Ever tried the conductive shielding paint in your guitar?

McGoogle McDougal · Post by **McGoogle McDougal** » Mon Apr 24, 2006 2:25 am

I play pretty much all single coils these days (a strat and two Rickenbackers) so 60 cycle hum is always a problem. When at home, I also have bad RF to deal with (live right by a radio tower). I've never considered any of may guitars to be worse in this regard than most other single coil guitars but I was wondering if anyone has seen significant results in noise reduction by shielding the crap out of the pickup and control cavities of their guitars. The easiest way look like the conductive shielding paint that Stew Mac sells. Anyone ever tried it? If so, did it make a difference (small or large)?

thanks,
Eamon

Bad Kitty · Post by **Bad Kitty** » Mon Apr 24, 2006 2:34 am

Someone gave my wife an early Squier Strat awhile back and I kinda liked it, never been a Fender guy, but I couldn't play it at gigs because of the noise.
I found out that there is a diffrent way to wire them so they don't pickup hum. I have the diagram somewhere, I'll see if I can dig it out. I remember it had something to do with keeping the chassis ground and the signal returns from the pickups seperate until the jack. That helped out alot. Then I painted the cavities with conductive paint. That did the rest.
It's my quietest guitar now. I don't use it at gigs but for rhythm tracks at home it's perfect.
I remember that the paint seperated really easy. You have to shake the can for a good half hour before you use it, then every five minutes or so after that. PIA but works well.

Bad Kitty · Post by **Bad Kitty** » Mon Apr 24, 2006 2:36 am

Here it is:
http://www.guitarnuts.com/wiring/shielding/shield3.php

mightymike · Post by **mightymike** » Mon Apr 24, 2006 6:18 am

My Brian Moore Custom Shop has that stuff; it's grey colored.