Potential Hazard in 70's Fender Convenience Outlet Wiring?!

[Justin Thomas]

Also, perhaps Fender employees in early part of 70's were use to wiring in 2 prong versions of the convenience outlet? Even then weren't many of those 2 prong sockets polarized with wider neutral? Then again back then how many 2 prong plugs were polarized? Lot's of questions to my post since I did not exist prior to 1978 .

I just recall in my days before I knew better, it was a LOT easier to rip out the ground pin of the plug to fit it in a polarozed socker than it was to grind the polarized plug's wider pin down flat... so many houses I lived in where the sockets weren't polarized, let alone wired for 3-prong plugs!

Justin

[Steve A.]

Just worked on a 74 Super Six that had reversed connections to the convenience outlet. Original line cord with the red plug on the end that always has a broken ground pin. I debated just replacing the plug but I found a 10 foot extension cord that was the right diameter to fit the strain relief. Had to replace the white wire that goes over to the Polarity switch because it wasn't long enough to reach the neutral terminal of the outlet. What were they thinking with those terminals they used to solder the wires too? Job was a giant pain in the ass. Next time I'm just replacing the plug no matter how ugly it looks.

With a little bit of glue you don't have to worry about a replacement plug separating from the cable. I recommend Helios light-cured adhesive which also has CA in for a double bond. (Link to follow if I remember...)

Steve A.

[Chuck H]

I once filed a product safety complaint with UL for a Chinese manufactured GFCI that bore a UL certification, yet was unsafe. The result is that UL instituted a follow-up investigation that resulted in the product being de-certified and pulled from stores. It appeared that the manufacturer had modified the product after the product had received it's UL certification, which is a technical no-no. Any design change voids the UL certification.

That makes you a hero in my book If there were more people investigating and holding import goods accountable to US standards (not to mention the acceptable human and environmental debitage of manufacturing) our economy would be A LOT better off. As it is, of course, this is under the control of the government, which is under the control of the corporations. But this a different discussion. Still, you were part of the solution in this one thing. If all of us could claim that it would make a difference.