Liquidribs
New member
Thanks! very much appreciated 
Changing of 2 pin plug to 3 pin plug(Grounding)
- Thread starter emptinessben
- Start date
yes...as with any electronic devices. i believe we learnt this in sec 3 physics.
Liquidribs
New member
went to open up my external transformer. there's indeed a grounding issue. will be working on it to solder earthing on my amp. will post results!
I think the topic starter was trying to be helpful but after reading through most of this thread's posts, it's safe to say that this is not the end-all solution to minimizing amp-humming. There are quite a few people who have posted even bigger problems (like large amounts of feedback at certain volumes) after trying this.
My 2 cents? Don't try this on anything other than cheap amps as there is a chance it might not work for you. Paying a good guitar tech to analyse and possibly fix the humming for you is better than risking it.
My 2 cents? Don't try this on anything other than cheap amps as there is a chance it might not work for you. Paying a good guitar tech to analyse and possibly fix the humming for you is better than risking it.
I agree. It's quite a lot to risk for amateurs at this technical stuffs.
Anyway, just a follow-up to my problem of having high amounts of feedback past 5% volume and on distortion after changing to 3-pin plug myself. I was busy with projects, and didn't touch the amp for a month. When I went back to play, the problem was completely gone. I'm guessing whatever was still there got discharged over the month.
Still, I recommend getting someone who's savvy with these technical stuffs to help you. Too much to risk.
adenfazli@hotmail.com
New member
hi
Hi to all
Just for your info. There is on the market that sell an adapter for our amp plug. the ground for our amp plug is the metal piece on the both side of the plug.
I bought it at a hardware shop in Sim Lim square for about $5. it save the trouble of cutting wires.
Hi to all
Just for your info. There is on the market that sell an adapter for our amp plug. the ground for our amp plug is the metal piece on the both side of the plug.
I bought it at a hardware shop in Sim Lim square for about $5. it save the trouble of cutting wires.
fernando
New member
no 3 wires
hi guys, was excited when i first saw this thread..so i went dwn to a hardware store and gt myself a 3 pin head plug...got hm and cut my amp 2 head plug wire (washburn 15wtt)...but in e wire theres only 2 colours...theres no grounding! =( got me pretty confuse, so i still connected e live and neutral to e 3 pin plug but without a grounding wire..so i just wanna ask, some amps doesnt have grounding wire??
hi guys, was excited when i first saw this thread..so i went dwn to a hardware store and gt myself a 3 pin head plug...got hm and cut my amp 2 head plug wire (washburn 15wtt)...but in e wire theres only 2 colours...theres no grounding! =( got me pretty confuse, so i still connected e live and neutral to e 3 pin plug but without a grounding wire..so i just wanna ask, some amps doesnt have grounding wire??
para-di
New member
I see there is so much interest in this subject and quite a bit of confusion about grounding that I thought I had to clear up something - it is important.
Grounding is implemented for electical things for safety purpose only. When there is electrical leakages, the ground cable brings the electricity to the ground and not to your body.
Grounding was never made to reduce noise in your amplifier! It is poor grounding (by many reasons, eg. poor wiring in the building), or, poor equipment design, that grounding is required to get rid of noise (or to some people in some situation, it increases noise).
There are 2 voltage systems used in the world - 100/110v in USA, Japan, etc., and 220/240v in Europe and Singapore...
Amps used in USA/Japan only often do not require grounding (ie. 3-pin plug) because the possibiility of killing someone is not high with leakages. But try holding a live wire in Singapore and you'll be dead soon.
Some amps we get here has no grounding (ie. 2 wires only connected to electrical outlet). This is quite scary because guitars power ratings are high, and when there is leakages it is dangerous! There was a guitarist from local well-known band who was killed this way in the late 70's. Many low-power equipment like DVD player, etc., usually comes without grounding as they consume low power and not that dangerous.
To ground an amp (that comes with 2-wire only), one way is to change to a 3-pin local power plug, and use a electrical cable to connect from the ground terminal in the plug to the metal part of the amp(a good place is the screws that hold the various parts of the amp together). Remember the screw should be on a metal part.
