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06-05-2008, 10:12 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Cornwall, UK. | | | The thing about touching the string and being the ground...
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Isn't that a little dangerous with all the electrican equipment around these days? 
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06-05-2008, 10:14 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: May 2008 Location: Detroit, MI | | | sometimes i do notice that i get a small shock from my strings on my arm... I wish I knew why that goes on.
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06-05-2008, 11:03 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Austin, TX | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Bass Junkie  Isn't that a little dangerous with all the electrican equipment around these days? | Not if your amp has a three prong plug and the outlet you are plugged into is wired correctly. |
06-05-2008, 11:12 AM
| | | | Even with a three prong connector, if the circuit wiring isn't in good shape, you still get shocked. Might be worthwhile to get a tester to check the wall socket, before plugging in your amp. |
06-05-2008, 11:47 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Cornwall, UK. | | Quote:
Originally Posted by dlb1001 Even with a three prong connector, if the circuit wiring isn't in good shape, you still get shocked. Might be worthwhile to get a tester to check the wall socket, before plugging in your amp. | i have a plug-in RCD in the shed, would this help?
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I'm what you'd call a "Thread Killer"
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06-05-2008, 08:30 PM
| | Registered User
Owner/designer; SGD Lutherie | | Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Montclair, NJ, USA | | | The problems arise when you might touch another piece of improperly grounded equipment, like a microphone, or another instrument plugged into a different amp, while you are touching your strings. You get a situation where a ground loop wound occur, except you are the loop!
I once measured 80 volts from my bass' strings to a mic! If you are holding your neck with one hand, and gram the mic with the other, you have the potential to have voltage flow across your heart, and that's not good.
One way to test for this is to get a neon bulb outlet tester. Touch one end to your strings, and the other to a mic you would be using, and if it lights up, you have a shock hazard.
As far as how to fix it... that's more complicated. There are isolation transformers that go between your bass and the amp that prevent you from being shocked. |
06-06-2008, 05:30 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Cornwall, UK. | | Quote:
Originally Posted by DavidRavenMoon The problems arise when you might touch another piece of improperly grounded equipment, like a microphone, or another instrument plugged into a different amp, while you are touching your strings. You get a situation where a ground loop wound occur, except you are the loop!
I once measured 80 volts from my bass' strings to a mic! If you are holding your neck with one hand, and gram the mic with the other, you have the potential to have voltage flow across your heart, and that's not good.
One way to test for this is to get a neon bulb outlet tester. Touch one end to your strings, and the other to a mic you would be using, and if it lights up, you have a shock hazard.
As far as how to fix it... that's more complicated. There are isolation transformers that go between your bass and the amp that prevent you from being shocked. | I didn't even think about mics
Would a plug-in RCD help with it though if i did touch something that wasn't grounded properly?
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I'm what you'd call a "Thread Killer"
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06-06-2008, 05:40 AM
|  | Drunk on power... and beer | | Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Co. Kerry, Ireland. | | Quote:
Originally Posted by DavidRavenMoon The problems arise when you might touch another piece of improperly grounded equipment, like a microphone, or another instrument plugged into a different amp, while you are touching your strings. You get a situation where a ground loop wound occur, except you are the loop!
I once measured 80 volts from my bass' strings to a mic! If you are holding your neck with one hand, and gram the mic with the other, you have the potential to have voltage flow across your heart, and that's not good.
One way to test for this is to get a neon bulb outlet tester. Touch one end to your strings, and the other to a mic you would be using, and if it lights up, you have a shock hazard.
As far as how to fix it... that's more complicated. There are isolation transformers that go between your bass and the amp that prevent you from being shocked. | Wouldn't playing wireless break the loop, leaving you safe?
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06-06-2008, 05:42 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Rhode Island | | I would often get a bit of a "snap" on my lip when I would press into my mike to sing. I just thought it might be a little static electricity or something. So, could be more than that? Wow! Interesting
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06-06-2008, 09:10 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Central, PA | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Darkstrike Wouldn't playing wireless break the loop, leaving you safe? | Hence the main reason I went wireless so many years ago... I went back to cables after putting in EMG's and removing the ground from my bridge. But that left me wanting to "wander"
The X2 wireless has solved all my problems.
The other solution is to go to some kind of active/sheilded pickups (like EMGs) that let you unground your bridge. No shock because you're not touching grounded strings.
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06-06-2008, 10:47 AM
|  | Registered User | | Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Fort Collins, Colorado | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Darkstrike Wouldn't playing wireless break the loop, leaving you safe? | If you remember Prince playing in the rain at the Super Bowl halftime show a couple of years back, the FIRST thing I looked at was to see that his guitar connection was wireless. It was. That made perfect sense so that he could move around, and had the additional benefit of making sure he wouldn't become part of a short circuit.
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06-06-2008, 12:50 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Olney, Maryland | | | Think about all those un-grounded amps at Woodstock.
Sure is cool to play bare foot in the rain.
I changed all my vintage gear to 3 prong grounded, and made sure my practice space has properly grounded outlets.
I also have a power strip with an isolation transformer, which goes with me for playing out.
Not foolproof but cant hurt.
MM |
06-06-2008, 01:01 PM
| | Drunk on power... and beer | | Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Co. Kerry, Ireland. | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Pilgrim If you remember Prince playing in the rain at the Super Bowl halftime show a couple of years back, the FIRST thing I looked at was to see that his guitar connection was wireless. It was. That made perfect sense so that he could move around, and had the additional benefit of making sure he wouldn't become part of a short circuit. | I honestly don't, I rarely watch the Super Bowl, and Prince even less, but the wireless system seems better by the minute, in another thread, the X2 was reccomended to me, gotta see about etting one of those sent over.
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06-06-2008, 02:50 PM
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Owner/designer; SGD Lutherie | | Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Montclair, NJ, USA | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Darkstrike Wouldn't playing wireless break the loop, leaving you safe? | Yes. |
06-06-2008, 03:04 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Maine | | | In one of my old bands, I used to play through an old Kustom (which I think was built during the American Civil War, but I'm not sure). What I used to do with that thing at practice was to stand on the carpet when I played, which seemed to insulate me. Otherwise I'd feel some juice. | | Thread Tools | Search this Thread | | | | 
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