Lightning and steel

Lawrence Lupkin · From: Brooklyn, New York, USA

I was practicing yesterday when a particularly strong thunderstorm passed directly overhead. There was lightning that appeared to strike directly overhead. I could have sworn that I saw somekind of flash come off the strings. Was that possible? Or did the massive sound just scare the $%@* out of me?
Is there any danger in such a situation? Any good stories?

Thanks.

[This message was edited by Lawrence Lupkin on 18 August 2003 at 12:22 PM.]

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

There's no stories that are "good" when lightning is around. What you saw was probably a reflection of the flash, since you felt nothing and your equipment wasn't damaged. Being entangled with wires and metal strings is not a good place to be during an electrical storm. Even if you avoid a major strike, a small surge could easily be induced into your house wiring by a nearby one, and damage your amp, your guitar, or you! No force in nature is as unpredictable as natural lightning, so be safe. Unplug your stuff...and just sit on the sofa 'til the storm passes.

Carl West · From: La Habra, CA, USA (deceased)

I'm guessing it was those hot licks you were doing ?
But serious, do what Donny said.

Carl West

Lawrence Lupkin · From: Brooklyn, New York, USA

No Carl, but I do find it rather shocking how poor my playing is sometimes.

Ray Jenkins · From: Gold Canyon Az. U.S.A.

I visited with Hollis Pritchett in Flagstaff Az. this past week-end.We were set up in his garage playing along with tracks when a storm Hit.the lights and amps jiggered a little and we decided to watch the storm instead of holding a steel bar and slide it across steel strings.Scary.
Ray

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Steeling is still legal in Arizona

Rick Collins · From: Claremont , CA USA

...good advice. I'd say that playing your electric instrument in a thunderstorm is about as dumb as tying a key to a string and going kite flying.

Lawrence, check your steel seat closely; a roll of toilet tissue is one more thing you may just want to consider carrying in it.

David Doggett · Posted 18 Aug 2003 2:00 pm

Plug everything into a surge protector strip, not directly into the wall - same as you do for your computer. Even these may not protect against a direct hit, but I wouldn't be without one.

CrowBear Schmitt · From: Ariege, - PairO'knees, - France

a storm hit here today while i was messin round and yes ! i got up, shut it down and waited for the storm to pass.
as mentioned over in "Computers" recently
a direct strike on ones home is less frequent than strikes on power or phone lines.
these are the most common and cause most of the dammage.
i have 4 surge protectors in various parts of my bear cave as well as the appropriate earth 10/20 ohms
but that don't mean i'll keep it all on and play on Bro'
i don't wanna leave yet

Ernest Cawby · From: Lake City, Florida, USA, R.I.P.

I was in Sams the other day, they had a surge protector for elec,phone, and tv all on one strip, with second multi plug all for $12.00. this was a 12 and a six plugin with a long cord.

We bought several. Here in Fl. there is a lot of lightning every thing here is on a surge pro.I take mine on all gigs, just one click turns of everything ernie

ernie

David Doggett · Posted 18 Aug 2003 6:47 pm

Yes indeed, Ernest, that "sunshine state" does have a fair amount of lightening - been there, seen it.

Bobby Boggs · From: Upstate SC.

Has anyone anywhere ever heard of steeler being struck or have lighting run in on them enough to cause serious injury? I'm not trying to be a smart ass.Just curious.

I've had it run in on an amp while playing but no injury to me. Thanks.....bb

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

In my 40+ years of playing music, I've only heard of perhaps half a dozen straight guitar players being struck or killed by lightning. Since they outnumber steelers by at least 100:1, it's not strange that I haven't heard of a steeler being hurt or killed, but I'm willing to bet it's happened!

David L. Donald · From: Koh Samui Island, Thailand

I got hit with the same storm as Crowbear a few hours later... impressive! The power went out or blipped 20-30 times, I stopped counting and finished reading The Coffin Dancer.

Take his advice, he is an electrician, use surge protectors and shut down when that big rumble comes your way.

I have a ISDN wall box for the internet connection to computer and I lost 3 of them last year.