European equipment usually come with 3 wires, just cut off the Europe 2-pin plug and replace it with local ones.
Why after grounding, the noise level increases? - this is another subject...
Your safety comes first - when there is no life, there is no noise...
If you are still confuse, please get someone to alter the grounding for you...
Grounding is implemented for electical things for safety purpose only. When there is electrical leakages, the ground cable brings the electricity to the ground and not to your body.
Grounding was never made to reduce noise in your amplifier! It is poor grounding (by many reasons, eg. poor wiring in the building), or, poor equipment design, that grounding is required to get rid of noise (or to some people in some situation, it increases noise).
There are 2 voltage systems used in the world - 100/110v in USA, Japan, etc., and 220/240v in Europe and Singapore...
Amps used in USA/Japan only often do not require grounding (ie. 3-pin plug) because the possibiility of killing someone is not high with leakages. But try holding a live wire in Singapore and you'll be dead soon.
Some amps we get here has no grounding (ie. 2 wires only connected to electrical outlet). This is quite scary because guitars power ratings are high, and when there is leakages it is dangerous! There was a guitarist from local well-known band who was killed this way in the late 70's. Many low-power equipment like DVD player, etc., usually comes without grounding as they consume low power and not that dangerous.
To ground an amp (that comes with 2-wire only), one way is to change to a 3-pin local power plug, and use a electrical cable to connect from the ground terminal in the plug to the metal part of the amp(a good place is the screws that hold the various parts of the amp together). Remember the screw should be on a metal part.
European equipment usually come with 3 wires, just cut off the Europe 2-pin plug and replace it with local ones.
Why after grounding, the noise level increases? - this is another subject...
Your safety comes first - when there is no life, there is no noise...
If you are still confuse, please get someone to alter the grounding for you...
ymmak
New member
I got this adaptor for about $7 at those DIY/hardward/Home-Fix shop in one of those heartland shopping centres. With these, you do not have to cut those cables and wires again, and solve the grounding issue.
The plug head of your power cable to the amp probably looks like this. Notice it is complementary to the adaptor.
So after fitting, it will look like this. Tight isnt it?
The plug head of your power cable to the amp probably looks like this. Notice it is complementary to the adaptor.
So after fitting, it will look like this. Tight isnt it?
theblueark
New member
That's just an adapter. You still only have 2 wires connected. The ground is not connected at all. The reason the cable has to be opened up is to access the third, unused ground wire and connect it to the ground pin.
LadyInTears
New member
yea man, with the absense of an earth wire that aint gonna ground your amp
ymmak
New member
apparently, this adaptor works, at least for me. see those metal strips at the top and bottom of the interior of the adaptor? i guess they make contact with the unused ground wire. at least for me, the hum is reduced and achieved a similar effect with my other power cables that i have altered. not sure if it is proper or even good grounding though. perhaps, more of you may give it a try to verify whether it works on a broader and general scale.
LadyInTears said:
i am assuming that there is already earth wire in the amp and cable.
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LadyInTears
New member
hmm, true enough, but that may only be aplicable to your adaptor.mine originally came with the standard 2 pin plug, those you find your bedroom lamp attatched to
mrNutMan
New member
ymmak...hw can the adapter make contact with the earth wire in the amp cable when the earth wire is concealed by first the green and yellow insulation then the black one..
the earth wire is in the amp cable.
ps: the adapter u bought is ex leh......i saw at sungei road one uncle sells it for $3 i think.
the earth wire is in the amp cable.
ps: the adapter u bought is ex leh......i saw at sungei road one uncle sells it for $3 i think.
ymmak
New member
mrNutMan, sorry for being unclear, the adaptor does not make immediate contact with any wires. likewise, non of the wires of our daily electrical products make direct physical contact with any wall sockets. what i meant was that the earth wire makes contact with the pins, which makes contact with the adaptor, which eventually makes contact with the wall socket.
if u look at those usa type 2 pin plug head, u probably will notice some metal strips (thats the ground) at the side of the plugs. they are aligned with the metal strips in the interiors of the adaptor, so they make contact.
