Does ANYONE use Sheilded Wire?

[JackANSI]

I can't say that shielded wire would be needed in a shielded cavity, except for running through places that are hard to shield with copper foil (like the holes leading to the pickups). But there are quite a few pickup makers that provide shielded wire leads on their pickups. So when I do install those I guess I'm using shielded wire.

Those that don't (the SD QP's I installed in my Warmoth didn't come shielded) I shield the pickup route and control cavity with foil like normal. Then take the braid out of a length of RG-6/58/59 coax and run that through the hole between the pickup the control cavity. (strip all the insulation off the 6" or so piece of RG-6/58/59 without damaging the braid, then work inwards much like removing a chinese finger trap and you should end up with just a braided tube). Then fan out the ends of the braid and solder that to the copper foil on both ends. Finally running the wire through that.

I know that probably sounds harder than just swapping out the normal leads for shielded ones on the pickup, but this method stays with the bass and removes the need for an extra wire to tie the shields together, works with shielded or unshielded wires on pickups you might want to try in the future, and doesn't void any warranty the pickups might have by altering them.

On a completely different note, I do love using that cloth braid covered wire. Its a pain to strip sometimes, but it always makes a control cavity look 'finished'.

 

[darkstorm]

Wires and the various mojo, reality, BS, written about them can be rather tricky stuff. For seperating the nonsense from the real. While there are cable companies I like such as audioquest. who do use a lot of what the hell mojo nonsense in some of there lit. Theres others I like at least as well, who keep to reality much better in their lit such as Analysis plus. I like the latters lit on why they design their cables as they do, heres link: [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Ok, when Ive rewired electronics in basses and guitars Ive used qaulity non shielded but well jacketed cables. One positive, one negative. Useing nothing thinner then 20 gauge. Except for a warwick corvette all my basses and guitars have had hum free pups. The corvette didnt hum because the active eq circuit took the hum out that was very noticeable on the passive version of same pup bass. Anyway with the relatively short (no more then 3 inches length) for most wires Ive used (little bit heavier gauge and better grade copper) shielding hasnt been needed.

Radio shack wires and cables. I find them harsher sounding compared to most other higher priced brands. But not as colored as some. Instead of worrying about shielded wires in well shielded control cavity with active preamp that eliminates any hum pups might make anyway. Id rather use qaulity oxygen free copper wires. Afterall since I like the benefit of higher priced instrument cables like Livewire elite, Id just as soon that the signal going out the output jack on the bass, was as good as reasonably possible. This is helped useing qaulity wire for pots etc rather then the cheapest you can find. Imo.

 

[walterw]

Except for a warwick corvette all my basses and guitars have had hum free pups. The corvette didnt hum because the active eq circuit took the hum out that was very noticeable on the passive version of same pup bass.

i'm curious as to how it did that.

ernie ball had a "silent circuit" in their guitars for a while, which used a 9v-powered system to cancel single-coil hum, ostensibly without changing the tone. you could pop the battery out, and the guitar would sound basically the same, except humming.

i don't think most bass preamps work that way, though.

 

[darkstorm]

walterw....> Im not sure. Though Ive noticed Ive never come across a bass with jazz pups and active eq which had any hum at all. Even with pups solo'd. The warwick surprised me the most since same pups and those jazz mec pups hummed more then any other jazz pups Ive played. Yet dead silent with the mec preamp in the circuit.

 

[line6man]

Ive noticed Ive never come across a bass with jazz pups and active eq which had any hum at all. Even with pups solo'd.

That's probably because most of the time when you have a preamp, you're using humbuckers as well, because the bass has a more modern tone and doesn't need to be vintage correct...