Copper Shielding Issues

[TjMetalhead]

I'm currently working on assembling a early 70's style precision bass with an all parts body and a fender neck. I had lined the pickup cavity and control cavities with all parts copper tape so I won't get any feedback and buzzing. I soldered the pickups and everything worked fine until I assembled everything and went to test it again to make sure nothing came loose. No sound at all when I tested it. I took everything apart to make sure I didn't damage the pots and to make sure none of the wires came loose. Everything looked fine and I tested it again before putting it back together and I got sound. I wondered of the shielding tape was causing issues and I had taken it all out of the control cavity. Assembled everything as usual and I got sound just fine. I'm not sure what I did wrong with the copper shielding tape. I left the copper shielding in the pickup cavity and it still works fine. I'm not the best with tech stuff and I'm still learning as I go with maintenance and all. Any ideas on what happened?

 

[Matt Liebenau]

My guess would be that one or more of the contacts on the potentiometers were touching the shielding. I usually put a strip of electrical tape where the contacts are going to go. Probably overkill but it makes me feel better.

The other possibility is the tip contact on the output jack was touching the shielding when a plug was inserted. The plug will usually push that contact over slightly and, depending on the control cavity, could cause it to touch the side.

 

[wvbass]

P basses and shielding tape...often, the jack is a tight fit in the cavity. When you plug the cable in, the tip connector moves and touches the shielding tape, and you get no sound. I usually line that end of the control cavity with electrical tape over the shielding tape to eliminate this problem.

Here's an example from a Fender Bullet I worked on a couple years ago.

 

[CallMeAl]

P basses and shielding tape...often, the jack is a tight fit in the cavity. When you plug the cable in, the tip connector moves and touches the shielding tape, and you get no sound. I usually line that end of the control cavity with electrical tape over the shielding tape to eliminate this problem.

Here's an example from a Fender Bullet I worked on a couple years ago.

+1 ^ this. That Happened to me, and that is exactly how I fixed it too