GUITAR SHIELDING 101: A [Relatively] Quick Guide to Working with Foil Tape

[@ThatMattGoodMusic]

Dude you are the Bob Ross of guitar maintenance. Could listen to you fix and set up guitars all day. Currently shielding my Jagmaster which now has extra routing for a rhythm circuit and wide range humbuckers!

[@ljones2087]

no dude, that's DL

[@servercannell5853]

Easily the best vid on shielding. Great work brother.

[@rickwilson9932]

I thank you.. . and StewMac thanks you... Helping us both stay afloat during these home-bound times!

[@Domino81]

This is seriously my new favorite channel.

[@WEdHarris]

Excellent how to video sharing tips to help ensure a clean and successful outcome! Really appreciate it. Going to be shielding my No-Name home build Telecaster soon! Thank You! Subscribed!

[@vitaliistep]

Thank you very much. This is the neatest cavity shielding I've ever seen.

[@jayreimer6851]

Part of me wants to do this to all of my guitars (the part that likes quiet guitars and saving money). The other part of me wants you to do it 😂 Beautiful work!

[@Puisheen]

I mean hey, I'm game!

[@jayreimer6851]

@@Puisheen You're in LA, right? Sometime when I'm up there (from San Diego), I may have to pay a visit with some guitars in tow...

[@Puisheen]

@@jayreimer6851 Send me a message on IG!

[@michaelkozenczak1666]

just got a kit for Christmas...great video, hope the taping goes well and that really looks good!

[@infoscholar5221]

Great Video! I'm making a Frankencaster over the next couple weeks (also waiting on parts) So. Much. Fun. Great channel, bro!

[@SeanPierceJohnson]

Dig it! The finished cavity is SOOOOOOO satisfying

[@DrKevGuitar]

LOVE this video, thatnk you! And no, I don't think it looks complicated at all. You make it look easy!

[@GuitarMan3YT]

Well done sir! I’m about to do my Jackson like that. Informative and entertaining!👍

[@TheJstewart2010]

Wow. What a great tutorial on how to do this job right. I completely agree with your thinking about the next person who opens the cavity and sees your work. Most cavities I see with copper foil look like h*ll. Now I know how to install copper foil *correctly*. Time to get on to my own guitars. Thanks for taking the time to put this tutorial together.

[@GardevoirEx1]

Loved it, thank you! Very satisfying result.

[@acledfloyd]

Once again you’re giving me lessons that I’ll need in a couple months. Thanks!

[@kubok275]

thanks for this great video, wish I'd seen it before I'd botched the shielding on my jazzy by doing with a hundred of small pieces of foil, leaving me with up to 100 Ohms between the input jack area and rhythm circuit area. some overlapping pieces don't even seem to have continuity between them anymore when I last checked it, so that's a project waiting for me lol. also, a quesiton: if the guitar cavity is pre-painted with shielding paint, how would you go about shielding the rest of the guitar? foil on the guard and solder a wire between them or maybe just a tab of foil in the cavity to make contact with the foil-covered guard?

[@Puisheen]

I find that shielding paint can be great, but it's also pretty tough to test for continuity and thus having contact alone doesn't seem to work every time. I might suggest using the very trick that modern fender uses, namely screwing a metal clip directly to the body where the paint exists and soldering a lead to it, then to the volume pot

[@goodun2974]

I don't trust tape adhesive to be conductive, at least not to remain consistently conductive over time. If you want to be absolutely certain that the pieces of copper foil remain electrically bonded to each other, then you can either solder the seams (you don't have to solder the full length of the seam, just a small area); or, you can do what I've done when working with ordinary aluminum foil tape, which is to take a miniature Philips screwdriver (#0 tip size) and press it hard into the foil where the seams overlap with a slight twisting motion. This will make a sort of rivet connection between the overlapping layers. Do this every inch or so along the seams and then check with an ohmeter. Aluminum tape has the advantage of being ridiculously cheap, and if you don't like how your first attempt comes out, you can afford to yank it out and redo it, or not. The disadvantage to aluminum foil is that you can't solder to it (you'll need to anchor a tiny brass screw ithat you can solder to, or affix a ring terminal underneath, through the foil and into rhe wood), and it's stiffer than copper and trickier to work with.....but it's cheap and very effective as shielding.

