USB Adapter Causing My Guitars to Short Circuit?

[Badramen]

Two days ago, I go to turn on my 360 using my X-Plorer guitar (my Rock Band guitar is currently being returned). It hasn't ever turned on when it is plugged in through the usb hub. I get up to turn it on manually when I receive a static shock through the guitar. I find this odd and turn on my 360 to find out that the green and blue frets no longer work. I am very pissed but pass it off as a fluke and continue to use my newer X-Plorer guitar. Now, fast forward to 30 minutes ago. The exact same thing happens. I know it was a dumb move on my part but honestly, I thought it was just some random event the first time, but two times in a row? Something is fishy here and I would like some answers since I didn't throw down over $150 for nothing.

[Badramen]

Any information on this?

[Frederf]

Xplorer using adapter... like a PS2 to USB adapter? What brand? I've heard that Playstation 2 instruments did not work very will through any kind of to-USB adapter. Is it powered?

[Badramen]

No, I'm just using the generic adapter for the Xbox 360 that came budled with Rock Band.

[Frederf]

Little terminology update before we all go crazy. The little 4-port powered USB device that came with the Xbox 360 version of Rock Band is called a:

USB 2.0 Four-port powered HUB or "USB hub" for short.

So you're saying that the USB hub killed 2 of your Xplorer guitar controllers? That's weird and shouldn't have happened.

[Badramen]

Sorry about the terminalogy mishap. But the hub is the common factor in both failures. I get static electricity from my house all the time but never in the course of the nine months or so that I have owned the guitars has it ended up zapping my guitars.

[Frederf]

Was your USB hub plugged in at the time? Plugged in as in power adapter to the wall socket.

[jwideman]

Time to open up your damaged guitars. Do you see any burnt wires or connections?

[Badramen]

I had opened the first guitar that went kaput and on the fret board, I saw no burnt anything but maybe I didn't look hard enough at the other things.

[Frederf]

The Xplorer's wouldn't happen to be under warranty?

Otherwise you might bring this up with HMX/EA. If you played 100 times with the guitar without the USB hub and then played with the usb hub and it killed a couple of guitars then it's clearly Rock Band's faulty USB hub destroying your guitars. They might ship you a replacement Strat or two.

[Badramen]

I had both of those guitars for over a combined total of 9 months so they aren't under warranty. This only happened whilst playing Rock Band with them going through the hub. Thanks for your help!