Re: [Harp-L] Shocking problems

["Alec" <alec@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Are you sure that it is the amp and not the outlet or PA?

Here are a few suggestions:

All working musicians should have an outlet tester as part 
of their toolkit. You can get one at any hardware store 
for about $10. You plug it in to the outlet and a 
combination of 3 lights show you if the outlet has 
problems. You may well find that your amp outlet has no 
ground or has the polarity reversed.

Try flipping the polarity on your amp. Some amps have an 
on-off that will switch in either direction. Some have a 
separate ground reverse switch.

Try new cables for both your harp mic and your vocal mic, 
you may have lost the ground in one of them.

If possible, plug your harp amp into the same power strip 
as the PA.

If you still have a two prong plug on your amp, have a 
good amp tech install a grounded three prong. It's cheap 
and it could save your life.

Hope this helps.

Alec

On Tue, 28 Nov 2006 06:56:12 -0500
 "Eric Garcia" <ericgar85@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> i've got this '72 Fender Vibro Champ that i absolutely 
> love.
> i had it worked on a while back by an obscure guy with
> quite a reputation out west whom there is no way i can 
> find
> if i tried.
> he really beefed it up and gave it quite a growl without
> makin it too muddy,,, i love recording with that amp, as 
> well
> as playin gigs that aren't too loud., for that i bring 
> out the Bassman.
>
> ..anyways the Champ seems to have a serious ground 
> problem.
> i can't hold the harp mic and touch my lips to the vocal 
> mic without
> a serious shock,, i mean, the othernight there was a 
> visible bolt!
> ..i've tried pluggin it in using a powerstrip and other 
> shock suppressing
> adaptors, with no luck.
>
> any suggestions?
> eric garcia
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Harp-L is sponsored by SPAH, http://www.spah.org
> Harp-L@xxxxxxxxxx
> http://harp-l.org/mailman/listinfo/harp-l