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my amp is electrocuting me!

#21
I had the same problem when I moved into the old ass apartment. It had a 3 prong outlet but the wiring in the house was screwed up. My bass giving me a tingling sensation from the string let me know that the outlet was jacked. Too bad my $1000 PC was hooked up to it also, resulting in the motherboard/prossesor to get fried. Myself and my bass survived but too bad the computer didnt. STOP PLAYING THROUGH THE OUTLET!, you could get injured and/or burn down the house.
 
#22
not only have i learned something about electronics, i've also learned something about the actual definition of "electrocute". thanks TB!

so, does this seem like an issue with just the head, or also an issue with the outlet? (nobody/no other electronics in the house has ever had a problem like this with the outlet)

would it be alright to at least practice like this short term with the toggle in the safer position? have to practice for a show in a few days.
 
#23
jjhardy said:
so this is an odd problem, hopefully i can find a solution. lately, when i play through my rig in my basement my bass strings will give me a tingling sensation, and my amp has a lot of high pitched feedback when no notes are played. i had searched this a bit earlier, and someone mentioned that concrete floors can be a culprit, so i switched the position of my cabs (carpeted one was on top, tolex one was on bottom). this stopped the shock for a while, but it has kicked in again. i tried putting some extra carpeting under the rig, but it did nothing. anybody have an idea whats doing this?

two things that may or may not matter:

it has been very rainy in vermont here lately. thus, i think the basement is more moist than usual.

i have recently started using a vintage randall power amp (early seventies most likely) that has not been kept in pristine condition. ive never had a problem like this with my old head (an ampeg b2r).


any help will be greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...

Don't play to die,you must sort this out for your own health!!:rollno:
 
#24
jjhardy said:
. . . does this seem like an issue with just the head, or also an issue with the outlet? . . . would it be alright to at least practice like this short term with the toggle in the safer position? . . .
Click to expand...

The outlet. The amp, having a 3-prong plug, was designed to be grounded. As to the amp, test it by moving it to a correctly wired 3-prong outlet.

If you MUST practice on the bum outlet (but for sure, you shouldn't), insulate yourself with a wireless. Regardless, a wireless is good to have -- at a poorly-wired venue, it may save your life.
 
#26
jjhardy said:
the cord for the randall is a three prong. however, the outlet it is plugged into has no ground, i've just been using an adapter to make a three prong surge protector plug into it.
Click to expand...

As others have said, before you become seriously dead, take off the adapter and make SURE your amp is properly grounded. You have already been warned...don't push it.

....And don't EVER put a 3-2 prong adapter on an amp cable again.

Bob Lee (QSC) said:
If you must use a 3-prong to 2-prong adapter, then connect the ground tab or wire jumper to something grounded.
Click to expand...

Absolutely correct - but we all know it will never happen.

By the way - at any ACE hardware or Home Depot you can buy a 3-prong tester that plugs into an outlet and has a set of lights that will illuminate when you plug it in. The lights tell you whether the outlet is wired correctly or not. Spend the $8 (?) and get one, then check that outlet and others.
 

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