[Soundbuff]

Any recommendations for reducing static electricity?

The winter air is pretty cold and dry and it seems like everytime I walk into the room and touch my Gilmore Lite I get

ZAPPED

pretty bad.

I worry if this happens enough times it might damage the amp (probably not but who knows), or more likely my E-MU 404 soundcard which is connected to it.

I usually wear rubber soled sandals in the house, would something else be better during the winter?

 

[Sinbios]

ground yourself to something before you touch your amp?

 

[Talonz]

I touch something metal, like a doorknob or a lamp. That way you don't take as much of a risk (though technically there will still probably be a voltage).

 

[Soundbuff]

Another solution may be to leave the Gilmore Lite on all the time, and only use the E-MU 404 driver control to adjust the volume.

That way I won't need to ever touch the Gilmore Lite...and get ZAPPED

with static electricity from the carpet.

All my other computer stuff is covered in plastic and resists transmitting static charges.

 

[mono]

You need a humidifier. Make sure the amp case is properly grounded. Consider putting an anti-static mat nearby to discharge yourself before touching it. There used to be some anti-static carpet treatments but I never looked into them, couldn't name any.

 

[ServinginEcuador]

Go to Radio Shack and buy a five pack of resistors of at least 1Meg Ohm resistance. Leave them sitting around in places where you get shocked. Whenever you get near that area pick up a resistor and use it to discharge yourself to something other than an expensive electrical component. By using a high resistance resistor you eliminate the painful shock of shorting yourself out. You won't feel a thing when you use a resistor, and you'll see a nice blue spark whenever you use it.

Another method is to buy an anti-static shorting wire that electricians use. It is also sold in Radio Shack for a couple of dollars, and hooks directly to the ground in your household wiring. There's a stretch fabric part with a metal contact that removes the static charge you have through about 10Megs of resistance in the wires. This can be worn while working on gear to give a constant outlet for static electricity so you don't blow a piece of gear by running 100,000 volts of static through it.