[@mjphoto45]

What about grounding the shielding?

[@DannyCruzCreations]

Have you ever tried using conductive paint instead of foil? Just wondering about the pros and cons. I can imagine you'd have to screw in terminals for ground connection, since you can't solder to the paint.

[@CT-mw7yu]

This man is more than a guitar tech, this man is an artist. That a level of professionalism that I aspire my tech to have.

[@walther9161]

Great stuff!!

[@faheydesign]

I’d recommend getting a self healing cutting mat to keep the razor blade sharp if you do this type of work a lot. Great tutorial, looking forward to more of these!

[@Puisheen]

Been meaning to get one of those!

[@goodun2974]

Also get yourself an OLFA retractable razor knife. The blades are surgically sharp like a scalpel, and if you need a fresh cutting edge, you just snap off the tip along the scored lines. These things are amazing and I wish I had bought one years ago.

[@spencercox4092]

I am so psyched you're posting to youtube, love the channel so far! Do you find shielding changes the tone of the guitar?

[@mC_DiDiDiDiDi]

Go that extra mile? No one sees often! I get it is important to have it installed effectively, but it definitely does not need to look aesthetically pleasing. At the same time, I get why you would spend that time, it just shows the passion for the job.

[@christopherguzzi1316]

Cool instructional video. Weirdly, I like stock guitars. Also, I like to play more than work on guitars. I've heard anodized pick guards cut down on noise (i.e. J. Mascis Jazzmaster). If true, to reduce a fair bit of noise, could you just put foil on the back of the pick guard (and where applicable, the control plate) and call it good?

[@rokitrik6783]

Excellent video. Thanks for sharing a great job with us!

[@erickt1974]

Would you suggest adding shielding tape to a gold anodized guard (j mascis?) or just ground the guard ask its already metal

[@Puisheen]

No! Those guards are the best you can get as far as shielding goes. Just make sure to sand away the anode layer (the gold) around every component to bare aluminum for a solid ground connection-this part is crucial

[@usethevideoluke]

Does it make any difference

[@jordan4225]

Really enjoying these! Thanks and hope you are well as well:)

[@BrettMizelle]

Very informative. Any pros and cons to re-shielding a vintage guitar? Does the original shielding ever need to be replaced?

[@Puisheen]

No, there's not usually a reason to re-shield unless there's some extreme issue with corrosion or something, not that I've ever seen such an issue.

[@JH-nl6bp]

What about the gap around the edge of the pickups. Is that a problem?

[@AndreaAustoni]

That is one clean shielding job, especially compared to the mess I made in my Precision bass a few weeks ago. The buzz is gone but the pickguard still makes static noises when I rub my hand on it, which sometimes happens when I play. I didn't shield all of the pickguard, though, only the part over the electronics. What can I do? Anyway I wish all techs cared as much as you. I wouldn't hesitate to let you work on my precious guitars.

[@Puisheen]

Sometimes static build up can be eliminated by leaving a dryer sheet in the cavity, which is wild.

[@AndreaAustoni]

@@Puisheen I've heard about those but I can't find them here in Poland. We dont have dryers at home. Will keep looking for them thanks

[@AndreaAustoni]

@@Puisheen I used antistatic spray and the static is gone. Cheers

[@Puisheen]

@@AndreaAustoni By my troth, I had no idea such a thing existed lol thank you for the tip!

[@caivsivlivs]

what u thinik about mjt bodies? thinkin about getting a vintage neck and then mjt body

[@athan1453]

Would this method of shielding work on a Squier Paranormal Jazz Bass? It has some issue where turning up the tone and volume makes a very annoying buzzing noise.

[@pitukolitz]

just beautiful - thank you

[@patrickkelly9721]

I make a (thick) paper template, then transfer to the foil pieces

[@noisessential]

Hello Mike, I have a question, I shield my guitar, but after shield it the lead circuit it's not working, do you maybe know what is the issue?

[@thekundalinigenie3524]

Hey there! I want to shield my jaguar as well as my jazzmaster. I have some questions: Do I need to shield the back of the silver metal plates the rhythm circuit and tone controls etc are on? Am I supposed to shield between and into the holes that the cables in the Jaguar go through going from the pickups to the rhythm circuit or tone controls etc? Should I shield the routed cavity for the vibrato?

