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Here's a second installment.
Any questions related or unrelated are more than welcome!
Today, lots of soldering & other annoying technical rubbish that needs to be done, in order to make something great!
Parts used:
-Aluminium tape
-5ft / 150cm shield wire
-3-way switch
-four 500K pots
-two .022 mfd capacitors
-two pickups
-jack
When
the body is finished, it's best to start with screening its insides. A
lot of store bought guitars doesn't have any tin shield to begin with,
but most of high end & luthier's products have it. Any electric
field & radio signal can be picked up by your guitar and produce a
nasty humming noise. It's up to you really, braided wire and pickup
covers should provide enough protection. Personally, i'd rather be safe
than sorry.
There is a risk of over-insulating, turning the thing into a TV antenna, just don't screen the back covers and
all should work smoothly and quietly. You don't have aluminium tape? No
problem, just use regular baking foil & glue to stick it inside a cavity, it will work just as well.
Next i'll be drilling two small holes in order to install a ground wire.
First one is coming from belt strap button to 3-way switch, second from bridge bushing to pots. Again very important step, often left out by many cheap guitar producers. If the strings are not grounded, hum is sent to the pickups and magnified by your amp. Also amplifiers deal with deadly voltages, in case of failure any form of protection is crucial.
Lead free wire is a joke. It oxidises in five years time, and you end up with a loose connection. That's the main reason, new electronics tend to break right after warranty period expires. If lead somehow doesn't work for you, silver is a good alternative. While soldering,
it's best to hold your breath for a second or two, work in a well ventilated space and wear a mask. Lead poisoning is no joke. If you're using braided shield wire, strip down the metal net that surrounds it to about a inch. Braid is going be soldered to ground your pots.
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