There is a forest ranger out west (USA) who has been hit by lightning some where like 5-6 times, he reports he is getting more vague as time goes by.
But not everyone lives afterwards, the more the metal in your vicinity the more likely there will be a BAD problem.

But he was just a guy in the wrong places several times, not attached to a large metal
contraption with an electrical potential connected to it...
A steel seems like a real nice target for lightning.

CrowBear Schmitt · From: Ariege, - PairO'knees, - France

i could be wrong but did'nt a musician from "Stone the Crows" get killed from an electrical shock while playing on stage ?

MUSICO · From: Jeremy Williams in Spain

I was disappointed with this thread....as I play both pedal steel and "lightning"....the Buchla Lightning, a wonderful Midi controller. It´s (among other things) a set of drumsticks that don't need drums....just wave them in the air and they know where they are and what they should play. I'm not joking, go see....
www.buchla.com

Jeremy Williams
Barcelona Spain

Emmett Roch · From: Texas Hill Country

A couple of nights ago in Barcelona I was on an outdoor stage, and just as we started playing, raindrops started landing on my steel...I put my vinyl cover over my guitar and kept my hands away from it until the sprinkles stopped a few minutes later.

I've been bitten by electricity several times in my life, but I don't remember liking it once.

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___________________
GFI S-12 extended E9

Rick Collins · From: Claremont , CA USA

Any kind of an electric charge, strong enough to rearrange the electrons in the atomic structure of your body can't be very pleasant to experience. It's my conviction that this is what the inventors of the "electric chair" had in mind.

"You can be sure, if it's Westinghouse"

Bobby Boggs · From: Upstate SC.

Thanks everyone.But I was thinking indoors.I've never heard of or know anyone who knows anyone that was ever injured by lightning while playing indoors.

One reason I ask is most all club owners down this way expect you to play thru a thunder storm no matter how bad it is. Thanks ---bb

[This message was edited by Bobby Boggs on 19 August 2003 at 08:25 AM.]

CrowBear Schmitt · From: Ariege, - PairO'knees, - France

the most common dammage caused by lightning is when it hits power lines.
and those power lines will bring the surge right into your living room, club,or studio
so if you're inside or out it don't make a diff,you CAN get hurt.
don't let club owners tell ya to play on during a storm especially if it's close by

David L. Donald · From: Koh Samui Island, Thailand

I did hear of a kid in NH. playing a metal string acoustic in a small house with no lightning rods... on a hill. Duh!
The house got zottz'd and it came down the wall and went for the strings, shattering the guitar.
He got some splinters, but the guitar joined much of the wall as kindling.
I think he gave up playing after that. Forgot his name. Sometime in the late 60's

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

Bobby, there's been many people killed indoors by lightning! I've heard of several cases of people indoors electrocuted by lightning while talking on the telephone, as well as a case of a woman killed while ironing, and a contractor killed while he was cutting wood on a table saw in a basement!

Plainly, operating anything that's got wires, holding any metal object, or touching anything that's "plugged in" during an electrical storm is not a good idea. Thousands of people do it, and get away with it, but it's still a bad idea. If I'm working a job, and a big electrical storm hits, I "recommend" that it may be a good time for us to take a break!

Luckily, most bad electrical storms are over in a half-hour or less.

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

Lawrence, did your playing get effected by the lightning ? better or worse ?

maybe I need to play out in the driveway during the next storm here in NC..

tp

Lawrence Lupkin · From: Brooklyn, New York, USA

Well Tony, this is the way I see it: That strike was some higher power's way of telling me to put down the bar for a bit. How good could my tone have been?

[This message was edited by Lawrence Lupkin on 29 August 2003 at 05:41 AM.]

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

Well like they say in Texas..

"I heard that "...

tp

Brett Day · From: Pickens, SC

The best thing to do if there's a thunderstorm comin' is to unplug the steel and amp before the storm starts and then you won't have to worry about your steel being hit by lightning. I always unplug my GFI and Peavey Nashville 112 when it starts stormin'. Brett, Emmons S-10, Morrell lapsteel, GFI Ultra D-10

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