Now HERE is a long-overdue safety idea!

[jrfrond]

Too bad no one thought of this when death caps and 2-prong AC cords were in vogue:

https://www.taylorguitars.com/taylor...id=1009&page=1

Question is, why didn't one of us "geniuses" ever come up with this??? It makes SO much sense that it's stupid! 20+ years ago, this could have saved lives!

[tedmich]

its not a bad idea but I am cheap and just try to remember to not lick the mic while I am fretting...

course it might be a pain getting it replaced if it blows:
Any luck with string ground cancelling buzz? - The Acoustic Guitar Forum

$16 is a bit much, but if you can afford a Taylor...

are shocks common?

[defaced]

are shocks common?

If the mains wiring is out of spec/miswiried, and your amp and the PA are plugged into outlets with different wiring, then yes. I've had to body check my vocalist once, and that was about 5 years ago. If I were a gigging musician, I would have this in my guitar(s) that have/has passive pickups.

That 16 bucks is for a set of two. That's not bad IMO considering it can save your life.

[Brad1]

String ground? How much good's that gonna do on a Tele, with the metal knobs and control plate? You can keep playing...just don't touch the pots or plate? If it blows , why WOULD you keep playing? Something's WRONG!

Maybe in line from the jack, perhaps? Can't keep playing...but then, less chance of getting your new frizz-do.

Anyone?

Brad1

[R.G.]

... considering it can save your life.

Maybe.

Let's assume for the moment that it works as people think that fuses do - that is, it never blows when the current is 99.99% of the rated current, and blows instantly when the current through it is 100.1% of the rated current.

The human sensitivity to electrical current is variable. It depends on age, health, previous heart conditions, and so on. The "death begins at 20ma" idea is a gross generalization. Leakage currents of a few microamps can and have stopped hearts in operating theaters. The 20ma number assumes healthy person and heart, and normal skin resistance.

Then there's the issue of "works as people think fuses do". Fuses are not designed to blow at 100.0000% of rated current. They are designed NOT to blow at rate current. That's quite different. Depending on the fuse technology, it may take a long time to blow at 110% of rating - this can be hours! - and it's not all that quick at 200%. Again, it varies by the fuse technology.

Then there is the legal climate. Somewhere there is a lawyer rubbing his hands together in anticipation of the first person getting a shock from a guitar with this device in it. It's very legally chancy to market safety/protection devices. Buy lots of insurance.

And last, there is a device that's even cheaper that can offer protection from shock and hum. It's called a resistor. I remember an old prescription for shock-safe but hum free string grounding calling for a 220K resistor bypassed by a ceramic capacitor. The resistor limited the low frequency current. A 120V potential across a 220K resistor only delivers half a milliamp, only 20% of the 10ma fuse rating. The cap "shorts" RF picked up buzz and the resistor stops the real low frequency hum.

I wonder if I can sell resistor/cap "safety devices" for $10 for a kit of two.

[R.G.]

String ground? How much good's that gonna do on a Tele, with the metal knobs and control plate? You can keep playing...just don't touch the pots or plate? If it blows , why WOULD you keep playing? Something's WRONG!

Maybe in line from the jack, perhaps? Can't keep playing...but then, less chance of getting your new frizz-do.

All the grounds are connected together. If you're careful, you can isolate them all from the jack ground.

[tedmich]

Course this wouldn't have saved Leslie "Les" Harvey, vocalist of
"Stone The Crows" who died in 1972 after being electrocuted onstage at Swansea's Top Rank Ballroom.

It MAY have saved former Yardbird Keith Relf who apparently got grounded by a hidden gas pipe in his basement while playing a live guitar in 1976.

And Maybe the winning bidder wouldn't have the rare super 8 film of Keith having his strings melted onstage in Sacramento in 1965:
Keith Richards' electrocution up for grabs | News | NME.COM
saved by his hushpuppies! (<$16 a pair?)

This guy would still be dead,
http://blogcritics.org/music/article...ing-snoop-set/
(Snoop concert; likely felt no pain)

[jrfrond]

While not quite infallible, I still think it's actually a good idea, even if it wouldn't be effective 100% of the time. In extraordinary cases, it could save a life.

However, I DO get the legal aspect here. This device would have to be installed with a disclaimer in HUGE print stating that there are no guarantees.

I am not running out to fuse my guitars or anyone else's, but still, it shows that some people are thinking.

[R.G.]

... still, it shows that some people are thinking.

How about a guitar cord GFI?

You could make one of these things to sense ground current in the shield and open both the shield and the signal cable (or leave perhaps a 1M in both of them) before the shock was perceptible.

More complicated than throwing a fuse at it, but much more reliable. You could actually bound what it really did instead of hoping.

Probably more importantly, it could be added to any guitar; just plug it in right at the end of the cord to the guitar.

Oh, wait... I'lll call you back as soon as I get back from the patent office...

[Steve Conner]

I don't remember 10 milliamp fuses being available. The smallest one you could get used to be 50mA, which is still plenty enough to kill you, and a fuse can usually carry several times its rated current for a few seconds. I still wouldn't necessarily count on a 10mA fuse to save me.

If you're really concerned about getting shocked from your guitar, use a wireless system.

[shredhead]

Guitars are like power tools. Proper safety (insulated) footwear must be worn.

[Rob's Radio-Active]

I don't remember 10 milliamp fuses being available. The smallest one you could get used to be 50mA, which is still plenty enough to kill you, and a fuse can usually carry several times its rated current for a few seconds. I still wouldn't necessarily count on a 10mA fuse to save me.

If you're really concerned about getting shocked from your guitar, use a wireless system.

I agree. Or a GFCI, at least.

[David King]

I had a long discussion with a group of EE folks when this idea first came out and the conclusion was that adding a fusible was in fact a legal liability. NEC is very clear that all metal parts on a guitar or any other accessory that gets plugged into something that's plugged into the wall need to be permanently grounded. If the amp or the PA is a 2 prong plug that isn't polarized or the outlet has the hot and neutral reversed, it's not the guitar maker's fault or responsibility. The liability lies with the club owner or the electrician or the permitting authority. I see a GFCI as the only reliable measure of protection and it saves altering vintage guitars or what have you. (And let's face it there are far too many guitarists out there.)

[Mick Bailey]

NEC is very clear that all metal parts on a guitar or any other accessory that gets plugged into something that's plugged into the wall need to be permanently grounded.

Maybe the rules are different in the US, but in Europe most electro-acoustics don't have the strings grounded, and there are plenty of metal-cased products that are Class II. Only Class 1 (or o1) appliances need to be grounded.

[pdf64]

Yes, I don't quite get why it's ok for eg hifi not to be grounded, as the user is expected to be in contact with the circuit 0V, via the connectors.