Most pickups are single coil, which means they are susceptible to interference from outside sources like televisions, computers, and CFL bulbs. This can make your clean tone sound noisy and can make your distorted tone sound muddy. To reduce this interference, you can shield your guitar.
Shielding your guitar will also help protect your pickups from dust and other debris. In this blog post, we will show you how to shield your guitar without a pickguard.
What You Will Need
To shield your guitar, you will need the following materials:
-Aluminum foil tape (You can find this at most hardware stores)
-A ground wire (This can be found at most electronic stores)
-Soldering iron and solder (You can find these at most hardware stores)
-Wire cutters (You can find these at most hardware stores)
-A sharpie or pen
How to shield a guitar with aluminum foil
– start by removing all the strings from your guitar. This will give you better access to the body and allow you to work more easily.
– using a mild cleaner, wipe down the entire surface of the guitar body, including the pickguard. This will remove any dirt, dust or grease that could prevent the foil from adhering properly.
– once the body is clean, cut a piece of aluminum foil that is large enough to cover the entire interior surface of the guitar. Make sure that there are no creases or wrinkles in the foil.
– gently press the foil into place, being careful not to rip or tear it. Use a soft cloth to smooth out any bubbles or wrinkles.
– replace the strings on your guitar and tune them up. You may notice an improvement in the tone of your guitar right away. With time and practice, you’ll be able to fine-tune the sound of your instrument even more.
