Copper foil tape
Self-adhesive metal tape used to line the cavities and pickguard of an electric guitar so they shield the electronics.
Copper tape gives a lower-resistance shielding layer than conductive paint and can be cut to fit awkward corners, which is why it is the standard upgrade for a noisy single-coil instrument. The pieces must overlap so the layer is electrically continuous, and a wire or a folded tab must carry the shield to ground. The improvement in hum is substantial for electrostatic noise but does nothing for the magnetic hum that single coils pick up from transformers and lighting.
Example: A Stratocaster whose cavities and pickguard are lined with overlapping copper sheet has been shielded with copper foil tape.
See also
Related
- PageShielding
- PageConductive paint
- PageHum
- PageActive pickup
- PageAlnico
- PageBlade pickup
- PageAaron Dessner
- PageAce Frehley