Foam in control cavity

[stormywaters]

My finest Hamer (an '82 B&C Sunburst) has an incredibly rare, factory installed onboard clean boost. In what I can only guess was an attempt to reduce noise, the control cavity is completely backed with foam. Now, after 33 years, the foam is deteriorating. This wouldn't be an issue, if Hamer didn't go the extra step of gluing the foam to the sides of the cavity.

I'm not trying to have the foam get all flakey and gum up the pots/switches, so I'm going to have the local luthier remove the foam. Any suggestions as to what to replace it with? Foam is a good option for 30 years, but I'd like something more permanent.

Also, anybody else ever encounter this?

[RobB]

Have him paint the cavity and the inside of the cavity cover with electro-conductive paint. StewMac sells it.

[gorch]

Sea foam in green!

Seriously, I'd test drive without the form to see if it's really necessary.

[HAMERMAN]

Do you have any pictures? That doesn't sound like something Hamer would do so it has me curious.

When a control cavity has a battery but there is no clip for it (like when EMG's have been added to a guitar) it's pretty common to wrap the battery in foam so it doesn't clunk around or make electrical contact with anything but I haven't heard of lining the entire cavity with foam.

[velorush]

Do you have any pictures? That doesn't sound like something Hamer would do so it has me curious.

When a control cavity has a battery but there is no clip for it (like when EMG's have been added to a guitar) it's pretty common to wrap the battery in foam so it doesn't clunk around or make electrical contact with anything but I haven't heard of lining the entire cavity with foam.

EMG used to recommend using the foam from the pickup packaging to wrap the battery. It was great for that!

[diablo175]

Foam is a good option for 30 years, but I'd like something more permanent.

Geez, I hope I'm still alive and kicking in 30 years, let alone playing my Hamers.

Oh wait. If I'm alive and kicking in 30 years, it will be on account of still being able to play my Hamers.

[Ting Ho Dung]

Have him paint the cavity and the inside of the cavity cover with electro-conductive paint. StewMac sells it.

Did they use metal back plates on the Sunbursts back then? If so, Hamer usually rough sanded one corner of the plate to ground to the conductive paint they used in the cavities. Not sure if the idea worked or not but all my hamers had the sanded corner. So wouldn't painting over it defeat their idea?

[Steve Haynie]

Hamer has always used the metal control cavity plates on their production guitars.

[cmatthes]

Except for when they used plastic back in the old days.

[Steve Haynie]

Yeah, but how many of those were there before getting the metal plates? Every Special I have seen has had the metal plate, and those started in 1980. Did the metal control cavity covers appear in the 70's?