Copper tape in Seattle?

[DrVenkman]

Anybody know of a place I can get copper tape in Seattle? I can order on line of course, but I'd prefer to support a local shop if possible.

[Caca de Kick]

See if the repairshop in American Music will sell you some. I've had good luck with those guys.
Doesn't Warmoth have to too? They're in Puyallup, but will have to ship it (no walk-ins)

[Pilgrim]

Or call Bass Northwest in Pioneer Square. I don't know whether they carry it or not, but they have a lot of stuff.

[MontzterMash]

Hi, last month I bought some at the stained glass shop in Wallingford - they have all sorts. Bass NW didn't have anything.

[Bassamatic]

Do be aware that if the adhesive is not conductive like the Stew-Mac tape, you need to solder all the pieces together to be sure they are contiguous.

You could actually end up with worse problems if part is not grounded.

[DrVenkman]

So none at American Music or Bass NW. I picked up a 12"x12" sheet from the stained glass supply store in Wallingford that I'll use on the pickguard, and hunt around Lowes or Home Depot or a garden nursery for some copper slug tape for the rest of it.

And thanks for the warning on needing to solder the pieces together. I was planning on that anyway as I don't entirely trust the adhesive, but appreciate not everyone would know that.

I did want to avoid having to solder multiple pieces together for the pickguard and the sheet should work well for that - I might have to make one solder joint but that would be it.

[bassbenj]

Originally Posted by DrVenkman

So none at American Music or Bass NW. I picked up a 12"x12" sheet from the stained glass supply store in Wallingford that I'll use on the pickguard, and hunt around Lowes or Home Depot or a garden nursery for some copper slug tape for the rest of it.

And thanks for the warning on needing to solder the pieces together. I was planning on that anyway as I don't entirely trust the adhesive, but appreciate not everyone would know that.

I did want to avoid having to solder multiple pieces together for the pickguard and the sheet should work well for that - I might have to make one solder joint but that would be it.

I get copper sheets at Hobby Lobby where they sell it as some kind of embossing material. You want the thinner gauge. Also to get it to stick in the cavities you want to get some spray glue. I use scotch Spra-mount or the Borden equivalent also sold at Hobby lobby. It's an artist mounting glue. It's not conductive though.

The foil I use is a bit heavy gauge even in the thinner style, and stained glass copper foil may actually be better. I'll have to go look at the local stained glass supply and check it out!

By the way, I ground the pickguard foil by running a tab of foil out from a cavity and over top of a mounting screw hole. The foil on the back of the pickguard also covers the same hole. That way when you screw down the guard the foil is pressed against the tab and it is grounded! You can just solder a wire from the cavity to the pickguard but I find it a big pain to have the pickguard dangling there on a wire when you take the bass apart. I've never had a contact problem with the tab thing.

[DrVenkman]

The foil sheet I got from the stained glass supply shop has adhesive on it already. No need to use spray adhesive, just peel off the backing and stick. I assume the adhesive isn't conductive but frankly didn't even bother checking, I just soldered all the joints.

I picked up some slug tape to go along with the sheeting (at Swansons, for those of you in Seattle). The sheeting and tape are approximately the same thickness.

So for about $12 in material I shielded my cheap p-bass clone. It's now very quiet, and I've got enough tape left to do a couple more basses. Well worth the time and money!