vmaxblues Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 Well, this is annoying, I have been stone deaf in my left ear and partially in the right for about 5 days now, and it is really getting me down. I am seeing the Doctor tomorrow (first available appointment) and I have been using wax softener in my ear for the last 3 days, and I am hoping that I will get my hearing back after having my ear syringed tomorrow, wish me luck. This brings me back to an old question, ear plugs or not, and I am drawn to the conclusion that it would be a really good idea, but which ones to go for and will it cut out too much thus making it difficult to play. Any advice would be very gratefully received. Cheers Eh? pardon, did someone say something? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike257 Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 I've not been using my earplugs lately (ran out of disposable ones, and I've been too plain old lazy to get some more!), but I wouldn't worry about it 'cutting out' too much. Although the different balance of sounds takes a bit of getting used to, I find I hear everything with a lot more clarity, especially in a full-on rock setup where everything ends up on 11. Best of luck with your trip to the docs, hope it works out ok!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 Hope this is just wax! Check out www.hearingprotection.co.uk I use the ER15 custom moulded. I just doesn't make sense to play russian roulette with your ears! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raggy Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 Good luck at the Docs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnylager Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 Or the cheap & cheerful ER20's... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
51m0n Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 [quote name='johnnylager' post='423358' date='Mar 2 2009, 04:12 PM']Or the cheap & cheerful ER20's...[/quote] +1 I can hear well enough during a gig, take em out afterwards and my hearing is better than before we started. Also I find I am far less tired after the gig too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmesa Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 Get some custom ER15/25s.. wish I did 10 years ago (before my left ear took a beating). They are brilliant and well worth the money. Not worth f***ing about with stuff like this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul S Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 To come on and develop so quickly it sounds like wax or maybe an infection - nothing serious or permanent, hopefully. Good luck. Hearing is something we all take for granted and usually only think about when it is too late - I know to my cost - Tinnitus and hearing aids in both ears! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 its probably a dry solder joint. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 [quote name='jmesa' post='423386' date='Mar 2 2009, 04:31 PM']Get some custom ER15/25s.. wish I did 10 years ago (before my left ear took a beating). They are brilliant and well worth the money. Not worth f***ing about with stuff like this![/quote] +100 Spending >£150 on a pair of ear-plugs seems like lunacy when you first think about it. Then think how much a deaf person would pay to hear again and suddenly it doesn't seem like so much money after all. As to the impact on your playing, surprisingly little. The whole point about ER15's is that they're like turning down the volume on EVERYTHING by about a quarter. You can still hear yourself, and the drummer, and the rest of the band, but you're no longer wincing. That's over-simplifying because the bass frequencies lose more than the higher ranges, of course, but that just gives you a perfect reason to turn up a bit ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delberthot Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 One thing I found out the other week is that wearing ear plugs causes your ears to produce wax as they effectively have a foreign body inserted into them and so do this to protect themselves. This will result in the occasional trip to the nurse to get them syringed but at least you're saving your hearing. I've only had mine done a couple of times but it is absolutely amazing how much you can hear immediately after having them done Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blink Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 Get some protection!!! I got mine from Specsavers, who also run hearing centres. The plugs were custom made to fit my ears and cost about £250 but I use them for every gig and every rehearsal where there is an acoustic drum kit. Believe me it is the best £250 I have ever spent. After the gig I can still hear normal conversation, I go to bed without my ears ringing. Bliss. N Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vmaxblues Posted March 2, 2009 Author Share Posted March 2, 2009 Cheers guys, Am ordering some er15's, thanks for the advice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
51m0n Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 [quote name='Happy Jack' post='423409' date='Mar 2 2009, 04:53 PM']That's over-simplifying because the bass frequencies lose more than the higher ranges, of course, but that just gives you a perfect reason to turn up a bit ...[/quote] Really?? I always find the top end loses more than the bass with every set of ear plugs I've ever worn. The ER20s certainly do that, is it that different with the custom er15s then? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 [quote name='51m0n' post='423923' date='Mar 3 2009, 10:06 AM']....Really?? I always find the top end loses more than the bass with every set of ear plugs I've ever worn. The ER20s certainly do that, is it that different with the custom er15s then?....