bretto36 Posted February 10, 2005 Report Share Posted February 10, 2005 Hi this is my first post on the forums, and i was wondering if anyone knew how much voltage came out of an amp to the guitar. I'm making an electric harmonica using guitar pick ups and using an amp, don't want to electrocute myself. :S thanks everyone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovekraft Posted February 10, 2005 Report Share Posted February 10, 2005 Unless there's something wrong with your amp, there should be no voltage coming from it to your guitar. You should be able to swallow a guitar pickup without getting shocked, so long as the amp is working correctly - if it's got a ground fault, all bets are off! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bretto36 Posted February 10, 2005 Author Report Share Posted February 10, 2005 thanks heaps, and i mean heaps. i'm so excited, i wanted to play it but yeah sorta didn't want to die haha. Thanks heaps again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orgmorg Posted February 10, 2005 Report Share Posted February 10, 2005 Cool idea, but definitely make sure all metal parts are properly grounded. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southpa Posted February 10, 2005 Report Share Posted February 10, 2005 I sure am interested how an electromagnet (guitar pickup) will pick up a signal from a small wind instrument like a harmonica. Or is the pickup you refer to actually a microphone style of pickup? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marksound Posted February 10, 2005 Report Share Posted February 10, 2005 Don't know if it's the same thing, but here: http://www.electrickazoo.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovekraft Posted February 10, 2005 Report Share Posted February 10, 2005 Doesn't a harmonica use brass reeds? I don't see how they'd work with a guitar pickup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ansil Posted February 13, 2005 Report Share Posted February 13, 2005 better use a mic.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bretto36 Posted February 16, 2005 Author Report Share Posted February 16, 2005 Yeah yuo guys were right it didn't work. I'm pretty bummed haha. What about acoustic pick ups, don't they sorta act as mic's instead of using magnets? thanks marksound for the electric kazoo website also. quite helpful. Thanks everyone i'll report back soon with my progress haha bye Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovekraft Posted February 16, 2005 Report Share Posted February 16, 2005 You could try a piezo contact pickup, but they tend to honk like a manic goose at about 6.5KHz when overdriven, and they'll transfer any mechanical noise present. I personally like the sound of a Shure Green Bullet mic for harp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fryovanni Posted February 16, 2005 Report Share Posted February 16, 2005 Please don't put any conductor that has a chance of carrying potentially lethal voltages in your mouth! Your skin has a pretty high resistive value (around 7-12k ohms or so dry) and that little shock you get from say 120v household outlet just stings a bit. Your bodys internal resistive value is very low (maybe 200 ohms) that little sting across your skin can be leathal if it gets a clean path inside you. Very small amounts of current can kill (only 20 milli amps). Don't suck on mics w/ phantom power and don't put a pickup in your mouth that is connected to an amp. Peace, Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclej Posted February 16, 2005 Report Share Posted February 16, 2005 i just tried a little experiment that you might be interested in..allparts distributors sells a soundboard transducer that i install in quite a few guitars. it's about as big around as a quarter and has sticky backed tape on it. it's hard wired to an input jack. i just held one on to a harmonica and it actually sounded pretty good. i placed it in the middle of the harp and it seemed to pick up the highs, lows and mids equally and reproduced the sound very acurately. go on line at www.allparts.com and check their product number pu6475-000. might be what you're looking for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bretto36 Posted February 17, 2005 Author Report Share Posted February 17, 2005 so i would just have to position that transducer thingy near the harmonica, then i can plug that into an amp and stuff? Know of any places i could get them in Australia? Or should i just check out my local music store? Thanks so much everyone, you are all pretty darned helpful. thanks again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclej Posted February 17, 2005 Report Share Posted February 17, 2005 you wouldn't have to hold it near your harp..with this one you could mount it to the bottom of the harmonica with the sticky back tape or hold it right up to it if you want to be able to use different harps...keep in mind that they are basically a small mic so your hand moving on it, etc. would be picked up also. try your local music shop and ask for a sound board transducer..hopefully he'll have a supplier for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thomasteven Posted February 18, 2005 Report Share Posted February 18, 2005 I'd say your best bet is to get some sort of piezo pickup. They pickup soundwaves I believe, as compared to a guitar pickup which electrofies a magnet and the metal string moves the magnetic field which creates a sound wave or something. I'M NOT SURE ABOUT ALL OF THIS! But I do know that a magnetic gutiar pickup will never work for a harmonica, but a piezo will. Check it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bretto36 Posted February 22, 2005 Author Report Share Posted February 22, 2005 It works, thanks everyone, i got an acoustic guitar transducer. and it worked, was only 20 dollars as wel. I hooked it up to my friend effects pedal and it sounded awesome, could get some nice and wacky sounds coming out of it whihc is what i wanted. Only 1 problem is i gotta avoid bumping it as much, but that will come with practice. Thanks again everyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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