VintageKustom.com: Repairing Kustom Amps » Help! I'm getting shocked! (repost from comment board forum)

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Help! I'm getting shocked! (repost from comment board forum) [message #4917]

Sat, 02 October 2004 11:07

jsoffron
Messages: 2
Registered: October 2004

Junior Member

I wasn't sure whether this message should go in here or in the comment board, so I'm putting it in both...I hope I don't offend by doing that; I'm just kind of desperate to get some help, because I'm in the midst of doing some recording and I could really use this amp to do what I'm trying to do.

I've got a K200 b5 PA head, and a big problem. I've been using the amp for guitar for several years now (though a 2x15 trace elliot bass cab, incidentally, which makes a really nice combination) but haven't been able to use it for the past 6 months or so because whenever I plug it in it shocks me. It shocks me whenever I touch metal parts on the amp, but it also shocks me even when I'm playing the guitar, straight though the guitar (i.e. if I touch the strings or metal parts on the guitar, I get a shock). It's not like I get a short, isolated shock, either - it's more like current constantly running out of the amp and into my body. It hasn't killed me - yet - but it definitely puts the fear into me.

This is both very frustrating, because I love the sound of the amp, and probably very dangerous. Does anyone know what this could be? It has the original 2 prong power cable...could changing this to a 3 prong be enough to fix it? Could it be something else? When I took it out of the chasis and looked at it, I didn't see any loose wires. I'm not an electrician, though, and those are some pretty big caps, so I didn't really root around at all...I just looked to see if there was anything that was obviously awry.

*Any* tips or suggestions would be very, very appreciated. I'm afraid that the cost of repairing it will overshadow the cost of replacing it, so I want to get any info I can before I decide what to do.

Incidentally - the serial number is 27628, if that helps at all.

Thanks in advance-

-jake.

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Re: Help! I'm getting shocked! (repost from comment board forum) [message #4918 is a reply to message #4917]

Sat, 02 October 2004 14:34

voided3
Messages: 200
Registered: July 2004

Senior Member

Hello. A three prong cord would be a great help, but by the sound of it, current is leaking out from a cap or a transformer or something, so I'll leave the further diagnostic of the situation to someone with more in depth knowledge of the wiring. Good luck!

P.S- there are a bunch of other posts with info on installing a three prong cord, just do a search, but i'd wait to open up the amp again to avoid the risk of getting shocked.

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Re: Help! I'm getting shocked! (repost from comment board forum) [message #4928 is a reply to message #4917]

Thu, 07 October 2004 11:57

stevem
Messages: 4758
Registered: June 2004
Location: NY

Senior Member

take the amp to a tech and have them install a grounded cord, and check the a/c bypass cap on the primary side of the transfromer.

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