Strat making static noise when touching pickguard?

[japstrat]

Hello,

Curious if anyone knows what's going on with one of my strats? It's making a static noise when I touch the pickguard? I've had this happen once before in another strat. I know they're prone to noise, single coils, but this is like a static charge or something? My other strat doesn't do this, just curious if it's a bad ground or ??? Thanks for any info!

 

[Folky_Grunge]

That could just be a static buildup in the plastic. It sounds kind of crazy, but it happens; rubbing a dryer sheet on the pickguard will take care of it.

[captcoolaid]

 

That could just be a static buildup in the plastic. It sounds kind of crazy, but it happens; rubbing a dryer sheet on the pickguard will take care of it.

 

 

Yep ore it could be a lose connection but I am going with the static.

[onelife]

I've solved similar problems by gluing metal foil or a thin sheet of copper to the bottom of the pickguard and connecting it to ground. If you were to remove the pickguard of your problem strat, you will probably find only the minimum bit of foil near the controls.

 

example

 

[tweak'd]

It happens now and then...the dryer anti-static sheet will take care of it (at least temporarily).

[BoneNut]

 

I've solved similar problems by gluing metal foil or a thin sheet of copper to the bottom of the pickguard and connecting it to ground. If you were to remove the pickguard of your problem strat, you will probably find only the minimum bit of foil near the controls. example

 

 

Agreed.

I have an aluminum one on mine. No static and it quiets the hum too. One time permanent fix.

[Lobsterbush]

I've never encounterd this but I did run across this video talking about it a few days ago.

 

[video=youtube;JX54CwIfPIc]

[japstrat]

Yeah, it's kind of weird? It must be a build up, it's fine until my lower fingers touch the plastic, then there's an annoying low pitched crackle. It doesn't happen to the other one, so it must be the guard itself or a loose wiring. I have some pretty thick copper foil I planned on using when putting in a new guard and pickups. I wanted to change the guitar out with some Fralin Blues Specials or Seymour Duncan Antiquity Surfers or Texas Hots. Just wasn't sure which ones to go with since I haven't been able to find a good vid of them in action.? It might be time to piss or get of the pot, cuz this is annoying!?

[AXEL276]

You don't need thick copper foil. I have done the fix to over 20 guitars. It goes as follows;

1. You will need some heavy duty alumn foil. Buy at any grocery store if you don't have.

2. You will need spray adhesive. Buy at craft store or Home Depot, etc

3. Masking tape

4. Remove pick guard, remove pickups and controls. Note; measure the height of all pickups at both high and low E so when you put it back together you will setup the same way you had it.

5. Using masking tape, tape about 1/4 inch around the entire out side of the pickgoaurd as well as around pickup holes.

6. Spray adhesive on back of pickgaurd.

7. remove tape.

8. press alumn foil on pickguard

9. use razor to cut foil approx 1/8 inch around outside edge as well as around pickup holes. The idea of using the tape was note to get adhesive in theis area which will contact the guitar or else you glue the pickguard to the guitar. You also do not want the foil to hang out from the pickguard. GET THE IDEA, DON'T {censored} UP HERE or you'll be sorry.

10. use something pointy to punch the mounting hole thru from the back side of PG. Again, if you do it from the front the foil will seperate. If you don't do it, it may be difficult to align.

11. Put everything back together, mount on guitar

 

Static is gone for ever.

[photon9]

 

You don't need thick copper foil. I have done the fix to over 20 guitars. It goes as follows; 1. You will need some heavy duty alumn foil. Buy at any grocery store if you don't have. 2. You will need spray adhesive. Buy at craft store or Home Depot, etc 3. Masking tape 4. Remove pick guard, remove pickups and controls. Note; measure the height of all pickups at both high and low E so when you put it back together you will setup the same way you had it. 5. Using masking tape, tape about 1/4 inch around the entire out side of the pickgoaurd as well as around pickup holes. 6. Spray adhesive on back of pickgaurd. 7. remove tape. 8. press alumn foil on pickguard 9. use razor to cut foil approx 1/8 inch around outside edge as well as around pickup holes. The idea of using the tape was note to get adhesive in theis area which will contact the guitar or else you glue the pickguard to the guitar. You also do not want the foil to hang out from the pickguard. GET THE IDEA, DON'T {censored} UP HERE or you'll be sorry. 10. use something pointy to punch the mounting hole thru from the back side of PG. Again, if you do it from the front the foil will seperate. If you don't do it, it may be difficult to align. 11. Put everything back together, mount on guitar Static is gone for ever.