yup, u probably can get them cheaper elsewhere, but i feel that the $3-4 difference is immaterial compared to the cost incurred for me to travel all the way down to sungei road and back.
so did u get one? does it work for u?
if u look at those usa type 2 pin plug head, u probably will notice some metal strips (thats the ground) at the side of the plugs. they are aligned with the metal strips in the interiors of the adaptor, so they make contact.
yup, u probably can get them cheaper elsewhere, but i feel that the $3-4 difference is immaterial compared to the cost incurred for me to travel all the way down to sungei road and back.
so did u get one? does it work for u?
dodgethis
New member
Since the pictures in the first post is gone, I thought that I'd do my own guide.
Tools needed
Cutting tools
Any kind of cutting tool that is small enough can be used, from a pen knife to a pair of scissors. It's all about how well you can control it. I used a wire cutter and a hobby knife.
Three-pin plug.
Look around your house for one off an electrical appliance you are no longer using or go to a hardware store to buy one.
Beware that there is a newer kind of three-pin plug is molded as a single piece, ie does not use screws to secure itself. These will not work for our purposes here today as once you open them, you have no way closing it.
How to change the plug
Step 1
Cut off the head of the two-pin plug.
The inside of the wire should have three smaller wires within the larger wire that would look like those in the picture below.
Tools needed
Cutting tools
Any kind of cutting tool that is small enough can be used, from a pen knife to a pair of scissors. It's all about how well you can control it. I used a wire cutter and a hobby knife.
Three-pin plug.
Look around your house for one off an electrical appliance you are no longer using or go to a hardware store to buy one.
Beware that there is a newer kind of three-pin plug is molded as a single piece, ie does not use screws to secure itself. These will not work for our purposes here today as once you open them, you have no way closing it.
How to change the plug
Step 1
Cut off the head of the two-pin plug.
The inside of the wire should have three smaller wires within the larger wire that would look like those in the picture below.
dodgethis
New member
Step 2
Strip the outer insulation very carefully. Cut in a perpendicular direction from the length of the wire. Do not exert too much pressure as you do want to cut into the inner wires. For best results, use a VERY sharp, fresh blade. The sharper the blade, the lesser the pressure you exert.
Cut about 3cm worth of insulation. The wires inside should be exposed like this.
Repeat the same cutting method for each of the wires inside. Cut about 5 to 8mm worth of insulation.
I like to twist the copper inside to make it easier to work with later on.
Strip the outer insulation very carefully. Cut in a perpendicular direction from the length of the wire. Do not exert too much pressure as you do want to cut into the inner wires. For best results, use a VERY sharp, fresh blade. The sharper the blade, the lesser the pressure you exert.
Cut about 3cm worth of insulation. The wires inside should be exposed like this.
Repeat the same cutting method for each of the wires inside. Cut about 5 to 8mm worth of insulation.
I like to twist the copper inside to make it easier to work with later on.
dodgethis
New member
Step 3
Identify the colour coding for each of the inner wires.
Yellow/Green - Ground or earth
Brown [In my case. It may be red as well] (Varies) - Live
Blue (Varies) - Neutral
Open up the casing of the plug.
You will see this.
Wire up the three wires as such.
Earth (green/yellow) - Top
Live (red/brown/whatever) - Right (With fuse. No fuse do not use)
Neutral (blue) - Left
There are differing methods on how the you have mate the pins and wires together so I will not in depth here.
Reassemble the casing.
There you go. Easy as pie.
Identify the colour coding for each of the inner wires.
Yellow/Green - Ground or earth
Brown [In my case. It may be red as well] (Varies) - Live
Blue (Varies) - Neutral
Open up the casing of the plug.
You will see this.
Wire up the three wires as such.
Earth (green/yellow) - Top
Live (red/brown/whatever) - Right (With fuse. No fuse do not use)
Neutral (blue) - Left
There are differing methods on how the you have mate the pins and wires together so I will not in depth here.
Reassemble the casing.
There you go. Easy as pie.
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