From an inSync reader: “One of my close friends was electrocuted during an outdoorperformance Saturday night. He grabbed a guitar from one of his bandmates while holding onto his own guitar. He was unable to release either guitar and the jolt finally knocked him unconscious.He was rushed to the hospital and is now doing okay.”
Scary stuff!
Most shocking experiences on stage occur when a person playing a guitar or bass that has grounded metal strings touches a microphone connected to an improperly grounded PA system, although it can also happen in this sort of situation, between two guitars. We suggest purchasing a simple light-bulb based “mains tester,” which looks sort of like a screwdriver, but has a high-value resistor and light bulb. Touch the tester’s leads to your mic and guitar, between two guitars, or anything else that’s plugged in; if the bulb lights, there’s a problem! This is an easy and safe way to verify that there is no current/voltage present that might be dangerous.