Guitar wiring - Should it be shielded cable?

DartmoorHedgehog

Hopefully a simple question but searches seem to bring up various differing opinions on this...

When wiring up a guitar (in my case it's one single coil with volume and tone) should the wiring be shielded cable (with sleeve grounded) or just normal single core unshielded stuff?

I've got loads of both, so could just as easily use either.  Seems to me that it would be good to use grounded shielded cable, but is there any reason NOT to do that (such as capacitance or something)?

ICBM

If the cavity is shielded then the wiring doesn't need to be. If it isn't then it might be a good idea, especially if you use a lot of gain/fuzz.

Over-shielding can add too much capacitance and noticeably take off top-end, although it isn't usually a problem unless you really go overboard and do things like the pickup covers on a Strat.

Overall I prefer shielded cavities and unshielded wiring on single-coil guitars (trading a small amount of noise for clearer tone), and shielded wiring on humbucker guitars (which tend not to benefit from clearer tone as much anyway).

It's probably not a coincidence that these are the traditional ways Fender and Gibson do it, so the sounds of each have become 'ingrained'.

DartmoorHedgehog

OK, thanks @ICBM.  So copper slug tape in the cavities then.  And on the back of the scratch plate? (I'm doing it Fender-style with everything attached to the scratch plate)

ICBM

DartmoorHedgehog said:

OK, thanks @ICBM.  So copper slug tape in the cavities then.  And on the back of the scratch plate? (I'm doing it Fender-style with everything attached to the scratch plate)

Yes. Although you don't need to do the whole pickguard, just the area around the controls and over the wiring channel. Don't forget the jack cavity. In fact, I would also use shielded cable from the volume pot to the jack - but nowhere else.

And definitely don't do the pickup covers, that will very noticeably kill the top-end.

DartmoorHedgehog

ICBM said:

Yes. Although you don't need to do the whole pickguard, just the area around the controls and over the wiring channel. Don't forget the jack cavity. In fact, I would also use shielded cable from the volume pot to the jack - but nowhere else.

And definitely don't do the pickup covers, that will very noticeably kill the top-end.

Right.  It's a lipstick pickup, so no "covers".  I've got a roll of aluminium tape in the garage that will probably do just as well - I'll line the cavities with that, and use shielded cable to the jack.  Thanks again for the hints.