, also distributing the solder evenly on the iron. Quickly apply heat from the iron to BOTH (here it is again: BOTH) the terminal and wire, by contacting both at same time. Touch the solder to the TERMINAL and WIRE, N O T (Here it is again: DO NOT APPLY SOLDER TO IRON, apply to BOTH the hot wire and terminal). It will flow and penetrate everywhere and cool to a shiny patina. If it is grey, you have a cold solder joint. This soldering job in this video doesn't pass inspection.
I was thinking the same thing. It drives me nuts. As an EE I often worked with certified techs and they'd freak out if they saw how people solder guitar electronics. The two metals that you are soldering together should get hot enough that they melt the solder not the soldering iron. And use heat sinks. Don't get me started on soldering to the back of pots. It does amaze me at how much attention is paid to every other nuance but the electronics are slapped together so shoddily. Like duct tape on a Maserati. At least Gibson has got the right idea by using PCB's and shielded cabling. I'd have to do a little research but i'm not even positive that grounding the shield is necessary. Also it creates a bit of a shock hazard since ground in the guitar is only ground if the Amp doesn't have have a problem. Not to mention the currents that you are going to get in the shielding.
great video! little tidbit, it doesn't matter which side you use, the foil is the same either way, its just matte on one side because of the manufacturing process, they have huge sheets of it and they roll them out making it matte on one side....I remember seeing a special from Reynolds on the food network lol
If going through all the trouble of taking the guitar apart in the first place, enough copper shielding tape to do the entire cavity and the back of the pickguard costs about $5 or less. Shielded paint is a very iffy for effectiveness, is expensive and the guitar has to be protected against spills. You can't solder to aluminum or the paintwork so....... copper tape is the way to go by far. I've done dozens and it's a snap and about 30 minutes after doing a few and learning to handle the tape.
One thing you can use that is less messy than gluing foil in the cavity or painting it, is using HVAC ( heating and air ) aluminum tape that is sticky on one side. Just as effective as anything else.
Why in the hell does Fender not shield these guitars properly in the factory? It's no freaking secret knowledge that they have ALWAYS had this problem. It would make it so much easier for everyone.
@OakPark11MileRd From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia A pickguard (also known as scratchplate or golpeador in Flamenco music, and uncommonly, a fingerrest[1]) is a piece of plastic or other laminated material that is placed under the strings on the body of a guitar, mandolin or similar plucked string instrument.
Interestingly enough if you haven't noticed by now most RFI wallets are indeed made of aluminum supporting this guys(and Fenders) theory of using aluminum...well done great video..
the conductive paint has ground ferrite put in you should also have a small hole to put a screw termanal to a wire conected to ground and yes foil will do the trick and that to should have a wire solderd to it to ground radio station pick up is due to the amp early geranium transistors n diodes or crap tubes pick this up proper sheilding n changeing tubs will reduce this also depends how close is radio staition if it real strong brass screen will elimanate it look up faraday cage
Nice job, but never wash brushes in the sink because its bad for the environment even if the paint is water based. It is actually better to let the brush dry and just put it in the trash and buy a new one. The best way is to clean brushes in a container and then leave the container at a recycle facility.
And, never buy a guitar that used wood glue, epoxy, lacquer, enamels, acrylics, polyesters, celluloid, polyvinyl-chloride or polyurethanes in it's construction either...or used coal-fired smelts to produce the metal parts and then used copper acids in the chroming process. The guitar should be hand-carved from tree woods, attached together using only pegs, and has no metal parts (including strings) or toxic electronics, including tin or lead solder. There, toxin free.
Good stuff. Also found out from another youtube guitar channel about a foil tape sold in hardware stores thats like the kitchen aluminum but with adhesive already on it. Still cheaper than the specialized stuff n also a bit easier.
Why doesn't fender get their shit together and do this in the first place? ... Every time I buy a fender, I have to do all these mods just to get it up the level of a decent guitar... it is fucking stupid....
