slyd Well, finally a gap (the RIC will have to wait) to do some long-planned mods to my own strat ? After posing the pup upgrade question to you'all - thanks for all the input and feedback guys - my budget didn't allow for a set of Kinmans, but my research on the Tonerider Pure Vintage set eased any doubts I may have had. I must say, André from Tonerider SA has certainly got his order/payment/delivery system working a dream. They were mailed on the Tuesday morning, and arrived at my PO on Wednesday, very well packaged and clearly addressed. Thanks André ? Aside from the pup upgrade, I had a few cosmetic mods in mind, as well as getting to shield all internal cavities. Here's a little picstory of the mod . . . . . . . . More pics coming now . . . . . .
slyd Right . . . . .. Now that was Fun! 8) The "Pure Vintage" pups deliver on their anticipated sound. They are awesome! Real vintage strat tones, clear as a bell, but can be driven to a real raunchy rock output. I loved my original mex pups, but I have to say, these Toneriders ROCK. (I have no affiliations to Tonerider, btw) I'm stoked ? ? ?
Psean Looks really good! Especially with that new black pickguard ? Where do you get foil like that for sheilding the cavities?
needleshy Very nice, how are those Tone Riders, i only heard great things about the company. Are you planning on posting some clips soon?
AlanRatcliffe Looking good Slyd. I do the same with heatshrink on cloth covered wire (plus another larger piece over the switch lug). I probably wouldn't have gone with black screws though - I find the black wears off a bit to quick, so usually go Gibson size stainless (which contrast nicely with a black guard).
slyd Thanx guys, I'm really chuffed with it. ? @Psean - the foil is aluminium tape, available at decent hardware stores. Comes in a big roll about 6cm wide. Sticks like poo to a woolen blanket! ? and is fully conductive across overlapping sections. @needleshy - the Toneriders are all they make them out be ! Awesome 8) Soundclips are a definite posibility, . . . . . . @Alan - I went with my wife's choice on pickguard screws :-[ hehe. But only the 2 screws in the area where your palm contacts tend to lose their colour, as seen in the first "before" pic; I had black screws in there for about two years now. I'll probably change sometime, but for now the wife is really happy ? I like the idea of heat shrink over the lugs. . . . . . thanks for that!
Psean slyd wrote Thanx guys, I'm really chuffed with it. ? @Psean - the foil is aluminium tape, available at decent hardware stores. Comes in a big roll about 6cm wide. Sticks like poo to a woolen blanket! ? and is fully conductive across overlapping sections. Cool, thanks. Is their anything more to the sheilding than putting the tape in the cavities?
slyd Psean wrote Cool, thanks. Is their anything more to the sheilding than putting the tape in the cavities? Ensuring that there is positive contact between the pickguard shielding, and the cavity shielding. This ensures the live electronics are encapsulated in a grounded environment, reducing any hum that may be present.
Psean Ah, right. Makes sense. So thats what the bits of tape overlapping the screw holes are for. Thanked ?
slyd Psean wrote Ah, right. Makes sense. So thats what the bits of tape overlapping the screw holes are for. Thanked ? Cool, thanks! Yeah Did that just to ensure contact, even tho some of the others made contact anyway . . . . 8)
Psean slyd wrote Psean wrote Ah, right. Makes sense. So thats what the bits of tape overlapping the screw holes are for. Thanked ? Cool, thanks! Yeah Did that just to ensure contact, even tho some of the others made contact anyway . . . . 8) Looks like a thorough job! Sheilding's now added to my ever increasing to-do list.
AlanRatcliffe A couple more comments if I may... - Aluminium has a lot more effect on the inductance of the pickups than copper, so if you can get copper screen rather use it than aluminium. It's usually a good idea to cut away a few mm of screening material away from the pickguard around the pickups (not crucial though - the full aluminium plate on the '59 -'67 Strats was part of the sound, helping to tame some of the icepick). - With a full cavity screen, you can take your earth wire to the trem claw, solder a solder tag on to the end and fix it to the cavity screening with a small screw - no need to solder it to the controls. That way the only wires you have to solder to attach/remove the pickguard are the ones to the jack. ?
Psean Alan Ratcliffe wrote A couple more comments if I may... - Aluminium has a lot more effect on the inductance of the pickups than copper, so if you can get copper screen rather use it than aluminium. It's usually a good idea to cut away a few mm of screening material away from the pickguard around the pickups (not crucial though - the full aluminium plate on the '59 -'67 Strats was part of the sound, helping to tame some of the icepick). - With a full cavity screen, you can take your earth wire to the trem claw, solder a solder tag on to the end and fix it to the cavity screening with a small screw - no need to solder it to the controls. That way the only wires you have to solder to attach/remove the pickguard are the ones to the jack. ? Okay, thanks. Is the copper foil/tape readily available like the alu or would I need to find more of a specialist supplier?
AlanRatcliffe Some art supply shops stock the narrower tape. However I get the proper wide tape from Stewmac (conductive adhesive) and the sheets from Guitar Nucleus.
slyd Alan Ratcliffe wrote A couple more comments if I may... - Aluminium has a lot more effect on the inductance of the pickups than copper, so if you can get copper screen rather use it than aluminium. It's usually a good idea to cut away a few mm of screening material away from the pickguard around the pickups (not crucial though - the full aluminium plate on the '59 -'67 Strats was part of the sound, helping to tame some of the icepick). - With a full cavity screen, you can take your earth wire to the trem claw, solder a solder tag on to the end and fix it to the cavity screening with a small screw - no need to solder it to the controls. That way the only wires you have to solder to attach/remove the pickguard are the ones to the jack. ? I fully agree that copper is best for shielding, although I have had only good results from the alu screening I have done on a few strats. Again, it is the deNiros that affected my choice here :-[. I do have the copper tape on my "saved list" at stewmac for my next order, though. Once again, nice tip on the tremclaw ground wire! Thanks Alan. ?
