Cloth tape ? ?

[bagpipe]

I've removed the metal cover from my Tele neck pickup and will be putting the pickup back into the guitar without the cover. I've been doing some reading at TDPRI, and everyone seems to recommend covering the bare pickup wire with cloth tape. However, I"m not exactly sure what "cloth tape" is? Is it like hockey tape? I found a link to pickup tape on the Stew-Mac website, but I dont wanna buy a whole roll for this one pickup:

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Electronics,_pickups/Pickups:_Parts/Pickup_Tapes.html

Is there something I could get locally which would be similar?

[Paul]

I'd use regular electrical tape. It doesn't conduct.

[jxoco]

Is there something I could get locally which would be similar?


Why not ask your local guitar store if they can sell you a foot or two.

I would expect any decent guitar tech to have a roll of the stuff.

Maybe they can do it for you and do the copper shield, for hum reduction, that the stewmac listing is describing.

I have broken the windings on a tele neck pickup and had to get a new one so I would say don't do it without the tape.
Also I would put a few layers of clear nail polish on the fine wires that go from the coil to the rivets that have the solder connection.
A pick or a polishing rag can break off those wires.

[Hamm Guitars]

Gaff/Gaffer Tape. You can pick it up at any PA shop or production supply company.

Gaff tape is not duct tape, it is a cloth tape that sticks well and doesn't leave any residue when removed. Gaff tape doesn't pull the paint off a stage floor like duct tape does.

Hockey tape is gooey, Iv'e tried it and the edges fray and junk sticks to it.

[keefsdad]

Does it still work? Taking the cover off a Tele neck pup is not recommended. I destroyed one that way.

[bagpipe]

I'd kinda forgotten about this thread. I now have the pickup installed without the cover and it was well worth it. The output of the pickup is now much more in line with the bridge pickup and the muffled tone is gone. I ended up just using a piece of electrical tape to protect the windings. Cutting a fairly long piece of tape to the right width wasn't easy but it looks fine now.