[@goodun2974]

No need to shield the back of the metal switch plates, nor do you need to shield the vibrato cavity (unless there are signal carrying wires passing through it, which is doubtful). It may not be possible or practical to shield the holes that the wire is passes through from one cavity to the next, unless the holes are drilled quite large, but if the pickups have shielded wire that passes through those holes, then it won't matter. If the wires passing through the holes are unshielded, then the only way I can think of to shield those passageways would be with a small diameter spring or thin wall brass tubing, which might not leave room for the wires themselves. Probably neither practical nor necessary....

[@HeinekenPete]

...I'm clueless, what do you set the meter to for continuity? And do you ever (lightly) sand the cavity floor to remove those paint nubs??

[@Puisheen]

I don't usually worry too much about those nubbins but it couldn't hurt! And the meter has a 'continuity' mode that beeps when a connection is made between the probes, I don't know if there's another term for it

[@danielefatali5117]

Pls can u make a video about the ground wire on the bridge Bush? I changed bushes to install a usa pro bridge on a Squier VM jag, so i swapped out the Bush and voilà the ground wire popped out too! Now i'm wondering if solder the ground in the Bush or Just wrap It inside? Better solder the ground to the tremolo.unit? I dont like.the idea to remove the Bush if i got any ground problem.. thx man u r my offset master

[@Puisheen]

The ground wire just goes in with the bushing, no solder required!

[@danielefatali5117]

@@Puisheen wrap around the Bush or Just pushed in?

[@DeathByDinSync]

beautiful work... thank you

[@bradleyolinger1691]

How would I approach a Les Paul with it’s back route? I am planning to shield mine later this week before installing new electronics and a new pickup.

[@softlightsymphonyband]

What if you want to shield a jaguar? Does anything change in terms of what you do or what you need to beware of? In particular: 1. Do you shield the back side of the three control plates and ground them to the copper tape as well? 2. Jag pickups often fit pretty snugly in their pockets. Do you need to worry about the copper tape interacting negatively /grounding out due to its proximity to the pickup claws on jag pickups?

[@Puisheen]

The control plates are metal, they're already big shields. Jag pickups are not that snug. Shield as normal

[@GardevoirEx1]

I'm shielding a recently painted strat... Bought copper shielding tape, but the pick guard has aluminum tape applied. Should I go over it with copper to prevent metals from reacting to each other?

[@Puisheen]

That's up to you, really. I'm not sure I've ever experienced an issue with the two types touching, but if you do decide to go ahead with it, replace the tape instead of going over it.

[@GardevoirEx1]

@@Puisheen thank you, I'll try mixing metals and see if the results are good enough :)

[@0Imtheslime0]

@@GardevoirEx1 Only difference between them is that copper will eat up aluminum. They don´t react to well over time and the copper will corode away the aluminum. Copper is also a better conductor.

[@dasbo1fan]

Good video. Thank you

[@KennethCrickmore-sl8jl]

