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Parts List to Build a Telecaster
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Warmoth Telecaster Body
Warmoth Birdseye Maple Telecaster Neck
Gotoh Kluson Tuners
Installing String Ferrules
Installing the Fender Vintage 3-Saddle Bridge
Shielding the Pickup Cavities
Assembling the Switch and Pots to Control Plate
Wiring the Pickups, Input Jack, Switch and Pots
Wiring the Pickups
Installing Input Jack
Installing Pickguard
Dressing the Frets
Installing the Strap Pegs
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Building a Vintage 1963 Telecaster - Shielding the Pickup Cavities
Click on each image below for a larger view.
This was another fairly straightforward process. The wiring kit I bought from Guitar Electronics contained copper foil for shielding the pickup cavities. The owner, Rob Super, recommended that I line each cavity with the foil and also the underside of the pickguard. He suggested forming a contact all the way to the bridge with the foil under the pickguard to ensure a good ground and no hum. [Edited 10/24/06] The hum from the pickups was quite noticeable - especially with high gain. I decided to extend the copper foil shielding and install a ground wire in the neck PUP cavity to complete a ground circuit. The additional pictures chronicling those steps are below (starting at 109).

Installing the foil was a task of cutting pieces and placing the in each cavity. For the control cavity I cut a piece just larger that the oval opening. I placed that piece in the bottom with some foil climbing up the sides. Then I measured the diameter of the opening and the heath and cut a piece of foil slightly wider that the height and slightly longer that the diameter. I rolled the foil in a small oval and inserted it into the cavity allowing the bottom of the foil to overlap onto the bottom foil so that the top edge of the foil was flush with the top edge of the opening. All in all it was not that difficult a task to do. Repeat for neck and bridge pickup cavities. [Edited 10/24/06] After reading about the soldering of the foil pieces to create an electrical connection, and reading about it on ReRanch, I took the plunge. You can see in the images below where I soldered the various foil pieces together. All in all a quite simply operation - just time consuming.


Building a 1963 Lake Placid Telecaster - Home
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The empty pickup and switch cavities.

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Another shot of the unshielded pickup and switch cavities.

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The switch cavity with copper shielding.

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Step-2 in applying the copper foil.

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The rhythm pickup cavity.

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Extended the foil on the rhythm cavity.

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All cavities with foil shielding.

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Another view of the shielded cavities.

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Another view of the shielded cavities.

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Testing the fit of an eyelet for ground wire in the neck pickup cavity. [Added 10/24/06]

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The control cavity before extending the shielding. [Added 10/24/06]

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Fitting a piece of copper foil tape to one end of the control cavity. [Added 10/24/06]

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A close-up view of the end piece of foil tape. [Added 10/24/06]

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I repeated the process for the right side of the control cavity. [Added 10/24/06]

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A view of both ends of the control cavity with the extended copper foil tape. [Added 10/24/06]

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Measuring and test fitting the copper foil extension to run form the neck pickup cavity to the edge of the control plate. [Added 10/24/06]

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Trimming the foil to match the pickguard contour. [Added 10/24/06]

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Trimming the copper foil tape. [Added 10/24/06]

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Fitting the foil tape extension in the neck pickup cavity. [Added 10/24/06]

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The copper foil tape attached to the pickup cavity and the pickguard. [Added 10/24/06]

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Another view of the neck pickup cavity and pickguard with copper foil tape. [Added 10/24/06]

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All of the cavities and pickguard with the additional copper foil tape in place. [Added 10/24/06]

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The finished pieces of foil tape for the control cavity. [Added 10/24/06]

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Soldering the connection point for the copper foil on the left side in the control plate cavity. [Added 10/24/06]

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A close-up view of the first solder connection. [Added 10/24/06]

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The finished control cavity. I soldered two connections - one at each end. [Added 10/24/06]

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Attaching the extra ground wire to the bottom of the Tone pot. [Added 10/24/06]

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Soldering the connection point for the copper foil pieces in the neck pickup cavity. [Added 10/24/06]

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Another view of the solder connection in the neck pickup cavity. [Added 10/24/06]

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A close-up of the solder connection in the neck pickup cavity. [Added 10/24/06]

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Placing the ground wire, from the Tone pot, in position so that a solder joint will connect the wire to the two pieces of foil tape. [Added 10/24/06]

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Another view of the ground wire placement in the neck pickup cavity. [Added 10/24/06]

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The ground wire soldered in place. [Added 10/24/06]

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The foil tape on the right side of the control cavity extending under the pickguard. [Added 10/24/06]

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Setting the control plate in place. [Added 10/24/06]

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A close-up of the foil tape under the right side of the control plate and pickguard. [Added 10/24/06]

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A close-up of the foil tape under the left side of the control plate. [Added 10/24/06]

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All Photos (unless otherwise noted) Copyright © 2006, HiggyDude and Bobby Jean Enterprises
Website - Copyright © 2006, HiggyDude and Bobby Jean Enterprises