[/quote] All plugs will loose more top end than bass, but the ER15's loose the least. The idea is that you just reduce volume and they work pretty well at that. I have survived some very loud guitarists and can still hear whispers on stage whilst wearing the plugs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexclaber Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 [quote name='vmaxblues' post='423742' date='Mar 2 2009, 10:10 PM']Am ordering some er15's, thanks for the advice[/quote] They'll be your best bass related purchase ever! I too have noticed that I find I'm less tired after gigs - I think this is because your ear is working in its more linear region so with lower distortion, therefore your brain is working less hard to convert the electrical impulses into your perception of sound. Like the difference between driving at night in fog vs a clear day - clearer image equals less cunning brainwork. Alex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krysbass Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 Our drummer is heavy-handed to say the least, so everyone else has to run their gear loud to compete. I tried using normal health & safety type foam earplugs a few times, but found they blocked out too much sound – particularly the bass. So I recently bought some Elacin ERS20-S ear-plugs for about £14 and have found these to be really good. These are described as “hi-fi” ear plugs in that they reduce the volume of sound entering your ears without killing all the bass or otherwise altering the quality of sound. They are comfortable to wear too. I’d definitely recommend them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassicinstinct Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 A few years ago, I went totally deaf in both ears for a total of 7 weeks!! During that time, I did the olive oil thing for a couple of weeks and then had my ears "irrigated" by the nurse (as I understand it, you cannot get your ears [b]syringed[/b] anywhere other than at hospital). None of that worked so I eventually went to hospital and had them syringed and Voila !! all OK. Just compacted wax. I bought myself some ER20s and swore that I would never rehearse/record/gig without them. Predictably, I wore them a couple of times but gave up on them as I convinced myself that they were making me feel "cut off" from the rest of the band (rubbish, by the way). Fast forward to December 2008 when I started to go deaf in one ear!! I immediately startd to appy olive oil to both ears twice daily. I eventually did lose the hearing in both ears (again!!) and I did a gig on Boxing Day totally deaf BUT, I assume because I had persevered with the olive oil, by the time I did the gig on 27th December, both ears were completely clear again and it transpired it was the same compacted wax problem. Suffice to say that I have now stuck to my guns and I wear my ER20s every time I play and, touch wood, there have been no further problems. A hard lesson well learned I think. Just my 2 pence worth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
queenofthedepths Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 How does that actually work, then? I have the wax problem but I don't see how ear plugs prevent it building up?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassicinstinct Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 [quote name='queenofthedepths' post='424120' date='Mar 3 2009, 02:07 PM']How does that actually work, then? I have the wax problem but I don't see how ear plugs prevent it building up?![/quote] The wax naturally builds up in order to protect your ears from the excessive noise levels they are being subjected to in the absence of ear defenders (NOT ear [b]plugs[/b] - totally different thing IMHO). When you start to regularly wear the defenders, the wax does not build up becasue there are no excessive noise levels from which your ears need any protection. Q.E.D. At least, I think that's how it works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 I've used ER20's at rehearsals for quite a while now, but didn't use them at our last gig about a week ago because i didn't want to look like a kn0b. (it was a very cosy pub gig where the punters are within touching, or guitarists-head-kissing distance ). My right ear is still ringing worse than it use to, so it'll be ear plugs at gigs from now on. What I need to know is are the ER15/25's less conspicuous than the ER20's? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexclaber Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 [quote name='steve' post='424194' date='Mar 3 2009, 03:15 PM']What I need to know is are the ER15/25's less conspicuous than the ER20's?[/quote] Much less - they are totally flush or even recessed within your ear. Alex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassicinstinct Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 [quote name='steve' post='424194' date='Mar 3 2009, 03:15 PM']I've used ER20's at rehearsals for quite a while now, but didn't use them at our last gig about a week ago because i didn't want to look like a kn0b. (it was a very cosy pub gig where the punters are within touching, or guitarists-head-kissing distance ). My right ear is still ringing worse than it use to, so it'll be ear plugs at gigs from now on. What I need to know is are the ER15/25's less conspicuous than the ER20's?[/quote] As far as I'm aware, the ER15/25s won't be any less conspicuous than the ER20s as the only difference is in the attenuation. If you don't want to look like a knob, what are you doing on a stage? Seriously, unless you're actually standing right next to someone, I really wouldn't call any of the various options conspicuous and, FWIW, I reckon your hearing is a little more important. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peted Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 I've worn ER20s for a couple of years now and they are the most important piece of kit I own. I actually prefer the sound of the band with them in now! Like someone has already said on here, they do let a bit more bass through than top so I don't need to turn my rig up so loud to hear myself. I'd like to add a little tip to get used to the sound when wearing ear plugs - wear them at all gigs, not just the ones you are playing. If you go to someone elses gig then pop your ear plugs in and listen to their playing. Your brain will get used to attenuating the various instruments to levels you recognise and you won't have the stress of trying to play while you are training your ears to hear with plugs in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassicinstinct Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 [quote name='alexclaber' post='424209' date='Mar 3 2009, 03:24 PM']Much less - they are totally flush or even recessed within your ear. Alex[/quote] Blimey!! Well, you certainly learn something everyday here on BC eh? I still wouldn't call the ER20s conspicuous though. Although that could be down to my failing eyesight I suppose!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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