Because I made a custom extended Brushed Stainless Steel Pick guard loaded with 3 quad rail/coil humbuckers wired like 50's Les Paul with P/P vol. pots for coil splitting and the bridge tone pot also a P/P to activate the bridge and neck P/Ups together regardless of any other controls all the pots are 500K audio taper and the tome caps are .047 orange drops. there are 6 pots total because 3 humbuckers and the Fender 5-way blade selector switch and a kill button round out the controls that are all grounded through their cases to the Pick guard including the output jack also mounted in the pick guard just rearward of the bridge... Yup Yup, wiring all these goodies was quite the adventure , soldering all those connections to make everybody play nicely with each other ans sounding great...realizing that the usual/traditional wire was way to big/thick for the minimal current produced by the P/Ups, I stripped out a computer VGA Cable for the small stranded wires in it which are fine for the minimal current they must transmit through the circuit to the output jack and into the amp where that little bit is multiplied so much anyway... . and the different colors in there were hands to use in the detailed circuit One color for each P/ up and pot set.. as well as the custom wiring for the bridge and neck P/ups working together independently of the other controls when activated by the bridge tone P/P [pot for that little tricks made up for it... lol ... the rest is fairly standard coil splits and the rest... it all works fine if so very different from any other Strat. I had originally shielded the extended control cavity with the copper tape but then had unwanted ground issues so stripped it out and checked if I really needed it.. and reall no so left it without as all is grounded through the stainless steel of the pick guard through the pot casings and switch frames it's fine as is,, imagine what it sounds like with 3 vol., 3 tone, a 5-way switch coil splitting and a kill button just for fun ... So, how many tones do you thing I can get with all these adjustments available in just this guitar.. and add to that my little Blackstar ID Core stereo 4o Amp. (V1) with all of it's built in effects ... I won't even try to count them all.. lets just say it's a lot... lol My "Stellarcaster" , which started life as a cheap Chinese made 'Starcaster'-'Strat'- electric guitar By: Fender.. I bought used at my local Music-Go-Round a few years ago, in order to do this extreme rebuild/mod to my design, with all those neat little tricks in it... MY "Stellarcaster" really rocks the Cosmos...Wanna Play??? Lmao

[@kylebird5041]

Hi Mike, can I just buy a fender pickguard shield and put it behind my current pickguard or do I need to ground it too?

[@CP-mt1st]

That’s a pretty big cavity for no support routings underneath. I’m guessing this would be good for an aluminum pickguard, but seems like a plastic one wouldn’t have much support?

[@Puisheen]

Nah, a plastic pickguard works just fine. Don't overthink it!

[@michaelw6277]

I’ve seen it said elsewhere that the foil needs to be connected to the volume pot with a ground wire. Is that actually necessary?

[@goodun2974]

Yes. If the foil shield inside the body cavity and the foil on the back of the pickguard are not grounded then all that metal will become an antenna instead of a shielded cage.

[@MichaelLagerstedt]

Hi Mike I got a question on my channel about why guitar companies like Fender don’t shield their guitars ... do you have an answer for that? ... why is shielding a diy thing? Thanks again for your great videos- inspiring

[@PFDarkside]

What color is this, Dakota Red? Did you take any photos of the finished guitar?

[@AvaToccoRodriguez]

Question, why don't I just put overhang on all the edges so it makes even more connection to the pickguard? Is it just wasteful? How many overhangs and connections to the pickguard should I aim for?

[@MotivationAdonis]

One need like 4 connection points otherwise it's overkill.

[@Christopher-oi9jo]

Are those little tabs sufficient enough for contact with the shielded guard? I see a lot of people leave a “lip” of copper tape around the entire edge of the cavity....the tabs are a good idea; seems easier and less tedious. Thanks in advance for any response!!

[@Puisheen]

Tabs are sufficient! It doesn't seem to make a difference with full coverage around the perimeter, and yes, tabs are soooooo much easier.

[@MichaelLagerstedt]

Hi Mike Ones again a great video. I’m just discovering your videos. Just the info I need. I just finished my own guitar build heavily inspired by Novo Serus J by Dennis Fano with Mastery bridge and vibrato and Lollar gold foil pickups. I have bought conductive paint for the cavities though. Do you have a opinion on that vs the foil? Thanks again Michael

[@Puisheen]

I have a personal opinion here: I don't like the paint! But that's me, and my main reason for not liking it as much is that it's really hard to check your work. With foil, you can often see a bad connection, and if not, a multimeter allows you to check conductivity easily. With paint, it's much harder to know for sure that it's been properly applied, and so I'd rather use foil. BUT don't let me stop you! As long as you apply it well and use a few coats you should be fine.

[@MichaelLagerstedt]

Thanks again Mike. I’m documenting my build on my own channel and I will definitely mention your thoughts on this when I’m shielding. Great input. But now that I have bought the paint I’ll try it out. 👍🏼 Michael

[@Puisheen]

@@MichaelLagerstedt I'm watching now! That 335 is beautiful!

[@Puisheen]

@@MichaelLagerstedt Aaaaand now I want to watch CONTACT

[@MichaelLagerstedt]

Puisheen 🤣... absolutely... one of my all time favourite movies and so appropriate when talking about shielding ...

