Getting a guitar gig ready.

These set of photos will help do demonstrate how to make a guitar "gig ready". Pickups not only pick up the vibrations of the strings but also the vibrations of other loose hardware. Filling cavities (as well as proper cavity shielding) is a brilliant way to stop these vibrations and will also help to stop guitar feedback.

This is a close up of the main pot cavity, it has been filled with cloth (foam could also be used) to insure no vibrations can reverberate through the chamber. The same process has been aplied to the toggle switch chamber and also to the pickup cavities in the front of the guitar. The unpadded cavity acts as an acoustic chamber and creates extra reverberation from the strings and other parts of the guitar, much like an F hole on a semi hollow guitar. The cavities are also properly shielded with conductive paint, sometimes this is also done with copper. This helps rid of alot of hum due to earthing problems.

The biggest broblem with unwanted reverberation is from tromolo springs. Rubber tubing is inserted int the spring thus stoping the spring from creating unwanted noise. This is a much better method i have found than using foam or cloth as the springs usually pinch the soft material and create tuning problems.

Dampening metal hardware is a sure way to stop unwanted noise.

Dampening the strings above the nut (especially if no locking nut) is a briliant way to stop unwanted noise. Though I used cloth here alot of people use black rubber witch looks much more aesthetically pleasing.

Under the pickups i've put cloth (foam also used) to help with the noise from a suspended pickup, pickups that are screwed streight to the body don't usually need this. I know that Satriani and Paul Gilbert use this technique.

The electrical tape on the front of the pickups serve a number of reasons. It stops the strings whilst being slackend by the floyd rose catching the side of the pickups. Stops the pickups from gradually lowering due to right hand technique loosening screws. And to stop the pickups from rocking slightly.

Bridgend Guitar Tuition and Repair now offers this service as part of the £25 full setup (if wanted).