Pick-up/electronics problem

[salligood]

Hello all,

So I've got an issue with my Fender Precision Deluxe. I had to replace one of the J pickups and so while I was in there I though it wouldn't be a bad idea to improve the shielding. So I bought some conductive copper foil tape and taped each pickup cavity, the control cavity and battery cavity and grounded everything into the control cavity. I plugged everything back up and now it when plugged up it acts like it has a short. I get no sound unless I touch/press down on the control knobs (doesn't matter which one). Is this a grounding issue? I'm perplexed and a novice to the world of guitar electronics so I'm totally willing to accept that may have jumped in over my head on this one.

Also, if that wasn't enough my pedals aren't working. When are switched on I have no sound but when they are off I get sound. Could the above problem be causing this issue as well? They are both brand new pedals so I convinced it's the bass and not the pedals.

Any help would be appreciated.

FYI this is the tutorial I followed for shielding my bass. The Buzz Killer: How To Shield Your Bass

 

[40Hz]

Pop the pickguard and look to see if the foil hasn't detached somewhere and is shorting something. Or a wire got caught between the pickguard and the body when you closed everything back up.

Pushing down is likely flexing something and either breaking the short or making contact with an otherwise flakey connection. Possibly the hot lead going to the jack. Or the jack's ground since the jack is mounted under that last pot.

Try pulling the jack out of the control cavity and see if the problem goes away. If so, it's something touching the jack.

 

[salligood]

Pop the pickguard and look to see if the foil hasn't detached somewhere and is shorting something. Or a wire got caught between the pickguard and the body when you closed everything back up.

Pushing down is likely flexing something and either breaking the short or making contact with an otherwise flakey connection. Possibly the hot lead going to the jack. Or the jack's ground since the jack is mounted under that last pot.

Try pulling the jack out of the control cavity and see if the problem goes away. If so, it's something touching the jack.

Thanks 40Hz. I'll open her up again and see what I can find. I didn't put the foil into the jack cavity but maybe it's touching something. I'll pull it out like you suggested and see if that helps it.

 

[40Hz]

Thanks 40Hz. I'll open her up again and see what I can find. I didn't put the foil into the jack cavity but maybe it's touching something. I'll pull it out like you suggested and see if that helps it.

It's a place to start.

Alternatively, just open it up and carefully check everything again and then see if it's ok once you put it back together. About three quarters of the time you'll find the problem or fix it just by doing that.