Static pickguard

nicovlogg

Hey guys, on my parts built tele, I used the stewmac 3 ply pickguard. The problem has been static! When playing at any sort of high volume i can hear a noise everytime my hand brushes over the pickguard - touching it generates pops and scratching noises. Any clues on how to eliminate this, or what causes it?

makepeace

Static is effectively caused by "rubbing" more electrons onto or off of an object, thus giving it an overall negative or positive charge. This would mean that something in the past has resulted in your pickguard being negatively or positively charged (possibly when you removed the sticky plastic sheet if it came with one?). Try taking it off and rubbing with a towel or something.

Otherwise. Is your control cavity shielded effectively? If it is, that should prevent the static from getting into your signal.

StephenG

the pickgaurd should be grounded thru the volume and tone pots with their nut and washer being in constant contact with the pickguard, should it not ??

nicovlogg

StephenG wrote the pickgaurd should be grounded thru the volume and tone pots with their nut and washer being in constant contact with the pickguard, should it not ??

No, the pots are connected to the control plate, which is obviously grounded. The pickguard isn't shielded.

makepeace wrote Otherwise. Is your control cavity shielded effectively? If it is, that should prevent the static from getting into your signal.

It's not the control cavity - this is the pickguard material that's somehow highly static. Read a review on stewmac where someone else had a similar problem. I'm just wondering whether there isn't a way to permanently remove the charge from this thing, it's been this way for about 4 months now!

Wizard

nicovlogg wrote I'm just wondering whether there isn't a way to permanently remove the charge from this thing, it's been this way for about 4 months now!

I doubt there can be any permanent charge - the popping noises you hear are actually the static discharging to your hand.
I suspect your root cause is lovely cold and dry winter Pretoria air; coupled with a surface that charges very easily.
I'd therefore guess the solution is coating or polishing the pickguard with something that doesn't have the same static gain characteristics.

I don't dare suggest certain furniture polishes else I may get moderated ?

Someone on the net suggested wiping the surface lightly using fabric softener which have anti-static agents in them.
Guitar polish may work too.

Disclaimer: All guesswork ?

AlanRatcliffe

Wizard's on the money. Guys who have this problem often use the fabric softener impregnated cloths used for tumble-driers to wipe down the pickguard before playing, which works...

Keira-WitherKay

cool seems there is a solution........ but what causes that problem......... cos i use both a strat and a tele and have never had a static problem with a guitar so far here in north of gauteng ...and yes i live in high static conditions here , i get wacked with static shock everytime i touch my car or even on bad days the metal lift buttons in the hotel but never had it on the guitar in any way .... so what causes it ?

aja

It is the pick guard material - the better electrical insulator a material is, the better it can build up a static electricity charge, generally speaking. That is why metal cannot be charged with static electricity while it is grounded.

The solution is to allow the plastic to become conductive, even if it is just the surface layer, because the charge will always sit on the surface of the material. Wipe it down with a damp cloth as a temporary solution.

(if you ever get covered with expanded polystyrene pieces or similar, just wipe yourself down with a damp cloth...)

Werner-Carstens

Have to agree with Alan. I had the same problem on my MIM strat and my wife bought a box of "Spunsoft tumble dryer Softener sheets" at our local Checkers. One thorough wipe of the pick-guard (specifically the area that had the most static) and the problem was gone, and still is for that matter. A very cheap solution that worked very well for me.

nicovlogg

Awesome, thanks for all the advice guys! Going to give the generic unbranded fabric softeners a go. ?