My Brownie - Blender Partscaster Project

[ShortBuSX]

Could somebody answer a dumb question for me?

In that wiring diaram its got an "optional ground to the cavity shield"...Im assuming this is if I didnt have a trem claw to ground it to.
But this body obviously has a place thats been used for this purpose...and heres my question:
The painted on shielding, it apparently has a void, where it looks like it may have had a sticker there, painted with the shielding paint, then it was removed and then cleared...so there is a void in the shield, and if thats the case can I really ground to this spot in the cavity?(right there in the humbucker route)

Heres the pic again:

[Bloozcat]

Could somebody answer a dumb question for me?

In that wiring diaram its got an "optional ground to the cavity shield"...Im assuming this is if I didnt have a trem claw to ground it to.
But this body obviously has a place thats been used for this purpose...and heres my question:
The painted on shielding, it apparently has a void, where it looks like it may have had a sticker there, painted with the shielding paint, then it was removed and then cleared...so there is a void in the shield, and if thats the case can I really ground to this spot in the cavity?(right there in the humbucker route)

The shield ground isn't necessary...

Generally, you'd ground to the shield if you had a complete cavity shield, or a "Faraday" cage shielding. That's where the complete cavity is shielded, and the pickguard as well. When the pickguard is installed and touching the cavity shielding, it forms a contiguous ground all around the electronics parts. Even without the shield ground, all the grounds would run to the shielding through the shell on the grounded pots anyway. I've used the star grounding method where all the circuit grounds are run to a single point (a wire eyelet), and then grounded to the shield ground. Even though this is a more correct method of grounding (eliminating ground loops), the mini-voltage in a guitar circuit isn't enough where you can hear a difference.

As long as all your components are grounded through the output jack ground, it'll be ok. Of course, if you had completely shielded the cavity and pickguard, it would tame the 60 cycle hum a lot better.

[Ch0jin]

Of course, if you had completely shielded the cavity and pickguard, it would tame the 60 cycle hum a lot better.

I was wondering why you elected not to throw some shielding tape in the mix too. You're going to a lot of effort with some really cool parts, it'd be a shame to have to put up with 60Hz hum for the sake of $5 worth of copper or aluminium tape.

I have a few pics of the process, based on when I upgraded my Squier if you are curious.

[ShortBuSX]

I was more than anxious to get home yesterday!

I got some new tips(for my soldering irons) after work, ran home and fired up the 30watt and began cutting wire...30 minutes later(record time for me) I finished the pickguard and then took a break for a beer and a smoke


Heres another angle(Im kinda proud)


All that was left was the ground from the trem claw and the leads from the output jack...I put a couple screws in the pickguard and then ran into to test out the pickups, pots and switch on my amp.



After plugging it in I began to kick myself...for wasting all that time that I could have been shielding the body!:
I hadnt planned on shielding this one, after all it already had a pretty fancy shield paintin...and the Keystones are supposed to be pretty quiet. Plus my MIJ isnt shielded and its got mojo.
But with the blender...this one needs as much help(in the quiet department) it can get....so shielded it.
BTW, where were you "why havent you sheilded it yet" guys at yesterday before I logged off???

[Ch0jin]

BTW, where were you "why havent you sheilded it yet" guys at yesterday before I logged off???

Well I can't speak for Bloozecat, but I was probably lying on my hammock outside the bar I own on the coast of Belize, being served fruity rum drinks by bikini clad ladies.

Oh wait.........

Nice build man. It looks real good. Nice neat wiring too

[warren0728]

that guitar looks great....it must be cool to play something you built yourself! :

[ShortBuSX]

....it must be cool to play something you built yourself! :

Not at first...
...without the intonation, string height, neck adjusted, pickup heights.
And then getting acquainted with the blenders functions.
Its really a bit much at first...but it does keep getting better and better.

Im taking it to a jam tonight, I let everyone play my new gear. For some reason I like hearing it through other hands for a bit, not only am I able to listen a lil more intently without playing, but anothers feedback is always helpful in dialing it in.

Im afraid I dont know how to record and post a clip for yall...so I dunno if thats ever gonna happen, although I wouldnt mind doing that...I mean if theres an easy way *shrug*

Its still a lil tough to give a full review of the Keystones yet.
But I find them really quiet in the 2 and 4 positions, which is normal for any RWRP Strat pickups. Right now Ive got all the pickups set at the same height, for some reason I feel they should be set up differently, but with the master tone knob they all sound equal. When I tap on the pickups its a lil different, I think its because of the lack of bobbins, but if I tap on the pickups with a pick they feel almost soft and rubbery, and its kinda hard to tell if the pickup is on cause I cant really hear the tapping...just a lil different than what Im used to.

Now having said that, the blender brings the noise! Which is also normal cause Im blending(for the most part) 2 non RWRP pups...but this does get me a really nice Telecaster twangy tone(in either the bridge or neck positions) and Im able to adjust(or blend) just how much of the bridge(or neck) I want...same with the 2 and 4 positions:
Im also finding my tone knob adds more noise as well with the higher the level of tone added...I think Im gonna do more shielding, to the pickguard and jack cup, Ive skipped this step in the past with great results, but this one needs all she can get...Im probably going to add another ground to the cavity while Im at it, but thatll likely happen with the first string change.
But I imagine with my Kluson(split shaft) style tuners I shouldnt need to wait.

Dont get me wrong, this isnt a bad set up...its just gonna take a minute to set it all up, tweaked and to my liking.