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Posted: Mon Mar 09, 2009 9:47 pm
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Gazzy wrote:
Can you just get electrocuted by touching the strings?


Yep, if you have a bad ground in the amp and you're standing on a conducting surface like wet ground.

If I needed to play under conditions like that, I'd look for a power line conditioner that had ground fault protection. I'm not sure if such a thing is made, but if so, the GF feature is designed to trip before you can be electrocuted in the event that you form a short circuit.

I'll look tomorrow if I get a chance. Unfortunately, the one I use is only intended to clean up power (surge suppression and filtering). It's designed for indoor use and helps protect your amp as well as filtering noise out of the power line.


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Post subject: Re: Playing in the rain...
Posted: Tue Mar 10, 2009 12:42 pm
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I was attempting to edit my original post. More below..

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Last edited by BCbassman on Tue Mar 10, 2009 12:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Posted: Tue Mar 10, 2009 12:52 pm
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Gazzy wrote:
Can you just get electrocuted by touching the strings?


You will get electrocuted by touching the strings and something else that is grounded and causes electrical current to cross your heart. Something else can be a microphone, a metal stand touching the ground, scaffolding, a metal fence post or chain link fence, the other guitar player's guitar or bass. The problem occurs when your body is the shortest path to ground for the electricity running through your amp.

One thing can help and that is if you have a resistor installed on the ground wire of your guitar, so that the resistor blows if a ground fault occurs. You can also install active pickups like EMGs. They don't use a ground wire to the bridge of the guitar and are safer in that respect.

Don't get me wrong. I have played outside under flimsy covers before but I always reserve the right to shut the gig down if bad wheather threatens.

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Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2009 5:32 pm
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What if its effects :?:

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Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2009 1:52 pm
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When I played in the high school band, the old guitar amp had a bad ground or some other electrical problem and would dry shock the player at times. I would hate tho think of faulty wiring in elements.
BUSH played Glycerine in the rain at MTV spring break 1996.
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Posted: Thu Apr 09, 2009 7:17 am
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Remember that awful idea- Woodstock 94? Rained like crazy. Happens at Wraped Tour quite frequently.

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Post subject: playing in the rain
Posted: Tue Apr 14, 2009 2:01 am
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I've played outdoors a little myself. got cought in a rain storm or two but we shut it down when that happens. usually outdoor gigs for us are free for our friends. put to each his own.


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Posted: Sun Apr 26, 2009 10:06 pm
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I would never play in the rain ..... dangerous stuff...


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Posted: Wed May 27, 2009 12:17 pm
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You can get electrocuted by touching the strings of your bass and then touching a microphone or coming in contact with another electric guitar that is on a reverse polarity. This can happen with no rain at all!

If you and your equipment are getting wet- water is a conductor and any live power cord, outlet or amplifier is capable of shocking you to death if the connection to ground is made through your body.

Pay attention to the outlet grounding in your residence. If you practice in a basement and use a vintage amp with a two prong plug, you are likely to get shocked it you reverse the polarity of your old amp and touch a metal pipe or beam.

Don't mess with electricity. Every bassplayer and guitarist should understand the risks and lethal nature of electric power.

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Posted: Wed Jun 03, 2009 9:46 am
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ive played in rain, my amp shorted out and caut on fire it realy suked caus it wasnt my amp


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Posted: Wed Jun 03, 2009 10:06 am
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Be thankful that it was just the amp that caught fire and not you!

Lets be careful out there.

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Posted: Wed Jun 03, 2009 11:25 am
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To amplify my post on the first page, my grandfather always said that water and electricity do not mix. And he ought to know since he was licensed electrician for 55 years. My other grandfather worked for the public power company for years and he said the same thing.

Both died peacfully at home of old age, not with fried hair standing in a pool of water. 'Nuff said?


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Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 7:09 am
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We played in the rain but well the amps were at the back n were well covered but we're were soaked.. One time the guitarist and the drummer felt a mild shock but well I was surprisingly safe.. but anyways i got used to it like everytime we had a gig, it rains...


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Posted: Thu Aug 27, 2009 9:06 am
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You have to touch your strings and another grounded object that has a reverse polarity from your guitar or bass to be injured or killed. It can be a microphone or a metal pipe or a fencepost.
Your body completes the circuit. That's how electrocution works.

If your amp and p.a. and all other amps are safely grounded, you won't get shocked. I have played in clubs that had bad grounds, no fun.

I will say that my band just did another outdoor gig last weekend, but we were under cover and it did rain but we were careful to make sure that none of our equipment got wet and we were safely grounded before we started to play.

You don't have to avoid all outdoor gigs. You just have to take precautions.

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Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2009 12:29 pm
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I always try to avoid playing outdoor with my band when it looks like rain, for we did it once ... we never had problems with electricity but playing in the rain is no fun at all, it's wet and cold and my leadguitarrist caught a cold after all :roll:


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