Dialing Your Amp In: Ear Plugs Or Not?

[fluff191]

Where do you go to get those molded plugs?

 

[Resonant Alien]

Where do you go to get those molded plugs?

Go to an ENT, or any place that makes hearing aids. Tell them you need musicians ear plugs. Mine cost about $150. Best $150 I've spent on music gear - doesn't kill the sound like typical hardware store type plugs.

As for dialing in my tones - I do it without plugs.....that is what everyone else is going to hear after all.....but I always practice and gig with plugs. I don't think the joy of hearing my rig without plugs will be worth it when I'm 50 and deaf...

 

[plapnab]

. . . and you probably hear better than most people here. When I was gigging all the time, I'd always wear earplugs too. You'd think it is weird but even playing in orchestra, one's ears take a beating. I remember how my right one was always ringing because of the brass, and the worst part is that I couldn't even hear myself with earplugs in! At least with guitar, you can still hear yourself and the rest of the band! It just sucks that unprotected guitarists lose a few more Hz of high frequencies every time they enjoy a 100watt tube amp at moderate volumes =-/

That's not surprising. People who play in orchestra and concert bands have statistically higher rates of hearing loss than your average rock musician. Mostly due the hours of practice time they put in and the almost nonexistence of any form of ear protection. Get in front of a horn section and it can be louder than any guitar amp I've ever played through. The moral of the story...stay the hell away from that cello! j/k :lol: For me I'm almost fanatical about hearing protection. I won't even mow my lawn without ear muffs (noise canceling ones, not winter warmers). I have been battling Meniere's disease (chronic fluid imbalance in the middle ear/left) for the past 7 years and my ears are extremely sensitive to loud noises. I do 10-15 minutes of sound check and noodling before every practice or gig...then, it's molded ear monitors the rest of the night. The whole system costs a ton, but compared to earplugs I'll never go back. They do cut out some of the meaty low end. But, it's a small price to pay for protecting your hearing them.

 

[plapnab]

Where do you go to get those molded plugs?

You can get these at the same place they sell hearing aids, do audiograms etc... The ones I got before I went to ear monitors had a removeable insert that comes in different frequencies so you can experiment with the amounts of db's you want to cut out. I used them for about a year and thought they were ok. Overall, they protect your hearing but aren't a huge difference from your typical ear plug. Mine would pop out a lot when I'd start to sweat and if you sing the opening and closing of your jaw can break the seal between your ears and the plug...which makes them not work so well. For $20 the same place sells what are called "musican's plugs" which in my opionion are actually better. The cut volume without cutting so much frequencies and they don't pop out of your ears. Plus if you lose them it's not that big a deal. Dropping your $150 custom molded ear piece at some dark smokey bar or outdoor show at night is a lot like losing a contact lens.

 

[Resonant Alien]

Mine would pop out a lot when I'd start to sweat and if you sing the opening and closing of your jaw can break the seal between your ears and the plug...which makes them not work so well.

Sounds like the your molds weren't done properly. I had one pair that didn't fit right - I took them back and they redid the molds free of charge. Mine fit very snug - don't pop out or lose seal when I talk/sing/yawn/etc.

 

[Heritage Softail]

from gunfire, engine room, jamming, blasting music, straight pipes, etc... mild tinnitus. But it gets worse when I don't use earplugs. Have been using them for a year now. The drill for me is my right ear is worse, so it gets the Hearo all the way in and the left has it just barely in for setting up tone. It is very close to no plugs as far as the sound. For playing, both Hearos in and I am used to the tone now. I can get headaches from noise, not just the ear ringing. Audiologist says tinnitus, if you just ignore it can lead to bad headaches, balance issue, and even a degree of anxiety attacks over the constant ringing. So... I have done 'noise rationing'. Keep things pretty low volume for everything now, and get some moderate volume tuning up and setting tone, then back to low volume with the Hearos in. Eventually, I may just get an iso cab or make one, and mic the thing, and run it back to iso headphones. I am not going to it ruin my guitar playing.

I don't want to have to get xanax to sleep at night or get those noise generator ear plugs.