Ow!!!

[Dr Stankface]

Ok. I'm sitting here with my bass in my lap with my left arm laying over the neck touching the B string and all of a sudden.... ZAP!

I'm guessing there must be a grounding issue or something and it's going through me and that crap hurts. Any suggestions?

 

[TheDirtyMoocher]

true story:

one time my friend was playing guitar in a lightning storm and it struck near his house causing an electrical current to travel through the wall socket, into his amp, down his cable, into his strings, and into him. it made the strings glow blue and threw his heart temporarily into arythmea, but he was fine after it passed.

it could have been something like that in your case stanky...or a grounding issue

 

[Steve Dude Barr]

You weren't perhaps still wet from taking a shower were you??

 

[Figjam]

You weren't perhaps still wet from taking a shower were you??

Stole my post ><

 

[Dr Stankface]

I bleeb I fixed the problem. Switched outlets. All if well.

 

[todd4ta]

A really good investment is an outlet tester, available from electronics stores everywhere. It just looks like a 3-prong plug with lights that tell you if the socket is grounded properly.

Very good to use in an unfamiliar place before plugging your amp in (or at home as it were....)

 

[Big Poppa]

I just think that a litle extra time spent towelling off would be a quick fix

 

[SharonG]

I just think that a litle extra time spent towelling off would be a quick fix

ROTFL

Check the grounding and wire on your amp - that's my first suspect!

 

[MingusBASS]

I just think that a litle extra time spent towelling off would be a quick fix

Gold...That's so freak'n gold.

 

[BigStrings]

If the receptacle is ungrounded and reverse polarity (hot and neutral reversed), it could also cause a similar problem.

I can remember playing some of the older legion halls where the receptacles were ungrounded. Playing my bass and stepping into my SM 58 Shure ball mic to achieve a vocal harmony balance could be a shocking experience.

 

[Bill]

Yeah, just Monday evening I did a little gig, and when I began testing my SM58, talk about electricity running through my lips! I switched to the 57 & all was well.

 

[Freddels]

Ok. I'm sitting here with my bass in my lap with my left arm laying over the neck touching the B string and all of a sudden.... ZAP!

Any suggestions?

Umm yeah, don't do that again.