Pickguard static. What to do?

[gimmeagig]

Hi,
I have a 5 string jazz and the pickguard creates a crackling static noise when I play.Usually only when i slap because that is when I make contact with the pickguard the most.
I have put a dryer fabric softener sheet under the pickguard already and I also ran a copper wire from the pickguard to the metal control plate.
That did not help.
Are there any other ways to fix this problem?
I don't notice it when I play gigs but I recorded yesterday and I had to rerecord some parts because of this crackling sound.
I wish I was a great studio player, but I'm not,so having to do something over that was good to begin with except for the static is not anything I really like to do.

[jworrellbass]

Try putting some copper foil tape on the inside of your pickguard and run a ground wire. I read that somewhere.

[line6man]

Does your copper foil have a conductive adhesive backing?

Try the conductive adhesive stuff Stew-Mac sells.

Just line the entire back of the pickguard with it and then ground it.

[thisSNsucks]

Last time I had that problem I took the pickguard off, rubbed it down with one of those anti-static dryer sheets, and reinstalled it.

I see you put the sheet under the pickguard but I'd give it a rub down on both sides

[line6man]

Originally Posted by thisSNsucks

Last time I had that problem I took the pickguard off, rubbed it down with one of those anti-static dryer sheets, and reinstalled it.

I see you put the sheet under the pickguard but I'd give it a rub down on both sides

Won't that scratch the hell out of the top side?

I have gloss black pickguards on both of my Jazz basses, and just the edge of my fingernail is enough to leave tiny scratches on the surface of the pickguard when I play.

[gimmeagig]

I got rid of the dryer sheet and replaced it with a layer of regular aluminum foil.No glue, I just traced the pick guard and put the layer under it,I left a little tab to slide under the metal control plate for grounding.It really made a difference.
It cut out about 90 % of the static.I can still get it to crackle when I press my index finger onto the pick guard and slide it very quickly back and forth.But just from the contact I make when I slap, I get no static.
Maybe copper foil would work better, I don't know, but unless the crackling comes back for some reason, I'll leave it alone.
Thanks for the help

[PappaK]

Originally Posted by jworrellbass

Try putting some copper foil tape on the inside of your pickguard and run a ground wire. I read that somewhere.

+1

[maestrovert]

dryer sheets work....

[gimmeagig]

Originally Posted by maestrovert

dryer sheets work....

They didn't on this bass!

[gimmeagig]

I'ts been a while but I just wanted to revive this thread one more time.
I havea clear pickguard that I've been using on this bass and it produces no static. But I like the look of the black pickguard so much better and I want to switch back to that.I have copper foil on the back and also a wire running from it to the ground but it still crackles.Only when I slap but it's really annoying.
My questions:
Why is the clear plastic pickguard not picking up static and the black one is?
The black one is a three layer and the clear one is one layer probably acrylic.
Are there any black plastic materials available that are designed to be anti static.

I coated the pickguard with armor all and it seems to help a little. I'f anyone has any additional suggestios I'd sure like to know if there is anything else I can do..

[line6man]

Originally Posted by gimmeagig

I'ts been a while but I just wanted to revive this thread one more time.
I havea clear pickguard that I've been using on this bass and it produces no static. But I like the look of the black pickguard so much better and I want to switch back to that.I have copper foil on the back and also a wire running from it to the ground but it still crackles.Only when I slap but it's really annoying.
My questions:
Why is the clear plastic pickguard not picking up static and the black one is?
The black one is a three layer and the clear one is one layer probably acrylic.
Are there any black plastic materials available that are designed to be anti static.

I coated the pickguard with armor all and it seems to help a little. I'f anyone has any additional suggestios I'd sure like to know if there is anything else I can do..

Clear pickguards are acrylic, black pickguards are vinyl.

[chokeslam512]

Have you checked that your ground wire under your bridge is making contact and is in good shape?

Maybe get an aluminum PG and solder the ground wire to it.

[line6man]

Originally Posted by chokeslam512

Have you checked that your ground wire under your bridge is making contact and is in good shape?

Maybe get an aluminum PG and solder the ground wire to it.

Solder doesn't stick to aluminum very well. You would have to extend your shielding to the surface of the bass, so that the pickguard can contact it.

[dune2k]

Or just use a little piece of desoldering braid. Solder a wire to it, connect it to ground and make sure the desoldering braid is somewhere where it has contact with the aluminum/copper tape and at the same time can't move (basically sticking it between pickguard and the bass' body). Should work.

[gimmeagig]

What I did was take the same shielding tape that I use to cover the underside of the pickguard.. Whit that I made a 1/4" wide and 2" long strip which I ran from the llower bottom corner to the first pot on my control plate( Jazz Bass).So the tab is on one side pressed under the pickguard and on the other side it is slid under the washer that holds down the balance pot. That should ground it, right?

[dune2k]

Yup, you might want to fold it two or three times on one and so it can make better contact.