Local stores with copper conductive adhesive tape

[slashfacepalm]

Anyone know of any? Hobby Lobby, Lowes etc.

 

I don't feel like ordering it and waiting for it to arrive. :|

[Uncle Bastard]

I bought mine from a gardening shop. They sell it to put round plant pots to keep slugs off: it's just the same in practice as 'guitar' shielding tape, and much cheaper.

[slashfacepalm]

Ok, sweet. Just a local gardening shop or is it a chain that has a notable name?

 

Thanks again.

[mike42]

I tried to find some locally too. None of the Home Depots or Lowe's around me carry anything similar, and I fact I couldn't even find any copper flashing - probably because copper had gone up so much in the last few years that nobody was using it. But copper seems to have dropped in price big time just recently, so more of this kind of stuff may start showing up again. However, I ended up using the Stew-Mac stuff, and it seems to be really good tape, - with the "conductive" adhesive it may really be a better bet.

[Angry Tele]

Michaels...if they have one there

[slashfacepalm]

 

Michaels...if they have one there

 

 

Yeah, we got one about an hour away, no biggie. I have to travel an hour just to get to the nearest music store.

 

Is it the stained glass copper foil you're talking about, or something different?

[mrbrown49]

 

I tried to find some locally too. None of the Home Depots or Lowe's around me carry anything similar, and I fact I couldn't even find any copper flashing - probably because copper had gone up so much in the last few years that nobody was using it. But copper seems to have dropped in price big time just recently, so more of this kind of stuff may start showing up again. However, I ended up using the Stew-Mac stuff, and it seems to be really good tape, - with the "conductive" adhesive it may really be a better bet.

 

 

I really like that stuff. For me it's not worth running around town to find an alternative. Their stuff works great and a roll of 2" has gotten me through 2 guitars and I still have a bunch left.

[slashfacepalm]

I really like that stuff. For me it's not worth running around town to find an alternative. Their stuff works great and a roll of 2" has gotten me through 2 guitars and I still have a bunch left.

 

Yeah, I may end up doing that, but I'm trying to find the quickest route first.

 

If I order it'll be another 4-6 days before it gets to my door.

[mrbrown49]

Yeah, I may end up doing that, but I'm trying to find the quickest route first. If I order it'll be another 4-6 days before it gets to my door.

 

Yeah that sucks, but they get stuff out the door pretty quick. The only stuff I've seen locally is the silver foil tape. That would work, but without the conductive adhesive you have to be extra careful to maintain continuity.

[MahaloVision]

The metal tape from Lowes/Home Despot will work, and I've used it more than a few times. I don't know if the adhesive is supposed to be conductive, but it seems to have no problems with continuity. I've even used aluminum foil and glue, but the copper shielding tape is the best quick fix.

[SuproSuper Man]

ive also used that aluminum metal duct sealing tape that the HVAC / air conditioning guys use to seal their ducts with, it works good too if you cant find the copper stuff ,,,they sell the aluminum stuff at homedepot just peel off the backing paper and stick it down ...

 

oh i dont think the adhesive is conductive so i use tiny screws and washers to electrically bond the tape edges togther,,,its not as good as sending away for stew macs product , but it is a quick local option

[Citizen_Insane]

Conductive adhesive makes 0 difference. All that matters is that the electronics are surrounded by metal. Look up the Faraday Cage. You just need to make sure that the electronics are completely surrounded, you need to do the insides of the routs and the bottom of the pick guard AND you need to have metal contact between the two in order for it to work fully.

 

Whatever adhesive is on it doesn't make a difference because it's outside the "cage".

[SuproSuper Man]

AND you need to have metal contact between the two in order for it to work fully. .

 

why we are disusing the conductivity of the adhesive is as you pointed out

you need to have metal contact between the two in order for it to work fully.

 

if you have two strips of metal tape one over lapping the other and those two pieces of tape are separated by a layer of adhesive that insulates the two strips of tape from each other and does not allow the RF noise(radio frequency noise) to conduct from one piece of shielding tape to the next so that it can eventually work its way to the ground wire then in essence all that tape that you use to line the electronics cavity of your guitar with wont be able to drain the RF NOISE to ground, and as you say the cage you create around the cavity wont fully work,,,

 

all those strips of tape in the cavity and on the underside of the pick guard have to make contact with each other in a way so as to allow electricity to flow easily from one piece of tape to the next and then to the ground wire and out of the guitar so to speak...

 

if the glue or adhesive is non conductive and gets between the tape layers and interferes with the flow or path of electricity out of the guitar then you must use jumper wires or some form of metal to join the METALIC surfaces of the tape to each other,,,(thats why i use tiny screws and washers between tape strips, the metal washers act as a bridge from the surface of one strip of tape to the next for the electricity or electrons to flow so they can make their way to the ground wire)

 

if you have tape that has conductive adhesive then you wont have to worry about the possibility of the tapes glue interfering with the flow of electricity (electrons) from one piece of tape to the next,,,hey sometimes just folding over the edges of of each strip of tape so that you have metal to metal contact works fine, but i like to not take chances and i prefer to use more solid ways to assure myself that all the parts of that shielding cage as you called it are making good conductive contact with each other, or as they say in the electrical trade all parts are well bonded electrically to each other and to ground .....

