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is this THE Craig Anderton of Electronic Projects For Musicians fame?


zurdo1

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I still have his 1970's book and the vinyl record that came with it. :love:

Mr. Anderton also had a great column in Guitar Player Magazine.

 

since then, I have been hearing in other forums, that people are still recommending connecting a Ground wire to the Tailpiece or Bridge, when Mr. Anderton clearly proposes is a shock risk which may have electrocuted many guitarists in the 1960's.

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I have been hearing in other forums, that people are
still recommending
connecting a Ground wire to the Tailpiece or Bridge, when Mr. Anderton clearly proposes is a shock risk which may have electrocuted many guitarists in the 1960's.

 

 

Yes he is the Craig you speak of.

I'd like to see your documented proof musicians dieing.

Having been a guitarist for over 4 decades and seeing all the idiots out there

musicins would be dropping like flys if it was truely that dangerous.

 

Strings are connected to ground. They have to be to minimize hum.

You body acts as a ground shield to block EMF and the body carries the AC radio waves (EMF) hum to ground.

What has changed since the 60s is grounded outlets. Most all amps today have grounded AC cords that makes the amp chassis safe.

In the old days, before the 2 prong plugs were different sizes you could plug in backwards and have a hot chassis.

Amp manufacturers put in polarity reverse switches to correct the polarity. This was something musicians knew or learned quickly after getting zapped once.

 

Other than getting a nasty zap I dont know of anyone who died from a polarity shock. I'm not saying it cant happen. Its always recomended you

use your god given brain if you got one to minimize hazzards working around electricity. I've been bitten thousands of times as an electronic tech

or putting my lip on a reverse polarity mic. It will let you know you got a problem. You always know an experienced musician when he tests a mic

to see if its hot. He'll do the quick temp test to see if the kettle is hot with his finger before putting his lip on a mic.

 

In reality, the body does need to be well grounded to earth, like standing on a wet concrete floor in bare feet to get the full charge.

Of course someone with a weak heart should learn the basics of working safely with electricity too.

 

 

Some who have gotten shocks and are overly afraid of shocks should carry a polarity tester to test outlets and never bypass the ground plug.

 

You can also put a capacitor between the guitar strings and ground.

This will remove the high current that can occur yet still allow the body to block EMF.

 

Its also best to connect your equipment to the same outlet loop vs different electrical loops back to the circuit breaker box

so you dont have ground leakage an potential shock hazzards that way.

 

Being knowlegable and checking connection safety is always your best defence against potential hazzards.

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Google results only bring up two verified deaths I can find.

The rest are all forums full of BS with nothing verifyable

 

Leslie Harvey and John Rostill

Both died overseas where the voltage runs at 240VAC vs 120V here in the US.

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Yes, that's me :) Not to be confused with Craig Anderton, the British soccer star, or the ultra-hot model Sophie Anderton.

 

I recommend connecting the strings to ground through a capacitor large enough to pass hum frequencies. That way there's no direct connection to ground.

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Corrected, thanks. I'm a lousey two finger typer. I've never been able to retrain my hands from playing

notes on a keyboard from such an early age to typing letters.

I've given up trying to type well a long time ago. Its still better than trying to handwright though.

Now thats something I wouldnt wish on anyone. Its funny too because both of my parents

had expert handwriting.

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Google results only bring up two verified deaths I can find.

The rest are all forums full of BS with nothing verifyable


Leslie Harvey and John Rostill

Both died overseas where the voltage runs at 240VAC vs 120V here in the US.

Those are the only two famous people. I'd bet dollars to donuts there were more who weren't famous.

 

BTW, it's the frequency that kills, not the voltage (in this case). It disrupts the solar plexus, causing cardiac arrest. I heard that the worst case frequencies are in the 50 to 60 hz range -- imagine that! Higher voltage does increase the likelihood of injury, and definitely increases the pain of accidental but nonfatal contact.

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Yes! You have arrived at OZ and The Wizard does live here, but even if you travel down the yellow brick road to the castle, he won't be able to give you a new brain or heart if you electrocute yourself. So be careful with that guitar !

 

One of the Munchkins

 

I still have his 1970's book and the vinyl record that came with it.
:love:
Mr. Anderton also had a great column in Guitar Player Magazine.


since then, I have been hearing in other forums, that people are
still recommending
connecting a Ground wire to the Tailpiece or Bridge, when Mr. Anderton clearly proposes is a shock risk which may have electrocuted many guitarists in the 1960's.

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Yes, that's me
:)
Not to be confused with Craig Anderton, the British soccer star, or the ultra-hot model Sophie Anderton.


I recommend connecting the strings to ground through a capacitor large enough to pass hum frequencies. That way there's no direct connection to ground.

 

thanks Craig for your reply. during the 1960's and British Invasion days, many guitarists were electrocuted, some onstage while performing, try researching Rolling Stone Magazine for the stories. Othewise my concern is now, not then;

Rickenbacker and most other manufacturers (as far as I know), still connect this ground wire to the tailpiece but no capacitor as far as I know. I cut those ground wires in all my guitars after reading your articles in GP magazine and in your book back in the 1970's. They've been fine since and I'm still alive, no shocks to speak of. Should I reconnect them wires?

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  • 2 weeks later...
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I get shocked every single time I play. Shocked at how {censored}'n awesome a guitar player I am.:lol: I'm a legend in my own mind I tell ya.

 

My test has always been to gently touch my guitar strings to my mic grille and look for little blue sparks and the sound of arcing.

 

Check this little beauty out! Takes it to a whole new dimension.

 

Keith_shock.jpg

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I still have his 1970's book and the vinyl record that came with it.
:love:
Mr. Anderton also had a great column in Guitar Player Magazine.


since then, I have been hearing in other forums, that people are
still recommending
connecting a Ground wire to the Tailpiece or Bridge, when Mr. Anderton clearly proposes is a shock risk which may have electrocuted many guitarists in the 1960's.

 

Used to own his "home recording for musicians" (at least I think that's what it was called?) which came out circa 1976; great book. The dude actually looked like Sting on the front cover. I think my brother might have ripped that one off of me.

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  • 3 years later...
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I too have all Guru Craig's books with the 'floppy' vinyl records and have been a follower since Godbout and Guitar Player columns. Awesome guy to me and my guitar interests.

 

I recently came across a Craig Anderton Tremolo circuit board layout and have searched the internet far and wide for the article that goes with his original version. Not the updated Guitar Gadget's one with the Maxim +/-9 volt chip. Still running a CA pedal board I built before pedal boards came into popularity.

 

Anyone know where I can get one? Craig???????

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