Shocked!!!

[hdlcx2]

Fortunatly, I'm not refrerring to an AC/DC shock but am serious about getting SHOCKED every time I touch my tube amp and even the CD Player that is connected to it.

The volume control knob is aluminium and the on/off toggle switch is rubber covered.

It is very dis-comforting. Everytime I go to adjust the volume and even to turn the amp off it gives me a sizable static shock!

Would anyone have any ideas on why this is happening and any suggestions as to what I can do to stop it happening?

Regards

Will

[aardvarkash10]

=5kv static charge. The amp etc are earthed, and form a discharge circuit. Worse if its hot and dry weather.

[hdlcx2]

Hi and thanks, aardvarkash10.

Thing is I have tile floors, no carpet or rug. I've also tried wearing different shoes, rubber and leather soles.

Still, I get shocked everytime I touch the amp. Sometimes it is quite a jolt.

I am going to try re-arranging the plugs.

I may end up replacing the aluminium volume control knob with a wooden one but that is not really solving the problem is it?

Ha, I just noticed you're in Auckland. I've recently returned to the US after having lived in NZ for 20 years. I love New Zealand. Small world.

Cheers

[jon_010101]

Do you happen to have a microfiber couch?

I had one CD player that would "reboot" every time I static-shocked it. It would drop the spinning CD on the platter and completely flip out. Not cool

[Tweeker]

If you touch it twice in a row and it shocks you a second time, its not static.

[hdlcx2]

Hi Jon

Actually, I do have a Microfiber office chair that is my main chair that I sit in this room. It is the one I get up from to go and adjust the volume or turn the amp off.

It is a pretty tired old chair though, not much micro fiber left on the arms. Good suggestion and point though.

And yes, it is not cool. Quite annoying actually.

Thanks

[m6tt]

Sounds like "real" electricity to me too...
I'd check it with a DMM...you can put the neg lead in the screw terminal on a ground lift adapter. I'd imagine that something is accidentally shorted to chassis, or your house may be wired improperly.

[Akita]

Have you test it with Test pen?

[Iain McNeill]

that was my first thought - live-neutral swap somewhere with a 2-pin power cord. Systematic testing with a DMM will confirm or otherwise.

[hdlcx2]

Hi tweeker

It shocks me everytime I touch it.

That is, either I or the Amp builds up charge.

When it first gives me a shock and I touch it immediatly afterwards then it will not. It takes a couple of minutes to build up.

Therefore, I have gotten into the habbit of sort of hitting it quickly, the voulme knob, then adjusting the volume, so as to not get such a shock, but it is still uncomfortable.