The image that most concert-goers have of the rock musician is of the happy-go-lucky entertainer who is basically up on stage to have fun. That might be true to a certain extent, but a lot of work goes into making it possible for the performer to be heard long before he hits the stage. The guitarist, especially, is seldom thought of as tied to all that electrical apparatus standing behind him. He looks like a free agent, stalking around the stage looking for a spot suitable to his inspiration at the moment. Well, not only is his guitar tied to the equipment behind him, but to the microphone he sings into, as well. There’s a lot of voltage in the average rock concert hall (some groups travel with well over a ton of speakers, amplifiers, synthesizers, etc.) and, if they aren’t handled properly, all those watts can be extremely dangerous.

It used to be fun to watch the hairs curl on the lead guitarist’s head when his lips touched a loosely connected mike. Morbid, but fun. That’s just an example I’m sure everybody’s witnessed many times without taking much notice. Which is one of the problems: nobody knows what’s happening, except the dude it’s happening to. It’s hard for anybody to listen to the cries of Chicken Little when anyone can see perfectly well that the sky, although it is smog-coated black, is just not going to fall. But, in those immortal bumpersticker words, ‘Chicken Little was right.’

It happened in Swansea, Wales, last May 3 when Les Harvey, lead guitarist of a group called Stone the Crows, met a rather untimely death — electrocuted by a poorly connected mike. So the joke ends. When musical equipment, designed to give pleasure, takes a human life, it’s time to stifle it, Edith, and do a little learning.

It’s like the motorcycle syndrome. After watching Steve McQueen in The Great Escape, or Peter Fonda in Easy Rider, I’d venture to say that few thought in terms of the safety rules of proper bike handling. I mean, really, can you imagine yourself wheeling a fullblown chopper around with blinkers on it, or signaling a turn while escaping from the Nazis? Those are the kind of little things that start the psychological pile of screw-ups.

Before we get sidetracked with all those cute analogies, let’s get to the issue. First of all, never grab anything. And I mean anything. Whenever you pick up a plugged-in electric guitar or touch a microphone, slap it first to see if there is any current running through the component. If you don’t feel anything, then you can grab onto it.

Another little tip: never touch someone whp is holding a plugged-in electric axe, most definitely if you are also holding one. While in this case the shock is a mild one, it is still a must to avoid. I can remember when the lead guitarist in a band I was in broke a pick. I handed him an extra one and we were both thrown back about a foot as our fingers made contact. The problem was two different systems. He had his own amp, and I had mine. We, were, in effect, trading bad grounds. If both of us had been playing out of one amp, the problem wouldn’t have been so hazardous. The trouble becomes paramount when there is a guitarist touching his guitar (one system) and a microphone (another system) which is connected to the P.A.

For those electric guitarists who want to prevent a senseless death, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to purchase a volt-ohm meter, a device the electronic freaks have labeled the VOM. If you shop around at a few discount houses, you can pick one up for fifteen dollars or less (well worth it when you consider that the purchase could save a life). Once you’ve plugged in your guitar and all the systems are on, begin testing the grounds. Everything electric should be grounded. Set the VOM on the voltage scales for anything over 110 and begin touching the test lead wires to all metal surfaces, one lead to a microphone and the other to a guitar, then to another guitar, then to an amp. Try to get every possible combination of equipment you are using.

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Extension Chords

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If you get any kind of reading at all on the meter, you have current running between those two points, and that could mean danger. So start flipping ground switches or reversing plug outlets until you no longer get a reading on the VOM. Then test again. The problem you may come up against here is that by flipping the group switch on one piece of equipment, you could create a hazard which wasn’t there before. So be sure to double check all equipment combinations each time you flip a ground switch or reverse an outlet plug. If you are unable to clear, the grounds (if you’re still getting a reading on the VOM) something is wrong and you should probably substitute components until you find an arrangement where everything is clear.

Remember that a little piece of knowledge is a dangerous thing, especially in electronics; so investigate yourself. Ask an electrician or an electrical engineer. The purpose of this column isn’t to cease your Happy Electric Trails. Rather, it’s to add just a pittance of precaution to the fun of making music. With thousands upon thousands of electric bands around, the record of only one reported death is pretty good. But still, even that death was unnecessary. So watch yourself, and boogie ’till Niagara dries!