[Harp-L] Help I'm being electricuted!

["Steve Rowse" <steven@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hiya. Probably loads of people have written (I only get the digest) - but in case not, something in your system isn't earthed that should be. Your mic case is earthed through your harp amp, and the pa mic is earthed through the PA amp. Those earths ought to be at the same potential, that of mother earth herself, and if you're getting a shock, they're not. One or the other amp has a bad earth - check the plugs first.  At the moment all you're getting is some static buildup from the amp that isn't earthed, running down to the good earth via your good self. The danger here is if something goes bad inside the bad amp (and something already has, so the chances are something else might), and something live touches something that should be earthed (like the amp chassis, or the earth wire that's maybe swimmin around inside your plug case) - mains current will pass to the good earth through you, maybe via your mouth... 

For earthed read grounded if you're in the US.

Check your earths, I don't want you dead, I haven't heard you play yet.

Steve

> can someone please offer a suggestion evrytime I play through my Bassman or my spirit Harp Pro If i hold my mic or put
it on the extention mic holder that i screw on to the mic stand I get Zapped by any vocal mic or metal part of the xlr
cables comming from the PA.  Someone told me I need to ground myself? I'm electronically challenged and i don't know
what that means can someone please help.  I use either an EV RE10 or a crystal JT30 mic and I usually plug my amps into
the wall or a power bar sometimes i have to use an extention cord to get to the wall.