[@pablo7182]

Nice job! One question, do you have to connect the ground wire to the foil as well?

[@Puisheen]

Some people like to, but because the back of the guard is also foiled, a solid connection is made between the body foil, the guard foil, and the electronic components. I find the wire directly soldered to the foil redundant

[@0Imtheslime0]

Copper shield needs to be connected together and hooked up to ground. If not you will have a large antenna and more noise.

[@garyjovanovitch3863]

Hey Mike - If the routing has already been painted in the black shielding paint, is it worth doing this or pointless?

[@Puisheen]

If there's already paint, you probably don't need to do it again, but DO try to check for continuity anyway just to make sure it's all applied properly.

[@Puisheen]

Or wait, maybe DOUBLE SHIELDING IS TWICE AS GOOD

[@Puisheen]

jk it's redundant don't bother haha

[@M81_WOODLAND]

Ironic. I'm putting together an MJT Jazzmaster right now (my first Jazzy). This video is just what I needed to inspire me to do the shielding myself.

[@annieetc.563]

maybe this is a silly question but if i shield the body of my guitar with copper tape and i use an aluminum pickguard do i still need to shield the back of the pickguard?

[@MotivationAdonis]

No

[@nevinmarknarciso]

why is it fender guitars or other guitar companies don't shield the guitar just like what you did on this video presented, or not even using copper shielding tape?

[@angrynooblets34]

I’m wondering the same thing

[@charlie-obrien]

Nicely done. Especially cutting the tabs that will make contact with the pickguard. It's a good idea to have multiple tabs near the screw points, just in case a pickguard warps over time and lifts up. If the hole pattern or the pickguard are available I make my tabs lay down right over the screw hole so contact is assured.

[@lumiensthemad5881]

Puisheen, you ARE good looking and very smart!

[@christopherstorrier5560]

That is huge pool cavity routing....i would have glued & screwed some Oak or other hardwood inside to strengthen all that routing...i guess he wants the weight kept down, all to our own ,i would have routed the pickups cavities,rear control cavity etc & routed out tone pockets to lighten the weight...i hope that 1 1/2" × 3/4" centre strut is really strong...i bought a Fender Cyclone routed similar & the guitar body actually flexed with strings on it due to the amount of routing, the Vintage Trem did'nt help...i filled the pool routing with 300yr old Oak forming seperate pickup cavities to reduce noise when sheilded with Graphite paint,if done properly (in the cold as it dries so fast) it sheilds really well after 3 medium coats of it....i still have it 13 yrs later,fantastic guitar,a sloping Strat 'Tex- Mex)single coil on the neck & a Fender Atomic humbucker beside bridge , going to replace the humbucker with a high quality quiet PAF'59. 24 3/4" scale compaired to Fender's standard 25 1/2", nice guitar now with no body flexing & very quiet even with the Strat 'Tex- Mex' sloping single coil on it's own, i find if done properly the graphite sheilding paint lasts many, many years & can be spray painted on top of to stop any kind of shorting due to wiring, caps ,pots etc touching the sheilding paint....neat job bud, i think your pal will enjoy it more now.....

[@AdamSJarrett]

Two questions...1) do you have to do the same thing with the vibrato cavity and then run a wire between that and the main body for continuity? And 2) if the inside is all shielded and the underside of the pickguard is all shielded, and all the metal of the pots and switches are touching the pickguard, would it be considered grounded at that point and no need to run a ground to the trem or bridge? Awesome videos by the way!

[@Puisheen]

1) the vibrato cavity does not factor into this, the idea is to basically build a cage around the electronics. Grounding the vibrato is enough, though I often do prefer to ground the trem rather than the bridge thimbles. 2) Personally, I still ground all the electronics as usual. Yes, they're electrically connected via the copper, but a soldered ground wire will always be more dependable. The only case where I omit ground wires are when pots are mounted to a plate like on a Jag, Mustang, or Tele.

[@uhldev]

Puisheen for a Tele to ground you would want a little strip of copper tape under potentiometer guard so all zones (bridge, neck, electronic/pots) are therefore connected and grounded right? What about foiling the back of the Tele pick guard. Great video!

