Keith Relf of the Yardbirds came back from the other side and told me not to play my electric bass in the bathtub.
But if you are not sure and are standing on the stage with your bass and a mic giving you the evil eye- or are wondering about touching any other piece of electrified equipment and just want to KNOW that when your lips touch the mic you will not get bit here is a little something you can do that will let you know the mic will not bite.
Consider this a last advice as a LAST RESORT if all the other advice in the thread has been followed and you left your voltmeter home but are still a little scared.
Let the inside of your forearm or the underside of your biceps touch your guitar strings. The skin that is tender is the key and if it is a little moisten even better. . Tender flesh will be much more sensitive to a shock than say your calloused finger tips and the moisture will assist the current flow if it is possible and hence you will be more sensitive to a shock situation. . Now part one of the connection is done. Now with the SAME arm lick the back of your hand and touch that to the mic or other suspect equipment.
This does three things.
1) the moist sensitive moist flesh sets up more ideal conditions for current to flow if such potential exists. The same effects are exhibited with wet lips and sweaty hands.2) the current takes a safer path since it only goes through your arm not your heart.
3) put your flesh in the path in such a way that if current flows and you are shocked your body's natural tendency to clench onto what is shocking you is avoided. Your hand may make a fist if you do get shocked but touching the mic with the back of your hand will make you pull away from the shocking element and prevent you from clenching onto the mic with one hand and the bass with the other until your internal resistance gets really high ( you are cooked and smoldering).No shock. Probably safe till someone changes something somewhere.
peace dawg