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Capital Punishment P Bass

#25
Beefbass said:
It was actually Keith Relf :crying:
Click to expand...

+1

[derail]
Yes. :crying:
Thanks for getting that out there. I saw Keith Relf with the Yardbirds four times, with Page on guitar, Chris Dreja on Bass, and Jim McCarty on drums. He was a fine singer, and they were a great pioneering band--and Van Morrison often opened for them when I saw them.
[/derail]

Where does one get a neon bulb outlet tester as described above?
How is it used to test the voltage between mic and bass? :help:

Isn't it actually amperage that kills? :eek:
 
#26
TJBass said:
I want to make sure this active bass is safe to play...how can I chek the voltage at the strings to make sure I am not grounding myself out....
Click to expand...
I looked over the schematics of your Schecter C-4, and there doesn't look to be a string ground, because it's internally grounded. However, if you want to make sure, get a multimetre, select the diode function, and check for continuity between the sleeve of the output jack (ground) and the strings. If nothing shows up, that means there's no string ground.

Jim Carr said:
Isn't it actually amperage that kills? :eek:
Click to expand...
Yes. High voltage will give you a bad burn (think stun gun). However, only 50mA is needed to stop your heart.
 
#29
Geddy Claypool said:
I'm pretty sure Pete Farndon died because of drug issues...:confused:
Click to expand...

You are correct, he passed out and drowned in his bathtub after a heroin overdose.

I can't find any reference to it now, but at the time it was said he was recovering from a bad shock on stage and had a heart attack in the tub.

Maybe it was just a story they gave the press at the time.

I saw the Pretenders first NYC show at the Palladium. Farndon had a great sound. :( James Honeyman-Scott was great also. Damn shame in both cases.
 
#31
TJBass said:
I'm tired of my 72 Pbass electrocuting me all the time. I've recieved several very minor burns on the inside of my right arm lately. Feels alot like a small bee sting but its starting to get annoying. Any ideas on what could be causing it?
Click to expand...
To go in a different direction, why do you get the burns on your arm instead of your fingers? When do you get them? Fiddling with the controls, touching the strings to the forearm? In normal playing?

How are you normally dressed when you play?

My thought is, it could maybe be a buildup of static between your arm and the paint on the bass body; if so, it should happen even if you play with the bass not plugged in.

It's something to try, innit? You shouldn't play with it plugged in, anyway, until you make sure the amp is safe.
 
#32
Are you actually getting burns on your arm, or just little stinging sensations?

Did you change strings recently? After a recent string change, I started getting little stings on my arm. My delicate little arm hairs were getting snagged in the windings. :rolleyes:
 
#34
I always seem to get shocked with any guitar/bass thats passive.

????

I thought it was normal, yet after reading this it's obviously a no.

It's only ever when I'm resting on the strings.

My guitars (all Fenders) are a mustang, stratocaster, and p bass all do it......Even with a Smokey Amp.

I am very sweaty though:D so I don't know if that has to do anything with it.
I have to wipe down my strings thoroughly or they will rust in a couple of days.


So what does this mean?? Am I or the other guy just conductive??
Or is it Fender.....:hiding:
 
#35
Another good point, maybe it's my hairy arms. The hairs getting trapped.

Oh and just a thought.

Is it normal to have a mild buzz with an old Fender P Bass?

And when you touch the strings bridge etc it disappears?
 
#36
spector29 said:
Another good point, maybe it's my hairy arms. The hairs getting trapped.

Oh and just a thought.

Is it normal to have a mild buzz with an old Fender P Bass?

And when you touch the strings bridge etc it disappears?
Click to expand...

You guys are cracking me up......Jesus, anything like that.....is a wiring issue.
Don't worry about your freaking hairy arms......

Anyway, I am off to the gig......with my hairy arms intact.

BillyB
 
#37
spector29 said:
I always seem to get shocked with any guitar/bass thats passive.

????


So what does this mean??
Click to expand...

It means that the ground is wrong on either your amp, or the other piece of gear you are touching (microphone, etc.)

You can fix that by switching the ground switch on your amp to the other position (if it has one), or do the same on the other piece of gear.

Also make sure you have a properly grounded AC receptacle, and that you aren't using one of those 3 to 2 pin adapters. Sometimes if you are using an AC powered effect unit, you have to lift the ground on that or your amp to prevent ground loops.

If you amp doesn't have a ground switch, and only has a two pin plug, try flipping it 180° and plugging it in again. Newer plugs are polarized, but sometimes the outlet was not wired up the right way.

The problem with some amps is the chassis is connected to the common side of the AC plug, instead of the ground pin (in the case of older 2 pin AC plugs), so if that's reversed, you now have a live chassis with current flowing from your strings to what ever you touch!

Likewise, if your amp's ground is good, and the other piece of gear isn't (such as another amp or PA) that current can flow to your ground, via your strings (and through your arm, etc.) and give you a shock.

If you have your left hand on your strings, and touch a mic with your right hand, the current can flow across your arms, and through your heart, and potentially kill you!
 
#38
WashburnBasser said:
I've been having a similar problem at my house. I've been playing in a basement with a concrete floor, and unless I'm wearing shoes, I getting a minor shock touching my bass strings. This happens if I touch metal cable connectors going threw my computer in the basement also. Is this normal with a concrete floor, or is something seriously wrong with the power. It's really only a very minor shock, more like a tingling sensation.
Click to expand...

Just bringing this up again, if I don't get an answer I'll just make another thread.
 
#39
I think it means there's a voltage difference between your floor (which, more or less by definition, ought to be grounded locally) and whereever your mains electricity is grounded. Could be that that's grounded at the local power transformation station.

Is this suboptimal? Definitely.

Is it dangerous? Quite possible. I think it'd depend on how high the voltage difference can become; if, as you say, it's never worse than a slight tingle, it's probably not all that high.

What can you do? Ground the main power inlet to your house to the actual ground; now, I don't know who's authorized to actually do that, or if it's even allowed at all, so ask around before you do anything, m'kay?
Put a rubber mat or something on the concrete; something that insulates as well as the soles of your shoes.
 

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