Home Electrical Wire Test Device - Yardbirds Keith Relf mention

[cliffsview]

New member to this Guild - found this site via recent search to learn more about Keith Relf who played for the Yard Birds. He was killed at home, electrocuted due to a grounding issue in his own basement. I use a simple hand held plug type device for wire checks which some here may find useful. Attached are my scribble notes and photo of the tester. Old school stuff. Be safe while "plugging in". Cliff. Please excuse my chicken note hand writing. Interesting site - hope my posts are relevant, useful and enjoyable.

 

[Nuuska]

Hello

Greetings from Cold Weather Finland
And Welcome to The Warm Heart Of Internet

Excellent first posting

 

[Default]

He was killed due to the dependence on a one penny capacitor in his amplifier to provide safe grounding. The Death Cap, as it is so called. This is why good techs insist on replacing two prong plugs with a three prong plug, with a safety ground to the chassis. It's always good to check your wiring, just in case, but there is too much crap written by the uneducated on the 'net.

 

[dreadnut]

"but there is too much crap written by the uneducated on the 'net."

Ya think?

 

[adorshki]

New member to this Guild - found this site via recent search to learn more about Keith Relf who played for the Yard Birds. He was killed at home, electrocuted due to a grounding issue in his own basement. I use a simple hand held plug type device for wire checks which some here may find useful. Attached are my scribble notes and photo of the tester. Old school stuff. Be safe while "plugging in". Cliff. Please excuse my chicken note hand writing. Interesting site - hope my posts are relevant, useful and enjoyable.

Welcome aboard, Cliff! Hardcore Yardbirds fan myself. Have heard I think 3 versions of how he died but all based on getting electrocuted in his own home as you say.

Appreciate the thoughtful heads-up.

 

[Nuuska]

Simple solution is to remove that cap - while one can never know which side of the outlet and/or plug is neutral or live - even if there might be a standard for it.

And to keep up the forum tradition of veering - here's a "funny" one - as far as the naming goes - beyond that - NOT

Death cap Wikipedia - also quite deadly - so methinks the veer is aproppriate.

Amanita phalloides - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[walrus]

Welcome, Cliff!

walrus

 

[bobouz]

Another long time Yardbirds fan here. They were my favorite British band for a good chunk of time in the ‘60s, especially the Jeff Beck era.

I believe the USA’s standard home outlet voltage is half that of what killed Relf. Good thing, or else I would have been literally toasted as a ten-year-old while concocting the rather funky wiring for my electric trains!

 

[SFIV1967]

I read on another forum: "...back in the day you never stepped up to the mic without holding the guitar neck and strings to it first. "

By the way, that's the kind of tester Cliff mentioned:

Amazon.com

And something about what Steve said:

Death Cap

Guitar Amplifier Death Cap and Ground Switch

robrobinette.com

Ralf

 

[adorshki]

I read on another forum: "...back in the day you never stepped up to the mic without holding the guitar neck and strings to it first. "

Ralf

The first version I heard of Relf's death claimed he'd en electrocuted when his harmonica touched the mic while playing.

 

[The Guilds of Grot]

I was a big fan of his last band "Illusion", which was a continuation of Renaissance with his sister Jane.