• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Shocking Amplifier?

rustynuts

rustynuts

Jan 20, 2008
4,574
13
My Old Kentucky Home....
#1
Have a friend who dropped by with an Ampeg amp he'd like to sell but when I plugged my bass in to check it out I had a mild electrical current passing through the strings. I unplugged the bass and touched the cabinet of the amp and at certain points I found the same current (sort of like putting a nine volt battery to your tongue).

Is this amp salvageable or is it totally shot? Any ideas?
 
#2
My friend had a beastly old all-tube Fender amp that would shock you (fairly badly) every time you would touch anything on it that was metal, which included all the knobs and power switches. In any case it turned out to be a fairly simple matter to fix, I think a wire had gotten knocked loose and made contact with the metal housing of the amp. Hope that helps.
 
#3
hahahahahaha....shocking.

I had an old Garnett amp that would just about kill you if you touched any metal.

Turns out it was just as Blacimbia described. A wire had been knocked loose.

Damn thing was better than a joy buzzer though.
Me: Hey Chris (Guitard) can you reach over and give the bass knob a bump up for me...my hands are full
Chris: Sure. (Drops to the floor twitching as little tendrils of smoke rise from his head.)
Me: hmmmmmmm, maybe I should check that wire.
 
#4
Hmmm...This one's solid state. A loose wire, huh? I guess I can pop the top and look for that. I was worried it might be a cracked board or something.

I probably wouldn't mind too much if it was shocking only when touching the metal cabinet, but I can't handle the electric current passing through my strings.
 
#5
darkfinger said:
hahahahahaha....shocking.

...Damn thing was better than a joy buzzer though.
Click to expand...

I understand the humor, and I'm seriously not trying to flame you, Darkfinger.

However...

GET THAT AMP FIXED AT ONCE AND DON'T USE IT AGAIN UNTIL IT'S FIXED!!!

Seriously.

People have been killed and continue to be killed by defective amp/PA wiring. Just because it feels like a 9 volt battery now doesn't mean it won't give you 120 volts AC and kill you dead if you are really well grounded when you touch it next time.

My amp is grounded correctly (and has correct polarity), but if the ground/polarity is missing/reversed on the PA, I can still get a nasty shock to my lip when I get near my mic. Whenever that happens, I am done playing until the sound guy fixes his gear.

Do you really want to die playing your bass? Glamorous as it might seem, I would rather wait until natural causes catch up with me.
 
#6
rustynuts said:
Have a friend who dropped by with an Ampeg amp he'd like to sell but when I plugged my bass in to check it out I had a mild electrical current passing through the strings. I unplugged the bass and touched the cabinet of the amp and at certain points I found the same current (sort of like putting a nine volt battery to your tongue).

Is this amp salvageable or is it totally shot? Any ideas?
Click to expand...
No 3 wire plug I'd venture. A competant tech can add one, along with bypass caps and MOVs to bring it up to current standards.
 
#7
scottbass said:
I understand the humor, and I'm seriously not trying to flame you, Darkfinger.

However...

GET THAT AMP FIXED AT ONCE AND DON'T USE IT AGAIN UNTIL IT'S FIXED!!!

Seriously.

People have been killed and continue to be killed by defective amp/PA wiring. Just because it feels like a 9 volt battery now doesn't mean it won't give you 120 volts AC and kill you dead if you are really well grounded when you touch it next time.

My amp is grounded correctly (and has correct polarity), but if the ground/polarity is missing/reversed on the PA, I can still get a nasty shock to my lip when I get near my mic. Whenever that happens, I am done playing until the sound guy fixes his gear.

Do you really want to die playing your bass? Glamorous as it might seem, I would rather wait until natural causes catch up with me.
Click to expand...

No worries mate,
the amp was fixed soon after and then after a series of minor failures (bursting into flames twice) was junked about eight years ago so as not to harm anyone else.
 
#10
rustynuts said:
Minor failures? Bursting into flames twice would be considered a minor failure?

Wow! I'd hate to see a major problem with a piece of equipment!

:)
Click to expand...

dude you have no idea how horrible that amp was!
after the shocking incidents I had it fixed by the amp maker who lived here in winnipeg. Shortly thereafter we were playing a show and I see a little tendril of smoke rising from the back of the head. Five seconds later there were flames spreading all over the top. What a disaster. Once again I got it fixed. luckily the damage appeared to be cosmetic and didn`t effect the tone. Plus I was super young and playing in a punk band so I thought it looked pretty cool. A month later we were playing an outdoor show and the same thing happened. that time I just let it burn...
Punk as F. Ahh the innocence of youth.:rollno:
 
#13
Blacimbla said:
Wow, fire...that is pretty hardcore. I play in a prog-rock band...maybe if the amp would quote Nietzche we'd keep it, otherwise I think they'd make me fix it.
Click to expand...

Yeah, if that happened in any of the bands I`m in now, I`d be forced to fix it too. However it was a long time ago, so as rustynuts said it rated really high on the Whoa, Cool! meter...actually, if I had a back up amp at the gig and no one was hurt than it still might rate pretty highly on the cool meter!:D
 
#15
rustynuts said:
No, it's got the 3 prong plug. It's a fairly recent model (B2).
Click to expand...

That being the case the technical term for what's going is IT'S AFU, GET IT FIXED. :mad:
My Peavey Basic 40 will shock people if it's plugged in upside-down. Then again it has no ground...
Click to expand...
YOU TOO. :rollno:
 
#17
I am not an electrician, but I am wondering about the possibility that the fault is with your house wiring, but you only just began to notice it with this particular amp. It might be worth getting an outlet tester. After all, a disconnected ground could be disconnected anywhere.
 
#18
+1. Get one of those $10 electrical outlet testers with LED indicators to make sure the wiring is correct. I keep one in my amp case.

fdeck said:
I am not an electrician, but I am wondering about the possibility that the fault is with your house wiring, but you only just began to notice it with this particular amp. It might be worth getting an outlet tester. After all, a disconnected ground could be disconnected anywhere.
Click to expand...
 
#19
Don't get it unless you can fix it. I borrowed my friends GK Backline for a show at a popular venue and I was getting electricuted the entire time! haha:D it's really not something I'd want to deal with on a regular basis, and i'm sure it's the same for you...or anyone.
 
#20
+1 to fixing it, +1 to the outlet checker...

I have a portaflex that used to be awful with shocks until I put a 3 prong cable on it. Blew out a Dunlop Univibe when it was plugged into a DI connected to a poorly wired PA system.

Also had a Guild ThunderbassII amp (so glad to be rid of that deathtrap). Singer in my band was using it for gtr...he didn't even touch the mic, rather he claims he saw a blue arc coming at him. I didn't see it happen, but heard the ZAP! Took him a few days to calm down.

bottom line, solid ground connections are your friend!
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back