Chuck's JZA-1

[Dedman]

loving it!

[Simon Barden]

Given the choice, I'd always opt for a slightly bigger knob.

[Chuck]

Given the choice, I'd always opt for a slightly bigger knob.

Let me guess, you're here all night?!?!

[FrankenWashie]

Given the choice, I'd always opt for a slightly bigger knob.

That's what SHE said!

[Simon Barden]

Try the fish and don't forget to tip the waitress...

[wazkelly]

Looking good Chuck. Love your work on the pick guard.

[Chuck]

Quick question with the aluminium pickguard: given some people use aluminium shielding tape instead of copper, I'm guessing that I don't need to shield the bottom of the pickguard? Would that be right?

[pablopepper]

Aluminium isn't as conductive as copper, but it should be absolutely fine.

[Chuck]

Thanks Pabs - and I guess not the worst thing in the world if I need to shield it later on.

[Simon Barden]

Aluminium is only slightly less conductive than copper (they make a lot of power cables out of it because it's so much lighter and often much cheaper than copper these days).

The real drawback with normal aluminium is its tendency for the surface to oxidise, as aluminium oxide isn't that conductive. Copper oxides are a lot more conductive (though you don't need a lot of conductivity for shielding to work). Aluminium is normally plated (often using tin) for electrical conductor use to avoid surface oxidation problems. Over time, bare aluminium will oxidise and its electrical conductivity will diminish at the place where it's meeting the copper tape unless you take the guard off and give it a good rub down with a fine grit sandpaper to remove any tarnish. Obviously this doesn't affect the internal resistance of the aluminium and so the shielding effect is still fine as long a s a good ground path can be achieved. This is normally through contact with the grounded parts of the potentiometers, so maybe every two years or so I'd occasionally just take the plate off and check electrical continuity from the pots to the aluminium. Ideally you should see a reading of around an ohm or so. Anything above 100 and I'd take the pots off and sand down the contact areas on both the plates and the pots.

There are also the standard issues with dissimilar metals touching each reacting and corroding when wet. You normally have to have salty water for this to happen, but unless you are performing night after night in hot clubs and sweating buckets all over your guitar, I don't really see a problem as being under the scratchplate, it's all fairly well protected.