Great video, thanks! Also, for what its worth, there is no difference between the "shiny" side of aluminum foil and the "dull" side, other than the obvious reflectivity. The "shiny" side occurs as a result of being next to the roller during manufacturing. Just sharing some useless knowledge :-)
my guitar has an irritating buzz that disappears when i touch any metal component on the guitar. NOW, many people are saying "ah yeah it's a grounding problem". However, i checked the cavities of my Les Paul and there's no obvious solder problems and everything looks neat and tidy, and i can't see how the stopbar could not be grounded... so my question is, is this a wiring problem, or simply an annoying feature of my guitar which can be solved through thorough shielding?
SemiLivedj knows all about dry solder joints, cold solder joints and improper grounding techniques, just ask him. He'll stuff your electronics cavity with so much wiring you can pick up radio stations...... from japan !!!
hi, i have a question that is maybe not relevant to your video. If I use copper sheet to shield my cable, do i still have to "ground" this sheet? thank you
Actually no. Using a metal scratch plate now allows conductivity from the plate through your potentiometers, capacitors and into your output jack. It actually defeats the purpose of isolating eddy current. If you do use a metal scratch plate, you would have to isolate your components by plastic sleeves, and plastic pot nuts. Something I guarantee most people have not thought of before installing their "diamond plate" aluminum scratch plates.
It doesn't really show if you don't use a high gain tone. I use a high gain amp and I used to get all kinds of interference and I removed all the pot and lined the cavity with copper foil tape and I have no interference what soever. When using a high-gain amp or distortion, every sound gets amplified about 3 or 4 times and if you are playing next to any type of electrical signal, it will pick that up and put it through your amplifier. IT WORKS!!
poppa bear Well, a squire probably wouldn't have the pickups routed like that. My american deluxe doesn't even have that. It's probably a fender artist series or a custom shop.
I love how every video people post, shows meticulous work they do...then perform crappy soldering jobs. Solder does not make your connections. It holds them in place after a firm mechanical connection. I also love how people do not understand how to actually solder to avoid a cold solder joint. Here are the directions (once again for the thousandth posting) on how to do this correctly,, using fluxed solder: Clean off all the old solder from your terminal, and cut back the insulation, twist the new exposed wire. Pass the new wire into the terminal slot, squeezing it over using needle-nose pliers (make a firm mechanical connection). Here is the key to professional soldering, which no one ever learned: Now tin your iron by filing off the old hot solder, and apply more solder to just the iron. Wipe the excess onto a sponge, also distributing the solder evenly on the iron. Quickly apply heat from the iron to BOTH (here it is again: BOTH) the terminal and wire, by contacting both at same time. Touch the solder to the TERMINAL and WIRE, N O T (Here it is again: DO NOT APPLY SOLDER TO IRON, apply to BOTH the hot wire and terminal). It will flow and penetrate everywhere and cool to a shiny patina. If it is grey, you have a cold solder joint. This soldering job in this video doesn't pass inspection.
Shannon Womaje. Hi. I would be interested to watch a you tube video about that. Have you done one?
I was thinking the same thing. It drives me nuts. As an EE I often worked with certified techs and they'd freak out if they saw how people solder guitar electronics. The two metals that you are soldering together should get hot enough that they melt the solder not the soldering iron. And use heat sinks.
Don't get me started on soldering to the back of pots. It does amaze me at how much attention is paid to every other nuance but the electronics are slapped together so shoddily. Like duct tape on a Maserati. At least Gibson has got the right idea by using PCB's and shielded cabling.