 

in the end how you do it is up to you probably a million and one ways , but the thing is to just keep in mind that some glues on some tapes will act as a insulator and could or may in some situations interfere with a good metal to metal contact between each strip of tape and thus not allow the RF noise to be able to drain away from the guitar so to speak....

 

I think im over using the phrase "so to speak" too much, its starting to sound silly:facepalm:

[docjeffrey]

I use plain old Reynolds Wrap for the backs of my strat pickguards. I've never had to shield any cavities.

 

Here's one of my tin foil jobs:~)

 

[SuproSuper Man]

 

I use plain old Reynolds Wrap for the backs of my strat pickguards. I've never had to shield any cavities. Here's one of my tin foil jobs:~)

 

 

hi doc,

remolds wrap works great too , that shielding tape stuff is basically renolds wrap with adhesive stuck on it,,,,,, i used to use reynolds wrap with double sided tape to hold it on back in the day, before i found the aluminum duct tape the air conditioning guys use.,

 

Doc, if you use it to shield your guitars electronic cavity where the tone pots and switches are it will help make your axe even that much more resistant to noise ,,mind you if you mostly play clean and not high gain then you might get lucky and just get away with only having to shield the back side of your pick guard ...

[mrbrown49]

conductive and gets between the tape layers and interferes with the flow or path of electricity out of the guitar then you must use jumper wires or some form of metal to join the METALIC surfaces of the tape to each other,,,(thats why i use tiny screws and washers between tape strips, the metal washers act as a bridge from the surface of one strip of tape to the next for the electricity or electrons to flow so they can make their way to the ground wire) if you have tape that has conductive adhesive then you wont have to worry about the possibility of the tapes glue interfering with the flow of electricity (electrons) from one piece of tape to the next,,,hey sometimes just folding over the edges of of each strip of tape so that you have metal to metal contact works fine, but i like to not take chances and i prefer to use more solid ways to assure myself that all the parts of that shielding cage as you called it are making good conductive contact with each other, or as they say in the electrical trade all parts are well bonded electrically to each other and to ground ..... in the end how you do it is up to you probably a million and one ways , but the thing is to just keep in mind that some glues on some tapes will act as a insulator and could or may in some situations interfere with a good metal to metal contact between each strip of tape and thus not allow the RF noise to be able to drain away from the guitar so to speak.... I think im over using the phrase "so to speak" too much, its starting to sound silly:facepalm:

[Artisan Luthiers]

Forgive me for stating what should be obvious, but conductive shield (done properly) is an application of science . . . too often done by people who sorely lack understanding. People who casually state things like "works just as good" almost universally have only an assumption, and do not have any technical measurements or similar performance assessments.

 

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW:

 

1. By its very design, it is impossible for a guitar to ever have a 100% Farraday cage. Penetrations in "the cage" for pickups, pots, etc. require penetrations that allow (minor) electrical interference to enter. Any issues from this are extremely minimal; however, this needs to be understood.

 

2. Every type of metal has a unique set of characteristics, including an ability to be conductive. Copper is vastly superior to aluminum - in fact, most building codes ban aluminum wiring because of its shortcomings. Household "tin foil" or HVAC aluminum tape are not recommended. (Again, aluminum is the least desirable material. Tin foil lacks conductive adhesive and is ridiculously flimsy. HVAC tape thickness creates an undesirable height gap between the pickguard and body.)

 

3. Any electrical circuit requires continuity which means that every element MUST have a good connection to other components. Tape without conductive adhesives are simply not made for conductive shielding - soldering laps is perhaps a satisfactory workaround but it inferior to doing it correctly with tape that does have conductive adhesive.

 

4. Combining copper shielding tape and conductive shielding paint is acceptable. Paint is preferred for rough areas such as wood in a body cavity, whereas tape is preferred for smooth/slick surfaces such as plastic guards. You can use shielding paint on plastic but you may experience adhesion problems. If you want to paint plastic you should first clean it and apply a thin coat of primer.

 

5. It is absolutely essential to use a grounding lug/grounding wire for a conductive shielding system to work.

 

6. Shielding tape on the back of pickguards and cover plates (when installed) must have a solid contact (connection) to the body cavity shielding. A common way to do this is to extend the body cavity shielding (paint or tape) outside of and around the perimeter of the cavity by approximately 1/8" or so. (make certain to not extend the shielding to a point that will not be covered when the pickguard or cover is installed.

 

Cutting corners may allow you to save a few bucks and maybe think you're smart, but the end result will not provide the desired result. If you're going to invest the time and want a quality result you should always use the best possible materials and quality workmanship.

