Have You Ever Been Shocked Working On An Amp

[John C]

I've received one shock while working on an amp. I had an alligator-clip type jumper securely connected to each end of a (10k) resistor, and was holding the free ends of the jumpers - one in each hand. Applying the free ends across some filter caps to discharge them, I got a pretty good jolt through my arms and across my chest!

Still don't know why the electrons preferred my heart to the resistor. Yes, these days I use one just hand at a time.

[ChrisM]

Got shocked by 120V mains a bunch. No big deal with those, a little tingle.

Only real shock (real in my book) was touch a tonestack cap. I touched it on the side with DC voltage. So I got 200V or so DC on me. Not ideal

[malt]

No ,

[Dai H.]

I remember once I was shocked at how bad my mod sounded.

[Cliff Schecht]

Every amp I've built has shocked me at least once, and I'm pretty frickin careful! My newest Express hasn't gotten me yet though and it seems to be working pretty well.. .

One amplifier I was working on was a parallel 6AK6 guitar amp with a HV switching power supply of my own design. It was pretty cool because with the B+ at 125V you would just get a slight tingle on the fingers but when I turned the voltage up to 250V, it was more of an uncomfortable pinch but still didn't hurt because the thing was current limited enough.

One thing I do now when working inside of an amplifier is to hook my clippy leads up to the highest B+ and ground, or preferably straight to the HV bulk capacitance. This gives me visual confirmation that I'm not going to shock the piss out of myself reaching into the amp with a pair of pliers.

[wicker]

I was once. It was my first build, on pcb. The amp was off, but there was still some voltage on caps, I wanted to pull off the pcb and touched mass by one hand and + by other. Funny thing, my hands starded to shake and I didn't knew what is going on at the begining, though, it didn't hurt, lol.
But never been shocked by 230AC (I'm from Europe)

[JamesHealey]

I've had several shocks around the 300-550vdc mark and a few 240vac... all one handed though.. they're a horrible experience for sure.. ac is worse for sure holds u there whilst it rapes your hand of all feelin.. dc isn't quite as bad.

[Structo]

Ah my old thread resurrects.

I guess my current avatar speaks volumes about getting shocked.

I've been bit a few times, always due to carelessness.

Never across the chest with the HT but it can make one hand pretty sore for a while.
I hate that!

[Cliff Schecht]

I've had several shocks around the 300-550vdc mark and a few 240vac... all one handed though.. they're a horrible experience for sure.. ac is worse for sure holds u there whilst it rapes your hand of all feelin.. dc isn't quite as bad.

Agreed, DC just burns you pretty badly whereas AC gives you that nasty pulsating feeling and then burns you.

[Structo]

Something I always heard but don't know if it is true that a high voltage DC shock is worse than the same AC voltage.
The argument goes that with the AC since it returns to zero as it cycles it is easier to let go of than a steady current of DC.
The stories of the person frozen to the wiring unable to let go is supposedly because DC voltage is steady and does not go to zero so your muscles freeze and you can't let go.

Any of you know the truth here?

[Cygnus X1]

Never shocked working on one.

I am careful to extremes...and cheap meters are cheap
insurance.
I've hooked up 4 meters at one time...certain times.

BUT.
Been shocked a few times while playing guitar.
'67 Deluxe Reverb "bit me" when I was barefoot and stepped on an aluminum threshold while goofing off.

Same with the old POS 70's amps when I was a young sprout.

[selloutrr]

Once.
I had a lamp with an arm on my top shelf that in order to turn it on or off you had to reach over and roll the wheel. I added additional vu metering to my variac to increase the scale and had them in front of the lamp. My forearm connected the binding posts of the AC hookups while I was turning on the lamp. It held me for a couple seconds my arm tingled for a day or two. The lamp was promptly moved! I still have two earplug sized burn marks ghosting my skin it happened 6+ years ago.

[Cliff Schecht]

We were using an amp I made at practice for a rehearsal . At that time, I didn't have a capacitor isolating the input jack from the first preamp stage and when the singer went to sing into his mic (plugged into another amp), playing guitar through my amp, it shocked the piss out of him and cut our song short. I laughed, he didn't .

[Bob S]

Remember guys - it's only a shock if you're not expecting it.
And by the way, 120 vac only counts as a surprise.
Be Lucky...

[Chad]

I've had several shocks around the 300-550vdc mark and a few 240vac... all one handed though.. they're a horrible experience for sure.. ac is worse for sure holds u there whilst it rapes your hand of all feelin.. dc isn't quite as bad.

Same here. About my third build (Deluxe reverb) I was doing some trouble shooting and got hit HARD I have since learned much but have had a few 120v hit me,but 120 almost feels good after 300v or so. Well maybe not good Chad