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Jazz Shielding Pictorial (Big Images Warning)
- Thread starter Lyle Caldwell
- Start date
FWIW:
no doubt I've seen copper lief, or gold lief anyway so I'm assuming it's the same basic stuff: very thin with no adhesive back the function of which is to use for a variety of artist/esthetic applications as a veneer that is pressed on to a surface.
If that's the stuff, forget it. First off you need an adhesive backed material. Second you need something that's tough that can take some abuse without tearing.
You'd be better off with some of that sheet metal aluminum adhesive that you can probaby get at any hardware store.
Bottom line, this is not a fun project and if you're going to do it, at least use the appropriate material for the application. You're better off waiting with the right material than doing it with inferior stuff. You can use that shielding for any shielding project or conductive surface (like ground leads) not just shielding the bass. If you're going to be messing with bass electronics, it's an item you need to have laying around anyway.
I have just shielded my bass, made a dozen of pics, should I post them here or better create another thread?
You mentioned reference interference once and I've wondered about that ever since cause I get what sounds like that a lot.
I'm aware of the antennae-like effect but could you summarize what's going on with this reference thing, the appropriate fix, and why it works.
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As for the above posting pic thread, I'd post it here. This is the shielding thread, why scatter the info out.
Can you point out where I mentioned 'reference interference'? I'm not sure what I would have been talking about!
I tend to think of only two types of noise picked up by a guitar - conducted and radiated. The strategies against these are eliminating ground loops, and shielding, respectively. The antenna-like thing is the latter.
I remembered "reference" but you actually said rediated. Starts with an r and pretty close to the same length so pretty good for me. The old gray matter ain't what it used to be but never was quite up to snuff to begin with. Also why a search turned up nothing.
I didn't recall ever hearing the term before and googled it at the time and sure enough - it existed. I don't remember why I didn't ask at the time.
The pot lug/back ground loop thing was also new to me cause so many makers do it, makes you wonder.
i would rather not buy online because that would require me to find a parental unit to supply the credit card! if i can find something around here i could just pick it up myself.
also, if it isn't adhesive, couldn't it be sprayed with adhesive?
also, if it isn't adhesive, couldn't it be sprayed with adhesive?
Google your area looking for a place that sells staind glass supplies or gives staind glass lessons. I also heard some gardening places may have it...
I got a 12"x12" sheet from Colonial Staind Glass in Marietta, GA for less then 6 bucks. It is more then enough to go through one bass.
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Is this the correct diagram for shielding a mexican stanard jazz
bass, I've no noise now but my tone control dosn't seem to have much effect.
Is this the correct diagram for shielding a mexican stanard jazz
bass, I've no noise now but my tone control dosn't seem to have much effect.
Ok, so I used the above links diagram and completley shielded my MIM Jazz standard, the neck pickup is completley noisless even when soloed, but the bridge pickup hums & buzzes when soloed and when not, the only way to stop it is to turn off the tone, any idea what I should do?
Ok, so I used the above links diagram and completely shielded my MIM Jazz standard, the neck pickup is completely noiseless even when soloed, but the bridge pickup hums & buzzes when soloed and when not, the only way to stop it is to turn off the tone, any idea what I should do?
I'm having the same problem in reverse with my SD Basslines Hot Stacks. The bridge is utterly silent, but the neck still has hum when I take my fingers off the strings.
I'm digging out the multimeter tomorrow - I bought some heat shrink tubing today, so I'm going to tidy up my wiring and see if I missed anything. My guess is either the ground from neck wire didn't (OMG - long day at work : just realised I've been fixing the quoted typos
) solder as neatly as it could have, or my shielding is not so good on the neck pup.If you fellas have the wiring as indicated in the diagram, then you have ground loops. First try re-wiring to get rid of those.
I marked up a diagram here. Lift the pot arms away from the shells, and make sure that ALL signal grounds connect ONLY to each other at one place near the jack ground.
Attachments
The only problem with this drawing is, it doesn't actually isolate the signal ground from the "shield can" (called earth ground in the picture). The output jack sleeve is shorted to the metal plate that is also shorted to all the pot shafts and casings. As drawn, lifting those pot arms is doing nothing.
If you're using a plastic/insulated jack, or if a plastic pickguard is being used (as on a P bass) the story is different, but this is clearly a J, and I've never seen one of those that isn't metal.
The whole problem with the "ground loop" argument is that the loops are extremely short, and are extremely low resistance, so there's so little possibility of a potential between any two points, it's insignificant. Remember, for a voltage potential to develop between two points, significant resistance has to be present.
If you've got good grounding and shielding, and you're still getting buzz, I'm guessing there's an OPEN somewhere, which is lifting a ground, which is providing the possibility of a voltage potential to develop.
Try swapping the pickup out and see what happens.
I went over my shielding with the multimeter today, 0 resistance all round. I took the opportunity today to tidy my wiring up - while doing so, I checked the wires from the pickups, there's no sign of a break anywhere. I _really_ hope my neck pickup isn't faulty.
I think I'm going to try the method from the OP that runs ground from each pot the output jack, and see if that helps.
I think I'm going to try the method from the OP that runs ground from each pot the output jack, and see if that helps.
Star ground.
Run both signal "returns" (ground wires from pickups) to a lug in the cavity, which is shorted to the shielding (by being screwed thru it). Same for the ground wire from the output jack and the bridge, run it all to the lug. IMHO, don't worry about the pot legs and casings.
So pretty much the black wires from the p/ups, bridge and output jack go to the ground lug on the shielding, now I have a wire from the neck vol. running to the shielding ground, I assume that this is to be removed?
If you have a metal plate like on a J, no need, it should be shorted by connection to the shield around the perimeter. If you have a pickguard, you should tie all the pots' grounds together and run one wire to the lug (and there should be shielding foil on the bottom side of the pickguard as well).