I'd have to do a little research but i'm not even positive that grounding the shield is necessary. Also it creates a bit of a shock hazard since ground in the guitar is only ground if the Amp doesn't have have a problem. Not to mention the currents that you are going to get in the shielding.
great video! little tidbit, it doesn't matter which side you use, the foil is the same either way, its just matte on one side because of the manufacturing process, they have huge sheets of it and they roll them out making it matte on one side....I remember seeing a special from Reynolds on the food network lol
Screwing the jack upside down is absolutely genius, thanks for that
If going through all the trouble of taking the guitar apart in the first place, enough copper shielding tape to do the entire cavity and the back of the pickguard costs about $5 or less. Shielded paint is a very iffy for effectiveness, is expensive and the guitar has to be protected against spills. You can't solder to aluminum or the paintwork so....... copper tape is the way to go by far. I've done dozens and it's a snap and about 30 minutes after doing a few and learning to handle the tape.
You can get a pickguard shield for like $7 at guitarfetish. Its super thick and pre cut.
at 4:27 I'd say the main effect is that the shielding gets grounded, and this is very important, although not explicitly mentioned in the video.
I,ve just finished shielding a les paul. I used thick 50mm wide aluminium ducting tape perfect results very easy use. Have fun.
One thing you can use that is less messy than gluing foil in the cavity or painting it, is using HVAC ( heating and air ) aluminum tape that is sticky on one side. Just as effective as anything else.
Why in the hell does Fender not shield these guitars properly in the factory? It's no freaking secret knowledge that they have ALWAYS had this problem. It would make it so much easier for everyone.
@OakPark11MileRd From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A pickguard (also known as scratchplate or golpeador in Flamenco music, and uncommonly, a fingerrest[1]) is a piece of plastic or other laminated material that is placed under the strings on the body of a guitar, mandolin or similar plucked string instrument.
Lots of nice little tips and tricks. 👍
Small world! I thought I recognised you, as a member of S-T. Description confirms it. Thanks Simon, helpful as always. Cheers..."thatfiend"
5:42 the tin foil is visible under pick guard. Not cool.
Interestingly enough if you haven't noticed by now most RFI wallets are indeed made of aluminum supporting this guys(and Fenders) theory of using aluminum...well done great video..
@OakPark11MileRd golpeador is for flamenco... scratchplate and pickguard are the same thing... it's like saying plectrum or pick that's the same thing
the conductive paint has ground ferrite put in you should also have a small hole to put a screw termanal to a wire conected to ground and yes foil will do the trick and that to should have a wire solderd to it to ground radio station pick up is due to the amp early geranium transistors n diodes or crap tubes pick this up proper sheilding n changeing tubs will reduce this also depends how close is radio staition if it real strong brass screen will elimanate it look up faraday cage
can you not just use copper tape for all of it?
Nice job, but never wash brushes in the sink because its bad for the environment even if the paint is water based.
It is actually better to let the brush dry and just put it in the trash and buy a new one. The best way is to clean brushes in a container and then leave the container at a recycle facility.
This world will finish us... Before we finish it..
And, never buy a guitar that used wood glue, epoxy, lacquer, enamels, acrylics, polyesters, celluloid, polyvinyl-chloride or polyurethanes in it's construction either...or used coal-fired smelts to produce the metal parts and then used copper acids in the chroming process. The guitar should be hand-carved from tree woods, attached together using only pegs, and has no metal parts (including strings) or toxic electronics, including tin or lead solder. There, toxin free.
Nice presentation!
very precise work ,great job
That was my thought as well, since they arent single coils, and are usually silent as installed stock. I've had several sets of them......
Good stuff. Also found out from another youtube guitar channel about a foil tape sold in hardware stores thats like the kitchen aluminum but with adhesive already on it. Still cheaper than the specialized stuff n also a bit easier.
You don't need pot ground wires if you shield the underside of the scratch plate between the pots.
6:09 Brilliant idea, mate :)
Why doesn't fender get their shit together and do this in the first place? ... Every time I buy a fender, I have to do all these mods just to get it up the level of a decent guitar... it is fucking stupid....
John Parker couldn't agree more
.... and on the 7th day, God invented the humbucker.