 

 

Do you shield the body cavity too? Or is it fine just shielding the PG?

[AXEL276]

No, I never had to shield the cavity to eliminate the static problem.

I've done this fix on strats, Explorer and tele's. In every case the statis was eliminated by 90% pr more.

[photon9]

 

No, I never had to shield the cavity to eliminate the static problem. I've done this fix on strats, Explorer and tele's. In every case the statis was eliminated by 90% pr more.

 

 

That's cool. What was the effect on 60Hz hum?

[honeyiscool]

Aluminum isn't the best material to work with. I get copper tape with conductive adhesive and it works a lot better in that it can more easily be shaped and all that.

 

And no, shielding doesn't rid you of 60 Hz hum, it gets rid of all the other nasty noises, like the kind where pointing your guitar makes the noise change. You'll be surprised at how many other noises there are besides the 60 Hz.

 

There will be less benefit with premium pickups, which often have shielded wiring, but the control cavity can always benefit from shielding, and Strats are usually very poorly shielded.

[WRGKMC]

Alluminum is only aboy 20% as effective as copper foil. Its good for blocking high frequencies. They use copper foil in say cable TV coaxial, but in guitars, AC hum passes right through it. The copper foil you but at Stuart McDonalds is cheap enough and will let you do a few guitars. I'm tempted to try some MuMetal which is supposed to be the best blocker you can buy and is many times more effective than copper alone. I used shielding paint on the interior of all my guitars already and dont have a need for shileding at the moment though. I found 3M magnetic paint is a good blocker so long as you get a good ground happening you can spray over.

 

Mu Metal is supposed to be best for low frequency radiation such as 60hz hum. Heres some info on it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mu-metal

 

If your guitar picks up radio stations (a common issue with some single coil pickups) Then adding a layer of alluminum foil can be greatly benificial at blocking that but its pretty poor in comparison to copper. If you're going through the troubble of shielding, use something thats going to do the job well.

[honeyiscool]

My biggest problem is that aluminum doesn't take solder well.

[Task]

Shielding paint works great as well for eliminating static.

[BoneNut]

 

My biggest problem is that aluminum doesn't take solder well.

 

 

You don't need to solder the shield to anything so that won't be a problem.

[WRGKMC]

 

My biggest problem is that aluminum doesn't take solder well.

 

 

I was going to mention that too. You cant solder to pure alluminum. It may look soldered but its a cold solder joint. If you notice cable TV connectors are all crimp type connectors. Alluminum will also oxidize between the solder and foil and the resin in the solder will act as an insulator. The only way to get a 100% connection is by welding it. Second best would be to wrap a wire around a tack or screw + washer and just screw the ground against the wood and use a pressure connection. The kind of foil you find on strat pickguards all use pressure to make contacts against the pots and switch to give a common ground. It has very littel to do with actually shielding those components.

[WRGKMC]

 

You don't need to solder the shield to anything so that won't be a problem.

 

 

If you use pressure to contact the ground wire the foil yes, but it does have to be grounded or it can actually induce hum vs eliminating it.

[Mark Wein]

My CV tele has this problem, too...since I don't gig the guitar I've been dragging my feet on finding a fix for it...thanks for the info here, though...now I know where to start

[honeyiscool]

 

You don't need to solder the shield to anything so that won't be a problem.

 

 

If the shield isn't grounded, it's useless. You can usually ground it without using solder, but it does need to be grounded.

[BoneNut]

 

If the shield isn't grounded, it's useless. You can usually ground it without using solder, but it does need to be grounded.

 

 

Your pots are grounded and they are in contact with the shield so that takes care of it.

BTW, read your switching Strat middle and neck pups tip! I'm looking for my screwdriver to try that out now! Thanks!

[fred nurini]

Copper is better than aluminum. I've read that aluminum messes with the tone of the pickups.

[BoneNut]

 

Copper is better than aluminum. I've read that aluminum messes with the tone of the pickups.

 

 

I have the aluminum shield and set of CS69s. No messing with the tone.

Full copper shielding in entire cavity + braided pup wires + aluminum shield + careful...short... clean wiring = Strat with no hum.

[honeyiscool]

 

Your pots are grounded and they are in contact with the shield so that takes care of it. BTW, read your switching Strat middle and neck pups tip! I'm looking for my screwdriver to try that out now! Thanks!

 

 

Have fun with that! It's a great, easy, free way to get a more Tele-like sound out of a Strat.