Would using a copper plate for a rear mounted control cavity cover be a bad idea? Would there be a grounding issue, or would I shock myself?
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copper control cover, bad idea?
- Thread starter fretless19
- Start date
Not a good idea. If there is a bad ground in the facility power you will not have a good day.. Non conductive material is the way to go, plastic or wood..
That's true regardless of what sort of control cavity cover he uses. If it's grounded, it will help shielding. If OP uses something non-conductive, then the inside should be covered with grounded conductive foil.
I've used brass and aluminum as control cavity covers. Built-in shielding. No issues with those, or with copper, other than possible tarnish down the road.
, I defer to the Gurus.. Of which I am not one... sniffle... LOLThe idea of a copper control cover that is in direct contact with the player just doesn't seem right to me.. But again, I am not an expert.
Same as control plate screws that go thru a shielded/grounded control plate, just larger.
The idea of a copper control cover that is in direct contact with the player just doesn't seem right to me.. But again, I am not an expert.
It does have a possibility of giving the user a shock in the case of certain ground faults, but the same would happen if the user touched the strings, so it's no more or less dangerous than any other instrument with grounded strings. It's very rare. I've heard about it happening, but have never seen or experienced it myself. EMG recommends not grounding the strings with their active systems specifically to avoid a shock hazard.
I believe Alembic uses brass cavity covers on some instruments. Copper will work fine, but unless you give it a coat of lacquer or poly, it'll turn green on the quick.
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Hopkins
Commercial User
The idea of a copper control cover that is in direct contact with the player just doesn't seem right to me.. But again, I am not an expert.
The strings are grounded, and will be in more direct contact with the player. There is little to no shock hazard to worry about
This x 100. Be aware that if you're grounding the plate, you'll want to make sure there's no finish on the area that will be making electrical contact with the ground. Also, if you're going to put a finish on it, I would suggest you go over it thoroughly with a green ScotchBrite pad and then acetone beforehand to make sure it's spotlessly clean. Wear neoprene or butyl rubber gloves (acetone will go through latex and nitrile) when you're doing this to keep from getting fingerprints and skin oils on it.
It's no different than shielding the cover with copper foil. Just be sure it is grounded or it will not have any shielding effect, and any shielding will be minimal unless your entire cavity is also shielded and grounded.
Your amp has to fail catastrophically to put AC on the ground and you are holding the strings anyway, as mentioned above.
Your amp has to fail catastrophically to put AC on the ground and you are holding the strings anyway, as mentioned above.
- Jun 30, 2010
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That would be yes. As others have mentioned, a clear-coat on the showing side will seal the copper so it won't tarnish - unless that's what you are after.
Manton Customs
UK Luthier
If you think about it, there are plenty of instruments with metal "lids": Jazz bass, Telecaster, Tele bass along with plenty of metal scratchplate P basses and Strats.
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Brass cover
Aluminum cover
I ended up using the aluminum cover on this bass, and then used clear plastic tape over it to help prevent oxidation.
Aluminum cover
I ended up using the aluminum cover on this bass, and then used clear plastic tape over it to help prevent oxidation.
As others have said, if your strings are grounded, you will be touching them sooner than a back cover so it isn't an issues. On the other hand, EMG doesn't recommend (require) string grounding. So if you have EMGs and your strings are not grounded, then it is probably a bad idea to have a back cover grounded that can be touched from the outside.
I wouldn't worry about putting a finish on a copper or brass plate. The plate rubbing on your clothing will keep it from tarnishing to speak of; and, if it is finished any chip will be a PITA to repair and it will chip. Maplglo seems to have the best idea, clear packing tape, or nothing.
To clear that up, I intend to allow the copper to patina. I might even expose it to ammonia to create some blueing, and then I could cover it in tape as you say, or maybe some acrylic Clearcoat.
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