My Sunn's shocking me pretty bad

[saosin88]

So this is my first post on this board. I'm a drummer but i've been playing guitar for about 3 years now and figured it was time to fix up my amp.

I have a 1968 Sunn Solarus. It's the 40watt 2x12 combo version(there isn't a mid boost switch). This was recently given to me by my mom. She bought it around 74' and it immediately gravitated to the back of her closet. The amp is in perfect condition aside from one tube which needs to be replaced (broken during a move, pin housing looks fine tho).

The only problem i can find with it is that every once in a while i'll feel a serious shock. Now i've heard this is a semi common problem with the solarus and some have said it has something to do with the polarity switch. As i've learned more about guitar, i realized that the RCA cables for the reverb tank are missing. Could this have something to do with the shocks? The plug is a simple two prong with no ground.

Any input would be greatly appreciated. This is the first site i've found that seems to be helpful towards sunn owners and i'm pretty jazzed.

Gregg

[saosin88]

PS

i'll definitely get some pictures up tomorrow, i've been looking for a couple years and still haven't found a picture of the 60's solarus combo's

[pickinatit]

Are you getting the shocks when/if you touch other pieces of equipment, like a microphone or another guitar or just getting them at random from your own guitar ?  Are you using any effects pedals or anything ?
Just in general, even if it is not the whole problem, I would recommend having the two prong plug replaced with a three prong, grounded plug.
I'd say that's a good place to start.
If your problem is something else I'll leave that to the "techy types" on this site.
Getting shocked, especially when touching other gear was a "fact of life" back in the day when your amplifier was "born".

EDIT: BTW,  as a fellow Solarus owner,  I don't think the Solarus is particularly known for that problem, at least no worse then any other amps that don't have grounded plugs as far as I'm aware.

[CLD]

Does it have a three-prong plug?  I've been shocked on occasion with the two-prong plug amps, which is why all but one of my vintage amps have been converted.

[loudthud]

Try putting the ground switch in the other position. Before you touch a microphone, hold the guitar headstock up to the mic and let it touch one of the tuners. If you see sparks, reverse the switch.

[xsolarusx]

Pretty much what everyone has said, including to make sure where you're plugging into is grounded.

Otherwise, you cannot go wrong with owning a Solarus of any type.

[saosin88]

first off, thanks for the replies. i had no idea this forum was that active, i mainly post on a drum builders forum and things move a little slower over there hahaha

pickinatit -

if i touched any other equipment i'd get a shock, and would sporadically get shocked from my own guitar. i wasn't running any  effects. i'm definitely going to look into a 3 prong plug mod. i also realized that i was in my garage at the time and you could say that the wiring isn't exactly modern so that may also be the problem. once i get the tube replaced i'll be able to give 'er a couple tests.

as i said i'm a drummer, so i'm not exactly familiar with this "fact of life" lol. haven't gotten many shocks from my set hahahaha

CLD-

two prong.

LoudTHud -

what do you mean by the ground switch? is that what the polarity switch does? (i feel like i may be asking a stupid question)

[biltmore]

two prong.

Ouch!

[loudthud]

I forget if it says ground or polarity. Its the switch in the middle on the front right side.

[mc2]

Wow....No drummer jokes yet?

[Isaac]

I forget if it says ground or polarity. Its the switch in the middle on the front right side.

It's labeled "POLARITY".

[djc]

back in the day when power wasn't reliable nor was the install as to where the hot wire was, you could switch 'polarity' of the power.  the 110v would run on the 'hot' (black usually) or nuetral (white) by a flip of the switch.  what it does now since most 110v (120 or whatever depending on where you live, 117v here) is regulated and hot is (should be) on the black wire, if the switch is in the wrong position voltage is applied through the amp and into your guitar, straight through your stings to you.  as you touch another path to ground (anything else plugged in) you get a nasty shock.  a real zinger on the lips if you eat your mic.
since I haven't changed my 2 prong yet(I know, retard) I put a white dot on my 2 prong plug indicating nuetral.  and my polarity switch down.  test and play.  I also use a power conditioner which tests and regulates the voltage going to my equipment.

my explaination of the polarity for these amps may be off, sorry, there are wiser individuals than me on this site.  fact is polarity switch up, I get zapped.  down I don't because I test where the nuetral goes and plug it in that way.  easier safer solution, trade that plug and cord out for a 3 prong and I think disconect the polarity switch

[saosin88]

sweet. thanks djc, at least now i know what the polarity switch is for and i have a general idea of what the problem is.

so i just ordered a new tube and picked up a power conditioner. now i gotta find a shop that'll switch my two prong to a three and i should be crankin this thing.

mc2,

lol i thought i'd be gettin ragged on left and right but if you got em lemme hear em hahaha i live pretty far northeast and it's a bitch to practice in the cold so i started picking up guitar through the winters. my father got me into drums with his beat up ludwig set, while my mom forgot to mention she had a vintage sunn with a original 69' gibson sg in the closet. didn't think to tell me about it till i went out and dropped 200 on a squire and 20watt amp a couple years ago. truth be told i'm a little nervous to even touch the thing hahaha i've seen a couple people snap the neck just tapping the head stock on a head or post.

[mc2]

mc2,

lol i thought i'd be gettin ragged on left and right but if you got em lemme hear em hahaha i live pretty far northeast and it's a bitch to practice in the cold so i started picking up guitar through the winters. my father got me into drums with his beat up ludwig set,

You had me laughing at the image of a drummer in a dark basement, walking over from his kit curious about the pilot light on and putting his finger to a SUNN head with the polarity reversed and jumping back like a shocked ape....then waiting a few minutes and doing it all over again..hahahaha. Like a bad GEICO commercial! hahahaha.

But I didn't want to rag on you too much with the drum jokes. Even though I've been a bass player forever...I am also a "Certified Pearl Product Specialist" and got ragged to no end when that happened. The head guys at Pearl used all their best jokes on me at the time...a NON-drummer becoming certified. hahaha. I had to do it as part of a story for one of the music trade magazines I wrote for at the time. I since learned basic drums and, to be honest, it made me a better bass player...so you so do well as a bassist, with your drumming background. 

I've also written a number of electronic drum articles and have a killer setup in my studio (Boom Theory, Visulite Cymbals and KAT gear)...but I make sure the polarity is correct