Pickup selector switch cover

[jegero]

Hi,

I recently bought a McCarty 594SE and was thinking about swapping the nasty plastic covers on the back for some shiny carbon fibre ones.

I noticed there is foil on the back of the pick up selector switch cover. I guess for some kind of shielding?

If I’m replacing the cover with a solid carbon fibre one, would it be necessary to replace the foil backing? I would have thought the carbon fibre itself would provide enough shielding?

Any thoughts?

 

[Erick_S]

You are correct, it is for shielding. It is easy to install on the new cover plates. Just purchase a roll of copper shielding tape from a luthier supply shop. It is inexpensive. The tape comes in various widths. You can overlap the tape, as needed, to cover your plate.

 

[JasonE]

It is definitely shielding. Carbon fiber doesn't conduct electricity and doesn't work as a way to encapsulate something in metal to insulate from electronic interference. If you have noise issues, you can buy some of the same foil to insulate it. It is sticky on one side like contact paper.

 

[Black Plaid]

Unless the rest of the cavity is shielded, I don't see a bit of foil on the tiny back plate doing much.

Try without shielding first, only if it's not sounding good to you would I bother adding any to the plate.

 

[jegero]

Thanks for the responses guys it’s really appreciated. Is there a reason why there isn’t any shielding on the back of the vol/tone pot cover?

 

[Black Plaid]

Thanks for the responses guys it’s really appreciated. Is there a reason why there isn’t any shielding on the back of the vol/tone pot cover?

I'd wager if we asked Paul, he'd say that the shielding doesn't really do all that much except increase the capacitance of the circuit and he likes the sound better without.