[@Puisheen]

@@uhldev Thanks! For a Tele you would still want control cavity shielding, and normally I do put a bit of foil on the back of the pickguard there as well, but you really only need so much to cover the neck pickup rout as well as that little channel for its wires

[@uhldev]

Puisheen thanks!!

[@dylanclay5267]

Thanks for making this! I may have to try my hand at shielding my jazzmaster

[@Puisheen]

I believe in you!

[@mrofnocnon]

Why not use scissors to cut the foil?

[@gregorydodwell3895]

Isn’t there risk of a ground-loop or two with the multiple tabs?

[@boddumblues]

There is no such thing as ground loops in a passive electric guitar FYI. Good question though ;-)

[@goodun2974]

​@@boddumblues, Guitar pickups generate a voltage that is referenced to ground, and so yes, you can have a ground loop inside a guitar! It's generally best to tie the shield to the electronics at just one grounding point ---- typically the volume or tone pot, or the output jack ---- but it's generally not critical. Any part of the shielding left ungrounded, however, can become an antenna that picks up noise instead of stopping it. The same applies to the bridge and strings, which all need to be grounded, otherwise they'll become an antenna. It's also worth noting that some guitar amps can leak a small voltage from the input of the amp out to the guitar electronics, making your potentiometers and switches continually noisy (perhaps even wearing them out premature) despite cleaning. Overall noise could be worse if your guitar shielding has ground loops and there's voltage from the amp passing through it. This stray voltage running through the guitar can sometimes be caused by a bad input preamp tube but it could also be due to the design of the circuit. Best to consult an amp repair tech for this type of problem.

[@michaeladamcaira9174]

Good stuff

[@ericpeterson9336]

yeah.... I like guitars.............but you have a Wolfenstein 3D game on your wall, so I liked and subscribed (P.S. .... I also have a P420 ,so................)

[@AM2PMReviews]

I didn’t know there was a method 😂 I just did a crinkle job

[@gretchman]

This fulfills my deep, deep love of precision-centric tedium-porn. Bless you, friend.

[@AudyZandri]

man you sound exactly like my dear friend Jeff, are you Canadian by any chance? great video btw!

[@Puisheen]

Sadly no, but I've been to Canada and loved it

[@alexhuevera939]

i use 3M Foil Tape , the adhesive is conductive

[@p.s8950]

You convinced me that Shielding Paint is worth the extra money. lol

[@Zerpersande]

If you want the best cage then the floor and sides need to overlap. It might not look as nice but it does go toward ‘smart’ on top of ‘meticulous’.

[@patrickkelly9721]

Unless the pickup(s) are completely enclosed in shielding, it's not a "Faraday cage"

[@goodun2974]

True, but assuming the body cavity and pickguard are both shielded, then the pickup is essentially standing in the open doorway of a Faraday *room*! Probably still captures more than 50% of adjacent RF and hum fields.....

[@pochron1105]

Your shielding looks good but it makes me feel bad about mine 😉

[@williamcondra3811]

If this is so important why isn’t it done at the factory?

[@CrockettsCabin]

I would think that cost saving is part of it. Some manufacturers use "shielding paint" but, in my experience, copper tape is much more effective. This is a parts guitar and I believe a lot of builders prefer to do this themselves.

[@whyis45stillalive]

Unless, you enclose the *entire* system, (all the electrical controls, including pickups), you do not have a Faraday cage. You have a shield.

[@gretchman]

yeeessssss

[@joshcollopy3067]

Hey! I am a nice bloke

[@thysdreyer6886]

Aluminium tape works better in my opinion

[@iyona14granturismogt6gtspo7]

Have you ever heard of scissors?

[@Zerpersande]

You want the next guy to say you must have been good-looking and smart? Would seem that ‘meticulous’ should be your target bc if the next guy responds as you hope it just means the next guy is talking out his bung hole.

[@ahope4u2]

There is no point in shielding the control cavity.

[@oinkooink]

Healthy happy and safe? Good lord. Watch more TV buddy.

[@joshuanixon5463]

Kinda do look like Seth Rogan..

[@slimturnpike]

You didn't have to shield the pickguard?

[@goodun2974]

Yes you do need to shield the pick guard, but as he said in the video, the one he ordered had not arrived yet.