Help With Shielding A Jazz Bass!

[john nam]

I'm trying to shield my 2010 Am Dlx Jazz 5 with copper tape, but can someone point me to a sticky or a site that shows me how to do this correctly?

[Pacifik]

Jazz Shielding Pictorial (Big Images Warning)

it's stickied in the pickup and electronic section

[Rocky McD]

That bass comes well shielded from the factory. It is painted in the cavities with shielding paint. I don't think your tape will accomplish much. But, if you have the tape and want to do it, there is nothing complicated about it. Strip all components from the cavities, clean all areas so the tape will stick. Cut the tape to the right lengths and lay it down, slightly overlaping each piece. I like to do the bottom first and then the sides. A round tip dowel is good for smoothing the corners. Rub each piece down to smooth out and get good adhesion. The underside of the pickguards should have a shield on it already.
Rocky

[dmusic148]

/\ That. If you want to get crazy you could solder a wire to it when you're done and ground it to the jack. Not really necessary as the black glue on the underside of the tape is conductive, and you're already sticking it to the conductive paint, which should be grounded so....
Anyway be careful when smooshing the tape down with your fingers. The edges can cut you really badly. Ask me how I know.

[john nam]

Thanks Rocky, that really helps. My one question is what about all this business with the grounding wire? Do I have to install a ground wire myself? Or are the Deluxe 5s already grounded? I know I should have the copper from the cavity shielding touch the shielded underside of the pickguard, but is there anything else that the copper shielding has to touch, like one of the pots that the ground wire is attached to or something?

[96tbird]

Yes, make sure it is tied into the main ground circuit of the bass. Run a strip up under the chrome control plate at the minimum. Best to attach a wire to the shielding and solder it to a pot.

[Rocky McD]

The grounding wire is to link the cavities that are separated. A continual cavity like most P basses, does not need a wire, IHO. Some people let the tape lap over the edge of the wall slightly so that it can connect with the pick-guard shield film. Personally, I don't think grounding the cavity tape/paint with a wire to the main grounding is necessary but there are some that will disagree with me.
Rocky