Ouch! My 5E3 clone just bit me!!!

red57strat · March 31st, 2008, 08:38 PM

I've had the amp for about a year. It's been fantastic until tonight.

I turned it on and got zapped. Not a lot of kick, just a strong tingle. My Fluke voltage sensor showed the chassis as hot. My vom showed 217 vac between the amp's chassis and ground. The reading at the outlet is 117vac.
I get the same readings on standby and power on.

I just turned the amp back on and it's not doing it anymore. It's quiet too.

Any idea what would cause this?

petebradt · March 31st, 2008, 09:06 PM

sounds like an intermittently funky ground in the power-supply section.

red57strat · March 31st, 2008, 10:00 PM

I hate intermittently funky things! I'd prefer they just be funky or not!

Guitarslinger1 · March 31st, 2008, 10:25 PM

I had that happen once. Got shocked, grabbed the meter and read something like you did in potential between the chassis of the offending amp and the chassis of another amp that was plugged into the same socket. I was puzzled for a moment till I noticed the cord of the offending amp's power cord was not plugged all the way into the socket.

Turns out the hot and neutral were making contact, but the ground pin was not. Plugged it in all the way, and everything was fine.

Open up your amp and check that the ground of the power cord is making proper contact with the chassis, and make sure everything else is in order. And be sure to plug the AC cord in firmly.

getbent · March 31st, 2008, 11:03 PM

I"ll bet you have a cold solder connection to ground... try the chopstick test on your grounds... one is gonna be loose.

red57strat · April 1st, 2008, 09:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by specialty guitars

I was puzzled for a moment till I noticed the cord of the offending amp's power cord was not plugged all the way into the socket.

Turns out the hot and neutral were making contact, but the ground pin was not. Plugged it in all the way, and everything was fine.

Dang! You're good!!!

I couldn't find anything wrong with the amp so I looked at the power strip that I plugged it into.

I found that one of the outlets, the one that I was plugged into, is messed up and doesn't make contact to ground every time. I was able to plug my outlet tester about 3/4 of the way in to the outlet and have it show an open ground.

I plugged the amp in and was able to easily duplicate what happened last night (without getting electrocuted)!

March 31st, 2008, 08:38 PM	#1 (permalink)
red57strat Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 1,311	Ouch! My 5E3 clone just bit me!!! I've had the amp for about a year. It's been fantastic until tonight. I turned it on and got zapped. Not a lot of kick, just a strong tingle. My Fluke voltage sensor showed the chassis as hot. My vom showed 217 vac between the amp's chassis and ground. The reading at the outlet is 117vac. I get the same readings on standby and power on. I just turned the amp back on and it's not doing it anymore. It's quiet too. Any idea what would cause this? __________________ Don

March 31st, 2008, 10:00 PM	#3 (permalink)
red57strat Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 1,311	I hate intermittently funky things! I'd prefer they just be funky or not! __________________ Don

March 31st, 2008, 11:03 PM	#5 (permalink)
getbent Moderator Doctor of Teleocity Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: San Benito County, California Posts: 10,610 37 Photos	I"ll bet you have a cold solder connection to ground... try the chopstick test on your grounds... one is gonna be loose. __________________ 'never pet a burning dog'

March 31st, 2008, 09:06 PM	#2 (permalink)
petebradt Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Niner Country Posts: 3,521 12 Photos	sounds like an intermittently funky ground in the power-supply section.

March 31st, 2008, 10:25 PM	#4 (permalink)
Guitarslinger1 Banned Tele-Holic Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 966	I had that happen once. Got shocked, grabbed the meter and read something like you did in potential between the chassis of the offending amp and the chassis of another amp that was plugged into the same socket. I was puzzled for a moment till I noticed the cord of the offending amp's power cord was not plugged all the way into the socket. Turns out the hot and neutral were making contact, but the ground pin was not. Plugged it in all the way, and everything was fine. Open up your amp and check that the ground of the power cord is making proper contact with the chassis, and make sure everything else is in order. And be sure to plug the AC cord in firmly.