[WRGKMC]

ive also used that aluminum metal duct sealing tape that the HVAC / air conditioning guys use to seal their ducts with' date=' it works good too if you cant find the copper stuff ,,,they sell the aluminum stuff at homedepot just peel off the backing paper and stick it down ...

oh i dont think the adhesive is conductive so i use tiny screws and washers to electrically bond the tape edges togther,,,its not as good as sending away for stew macs product , but it is a quick local option [/quote']That stuff is garbage. Aluminum by nature is a very poor Mu Metal. Its great for shielding High frequencies up in the mega/giga hertz ranges (which is why they use it for cable TV/Internet Coaxial cable shielding) For interference in the audible ranges its practically transparent to things like 60HZ radio waves. You need to use several millimeters of aluminum to block AC hum which makes it impractical. You do see it used for some amp Chassis but the metal is quite thick. magnetic waves aren't absorbed by aluminum like they are with iron, copper, Nickle etc. They travel along the surface..Besides that, you cant solder aluminum and get a solid electrical connection. Aluminum can only be welded, again making it impractical. Forget aluminum kitchen foil too. Its as bad as the aluminum duct tape. The best option is copper foil or metallic paint. You cant buy copper foil at like Michaels or Hobby Lobby either. Best prices are on line. You can buy conductive shielding paint. I've seen magnetic refrigerator paint that might work. Maybe you could try something like this Rustoleum that uses actual copper flakes that might work. I have no idea if it works however and probably wouldn't waste my time trying to find out. If I'm going to pull the controls out and shield the cavity I'm going to do it once and know its done properly. [ATTACH=JSON]{"alt":"Click image for larger version Name:\tcopper-rust-oleum-specialty-general-purpose-spray-paint-1937830-64_1000.jpg Views:\t1 Size:\t138.3 KB ID:\t32499513","data-align":"none","data-attachmentid":"32499513","data-size":"full","title":"copper-rust-oleum-specialty-general-purpose-spray-paint-1937830-64_1000.jpg"}[/ATTACH]Spray paint is tough to work with however. You're much better off brushing it on.[ATTACH=JSON]{"alt":"Click image for larger version Name:\tConductive_Shielding_Paint.jpg Views:\t1 Size:\t35.4 KB ID:\t32499514","data-align":"none","data-attachmentid":"32499514","data-size":"full","title":"Conductive_Shielding_Paint.jpg"}[/ATTACH]Or you could simply change the unshielded wires in your fender type guitars for Shielded wires.[ATTACH=JSON]{"alt":"Click image for larger version Name:\tShielded_Push-back_Wire_-_50_feet.jpg Views:\t1 Size:\t13.9 KB ID:\t32499515","data-align":"none","data-attachmentid":"32499515","data-size":"full","title":"Shielded_Push-back_Wire_-_50_feet.jpg"}[/ATTACH]

[badpenguin]

9 years old, and still a hot topic.....?

[1001gear]

Or you could simply change the unshielded wires in your fender type guitars for Shielded wires.

 

[ATTACH=JSON]{"alt":"Click image for larger version Name:\tShielded_Push-back_Wire_-_50_feet.jpg Views:\t1 Size:\t13.9 KB ID:\t32499515","data-align":"none","data-attachmentid":"32499515","data-size":"full","title":"Shielded_Push-back_Wire_-_50_feet.jpg"}[/ATTACH]

 

Doesn't that raise the kaplushytance?

 

[6down1togo]

Yeah, I may end up doing that, but I'm trying to find the quickest route first. If I order it'll be another 4-6 days before it gets to my door.

Yeah that sucks' date=' but they get stuff out the door pretty quick. The only stuff I've seen locally is the silver foil tape. That would work, but without the conductive adhesive you have to be extra careful to maintain continuity.[/quote']A simple staple across each lap does the trick. Trap a ground wire under one of the staples. In all honesty, I don't even bother with it any more as I find the improvement to be imperceptible.

[mrbrown49]

 

 

A simple staple across each lap does the trick. Trap a ground wire under one of the staples. In all honesty, I don't even bother with it any more as I find the improvement to be imperceptible.

 

I noticed quite a difference using the copper tape. Perhaps your method is flawed.

[1001gear]

My Carvin Bolt kits included copper tape so on it went; soldered all the seams too. It stays quiet with the vol around 1 and the treble rolled way down. Raising the pickups made the biggest difference in signal to noise.

[WRGKMC]

According to the manufacturer the self sticking copper foil designed for guitars doesn't need the overlapping layers soldered. I suspect they added metal particles to the glue to make it conductive.

 

I'd likely solder it anyway including the ground wire. Copper oxidizes when exposed to the air and the tarnish makes it poor conductor when simply touching. Soldering binds the metals one on an atomic level needed to pass all the electrical noise collected to ground.