MATERIALS

NE-2 Neon Bulb or equivalent, with wire leads.

Plastic Tube: 1/8" X 1"
Cut the insulation from a thick wire or use a piece of small plastic tubing.

Wood Screw: #6, 1/2", oval head, phillips, or whatever will tighten up in the tubing.

Aluminum foil tape.
Heavy-duty Aluminum foil will work in a pinch; just make sure you don't twist the bulb wires or short out to the one inside the tubing.

CONSTRUCTION

Put the insulation over one wire of the neon bulb up to the bottom of the glass.
Cut off any wire that sticks out, and screw the screw in.

Make the aluminum tape just wide enough to cover most of the bulb but not enough to go past the insulation and touch the screw.

Start wrapping the foil over the outer wire with a little bit of the wire sticking out. Wrap one layer of foil and the then bend the wire end into the wrap and continue to wrap over it to insure good contact. (3 or 4 layers is plenty)

UTILIZATION

Hold onto the aluminum foil/tape part and touch the screw head to the gear you're testing. Watch for the orange glow. You'll have to shade the bulb if you're in bright light because the glow won't be very bright but you WILL see it if there is any hint of line voltage between you and the thing on the other side of the Neon bulb. If it gows BRIGHTLY, you are in a potentially LETHAL (or at the very least, uncomfortable) situation.
For a test, go around the house and touch everything that's plugged in. Toasters, electric skillets and flatirons are likely places to find "hot" items.

If you like this idea but it presents a challenge, send me a SASE and I'll give you one.

WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT...

Since it is legally libelous to offer advice to someone untrained in the dangers of repairing amplifiers and rewiring household mains outlets, let it suffice to suggest that you find someone trained to do such rewiring (or at least they should know what they're doing). What needs to happen is that the chassis of your amp (and everyone else's) must be connected to the Earth through a piece of wire whose sole job it is to do that and nothing else. Then, you're safely grounded.

BACK to where my address is...