My guitar is hurting me!

  • Thread starter Thread starter heatmiser
  • Start date Start date
Three things to fix...

First off, if you are getting shocked don't be touching the mike and produce a ground path from one hand on your guitar to the other on the mic to ground. It sucks to be doing CPR and it sucks to have CPR done on you even if you live. (Note that CPR is unlikely to help you much until someone gets a defib on you.) Would it absolutely kill you - probably not, but then not wearing seatbelts will not necessarily save your life but what the hell.

Probably answered...

#1 tube amps from the 60's can and should be modified to be properly grounded. If you want I'll dig up the website I was looking at that covered how to do that. I didn't get into it that closely since my amp is newer.

#2 the power in the older house is possibly improperly grounded. This is real electrician stuff. My brother is and electrical inspector and is busy today fixing the same thing in my neice's house. I don't mean "something similar" - I mean a serious electrical hazard. Having discovered it the insurance company filed notice they wouldn't cover things if not fixed within 30 days. It's that big of a deal - people may not be killed all the time by their guitars but do get killed all the time in home shocks and house fires.

#3 put a little safety capacitor in your guitar when you silence it.

I know the capacitor is mentioned in this site... but I don't have my "10 posts or more hit" so google "Shielding a Strat" at GuitarNuts spot com.

They probably also mention getting a wiring tester to check the grounds in the sockets of your home. Do that, it is cheap and is something you can use to check the sockets of every place you plug into before you play. I'd get more links but like I said... lazy


Wrong Ron... at the heart of everything there is my name
 
Only 2 possibilities:

1.
Static electricity coming from synthetic carpet and going through you to ground (grounded unit).
Only 2 solutions:
a) removing or grounding direct static electricity source (carpet),
b) disconnecting real ground from equipment. Electric equipment can be isolated from ground and mains by transformer (expensive solution), or simply isolated from common ground's connection to grounded wall socket. It is not the best suggest, because can add some hum, and is not so safe, this case all equipment must be carefully grounded in between !

2.
Someone device is not grounded and is under direct or leaking mains voltage !
This voltage is going through you to ground (really grounded device).
It can be amp, Roland, other connected device (or it's power supply - someone adapter powering effects, microphones, interfaces, monitors, etc.).
Dangerous !
Defect must be immediately found and repaired.
 
I got zapped one time when I plugged in while barefoot. A momentary lapse of common sense.
 
I got zapped one time when I plugged in while barefoot. A momentary lapse of common sense.

If the amp was properly grounded you could take a bath with your guitar.

VP

PS Dont try this at home, Please dont attack me for this response, it is a joke. I would never recommend anyone doing this under any circumstances.
 
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