Hi, How did you earth the Jack cavity to the pick up cavity?
I laughed at the clock!! Good stuff!!
Great video! Very nicely done...I am subscribing
he doesn't make the threaded barrel end up flush to the jack plate (and plug in is much easier), but that is basic for any guitar player...
Great video!
Just wondering, what was the reason to not use aluminium foil in the cavities?
Great video, thanks! Also, for what its worth, there is no difference between the "shiny" side of aluminum foil and the "dull" side, other than the obvious reflectivity. The "shiny" side occurs as a result of being next to the roller during manufacturing. Just sharing some useless knowledge :-)
Whats the point of shielding a strat with Lace Sensors...?
cool channel!!! I subscribed. hey whats that paint your using? ty. going to shield my strat soon.
my guitar has an irritating buzz that disappears when i touch any metal component on the guitar. NOW, many people are saying "ah yeah it's a grounding problem". However, i checked the cavities of my Les Paul and there's no obvious solder problems and everything looks neat and tidy, and i can't see how the stopbar could not be grounded... so my question is, is this a wiring problem, or simply an annoying feature of my guitar which can be solved through thorough shielding?
Or use a noisegate or a hush pedal or rack to record. Not as cool as taking apart the guitar and putting foil inside the cavities though! Nice video!
nor does it work as well.
great video
Do you not connect a ground lug to the body cavity?
4:30 ...
so basically doing this foil trick to ya guitar gives you crisp quality?
SemiLivedj knows all about dry solder joints, cold solder joints and improper grounding techniques, just ask him. He'll stuff your electronics cavity with so much wiring you can pick up radio stations...... from japan !!!
hi, i have a question that is maybe not relevant to your video. If I use copper sheet to shield my cable, do i still have to "ground" this sheet? thank you
2:01 how much adhesive copper foil and where exactly does it go?
I don't even play guitar, but i watched this video till its end.
Hilarious video and great content :D
foil tape from an air conditioning supply house works well $15.00 per roll enough to do 100 guitars
humbucker please? like ibanez JS model
Nice video! What glue do you use to stick the aluminium paper to the pickguard?
Copper and aluminium have a different color.
@OakPark11MileRd :)
You would want to use a non ferrous shielding, conductive material kinda defeats the whole purpose.
This is a bunch of crap. I guess if you have nothing to. Just use thick alluminum tape
You are correct! Aluminum tape is available in hardware store HVAC aisles in 3" rolls and would simplify application.
I love British accent ;0...
Or you can just buy an aluminum plate. Save you about 20 hours
*minutes...
Or purchase an aluminum scratch plate
Less sustain. Much less with aluminium !!
Actually no. Using a metal scratch plate now allows conductivity from the plate through your potentiometers, capacitors and into your output jack. It actually defeats the purpose of isolating eddy current. If you do use a metal scratch plate, you would have to isolate your components by plastic sleeves, and plastic pot nuts. Something I guarantee most people have not thought of before installing their "diamond plate" aluminum scratch plates.
Shannon Womaje You're right with regard to myself. Those tips will definetely be done on my guitars very soon.
Whatsa mattah? It doesn't mattah! STOP IT!!!
Shielding does nothing...simple.......that looked like a squier guitar.....they are rubbish with noise....
It doesn't really show if you don't use a high gain tone. I use a high gain amp and I used to get all kinds of interference and I removed all the pot and lined the cavity with copper foil tape and I have no interference what soever. When using a high-gain amp or distortion, every sound gets amplified about 3 or 4 times and if you are playing next to any type of electrical signal, it will pick that up and put it through your amplifier. IT WORKS!!
poppa bear Well, a squire probably wouldn't have the pickups routed like that. My american deluxe doesn't even have that. It's probably a fender artist series or a custom shop.
REALLY OBNOXIOUS intro... i'm sure the rest is good... but I chose not to watch cause it scared the crap out of me...