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Guitar life saver circuit

Posted: Thu Jan 24, 2013 8:42 am
by julkke
Hey, just wanted to share this. It's from Adrian Legg's "customizing your electric guitar" book: http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p146/G-log/shock.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This is a circuit that protects you from getting a shock through strings if for some reason something goes wrong and your chassis gets the wall voltage in it. This is unlikely to happen but safety first right? If you'd have the wall voltage in your chassis and simultaneously touched a vocal mic, without this circuit in your guitar you could DIE.

As shown in the book, the circuit consists of 1nf min. 500v cap and a 220k preferably 1w resistor in parallel, going in series with strings and the string ground. Now, you still get a shock that hurts but the point is it won't be at a harmful level.

Safety and peace guys :thumbsup:

Re: Guitar life saver circuit

Posted: Thu Jan 24, 2013 12:04 pm
by somethin'else
Zapp-Dang! Thanks julkke!

But if it affects my tone, then forget it! :stars: (but it shouldn't, right?)

Really nice tip to share :D

Re: Guitar life saver circuit

Posted: Thu Jan 24, 2013 12:08 pm
by julkke
It doesn't change the tone, I don't think even an oscilloscope could see it affecting!

Re: Guitar life saver circuit

Posted: Thu Jan 24, 2013 12:14 pm
by demonufo
220K? You could end up with a very noisy guitar, hum-wise, depending on how much interference there is flying about, and on how much you yourself are an antenna...

May work for some, may not work so well in all environments.

Re: Guitar life saver circuit

Posted: Thu Jan 24, 2013 12:51 pm
by julkke
I noticed no change in noise, good point anyway.