Are there any disadvantages to shielding? I read some comments in another post that it diminishes the overall volume and tone, but how true is this?

There are no disadvantages to shielding.

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It is true that it does diminish the overall volume and tone a BIT but not to the extent where it radically changes the entire electronic 'personality' of the particular guitar. And as I've said a million times, the results of shielding aren't that dramatic as the pickups themselves (which typically do NOT get shielded) are the biggest culprit for sucking in and magnifying line noise.

Ironically, if someone does take the time to shield the pickups or even if the pickups are left unshielded and submerged at least half-way below the pickguard, more dramatic results will be achieved. However, the entire electronic 'personality' of the particular guitar would indeed, radically change.

Food for thought: If a guitar's pickguard is foiled (shielded) and the body cavities of the guitar already have OEM shielding paint, for someone to decide in essence to, "shield the shielding", here too, the entire electronic 'personality' of the particular guitar would indeed, radically change.

YMMV.

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Call me crazy,but I notice a difference in tone when I removed the metal pickguard placed underneath the plastic pickguard of my 62 reissues.I prefer the tone without it.There is not so much much more hum but more frequencies coming through the pickups.With the shielding,it seems that with the reduction of hum there is also a loss of certain frequencies....a little thinner sounding.I solder a wire across the two tone pots to get them to work since the metal pickguard acts as a conducter.

You're NOT crazy. You're reinforcing what I've been proclaiming all along!

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