I would like to suggest an investment that everyone who plays live on a regular basis would benefit from: get some real earplugs, like Beltone Earmolds. They cost about what a fuzz costs, and will become indispensable to you. I can't play live without them anymore. The kind I'm talking about are custom molded to your ear canal by an audiologist. They are so comfortable I constantly forget I have them in. They have replacable diaphrams in different degrees of Db reduction, from 10 to 30. I got use to 25Db, and have stayed with that for almost 20 years. (I've gone through 2 sets). Of course you can use other kinds of plugs, like the roll-up foam type, but they aren't going to be designed to maintain the frequencies you want to hear along with the reduction in decibels. This means it will sound really bass-heavy and muffled to you, and you won't stick with them. The foam jobs are like sticking your fingers in your ears, and it is impossible to sing with them (for me) because your voice is all "head tone". Using earplugs definitely takes getting used to, and you will hate the sound at first, because you are used to the volume and "that" sound. And it is a different experience with them in, at first. But believe me, once you are used to them, if you take them out, you will be shocked at how loud it is on stage, especially if you are close to the drums and cymbals. They will also balance out the overall band sound you perceive, and eliminate ear fatigue. But most importantly, you will save your hearing. Our ears are the two most valuable instruments we possess, and it is an absolute certainty that you will lose some degree of your hearing by being exposed to stage volume over time.

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"There's an arse for every chair"

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4 dogs

I have always used industrial quality ear plugs they are also very cumfortable and provide quality protection. I was diagnosed with deminished hearing in boath ears because of exposher to Locomotive nois (Low Tones). I never let them know that my music may have had something to do with it. at that time all the old folks were saying that all the kids would be deef by the time they were 50. The point is that quality ear protection is important use it and you will get a good R.O.I. Good information Thanks for posting. --------------Danny,

Hear Hear!!!!!!! Sorry, couldn't help it!

Totally agree though. I left it a bit late I'm afraid. I was diagnosed with 30% hearing loss in my right ear about 10 years ago.
Unfortunately, when I started gigging again about 5 years ago and got ready for a tour, our sound guy suggested we got proper earplugs.....I turned round and said no due to my partial hearig loss anyways thinking I would be less affected by it.......................doh(pappa does the blonde thing again!!!) I now have abot 50% loss in my right ear and about 20% loss in the left..................
THat's when I started using in-ear monitors instead, big difference!!

Take note kids, your hearing is DEFINITELY one of your most valuable assets when playing. PLease, please please learn from my arrogant stupidity!!!!!

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speak slowly I'm a drummer too!!

And I proudly lack a stick or a kazoo up my arse...........

I use Vater percussion ear plugs,they provide 2 different levels of sound protection yet don't cut out any frequencies.They only cost about $18 but are well worth it considering the damage not wearing them could cause.

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what?!WHAT DID YOU SAY?!i CAN'T HEAR YOU.o wait does sound pressure levels affect sight?


in all seriousness,I'm 12 and I already cant hear!!! I shoud go invest in these!!! like now...

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At the age of 41 I have the hearing of a 70 year old man who worked in a factory most of his life...and I have guitars (and my own stupidity) to thank for it. In a quiet room, I hear a hissing/ringing sound that's loud enough to keep me awake (I have to have some sort of white noise like a fan to go to sleep).

I actually started wearing earplugs (just the regular old foam ones) in my late 20s, but I had already damaged my hearing horribly by that time. In the past two years, it's gotten worse for some reason, even though I don't play out as often and I play at lower volumes than ever before.

I now hear a crackling noise somewhat akin to a blown speaker when a loud sound hits my naked ears (or if it's really loud, it even affects when I have earplugs in). Ah, tinnitus,...it's just wonderful!

Protect your ears, kids. It ain't worth it.
I think I'm going to look into some of those high-end earplugs...

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Good Vibes To Y'all!



Screamin' Armadillos
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Very good advice, your talking about a musicians most valuable possesion.

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too late. music, farm work and shooting has taken it's toll.
great advice though

I'm hoping to be able to get some with my dad, my hearing has gone down a good bit....

He's an otorhinolaryngologist... no joke, thats the actual term for an ENT. (you would think with a ear doc for a dad I would already have some ear plugs...)

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(former user jimbo612)

My hearing was always good enough to qualify me to be a navy sonar operator. I use in-ear monitors which block everything except what I dial in to hear. I've gone wireless now with the monitor to an aviom so along with my guitar wireless, the only things keeping me in place are my band members. (yah, if they let me, I'd likely wander through the audience, out the door and wander around the parking lot. I don't even drink)

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2002 mim Telecaster
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That can be really cool...back in the late 80's I had a Nady Diversity system that I got because I was in a big 9 piece band with choreography and dance steps, and a cable was a pain. I tried running around in the clubs, but I found out pretty quickly what the limit was. If you get too far away, there is a time lag in the sound coming from the stage to you, you play to it, and then you're out of sync with what you hear when that sound comes back. Man, the first time that happened it was in a song where it was all about the funky, choppy guitar break, and I was all confused & out of time!! I couldn't find the 1, 2, 3 or the 4! Remember the Dan Akroyd character Leonard Pinth Garnel? "Exquisitely bad!"

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"There's an arse for every chair"

5 guitars
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4 dogs

So are you saying an ear doctor molds them for you? Never heard of that, but it sounds cool. So far, my biggest problem with having anything in my ears has to do with singing. But if I COULD find something comfortable enough, I'd definitely give it a try.

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I couldn't agree more. I suffer from Tinnitus from playing too loud without ear protection way back in the late 60's through the 80's when we were all using big amps. I was using a Sunn Scepter with a 4x12 cab that was cranked pretty good. Everyone was playing that loud back then. My ears ring constantly and when it's really quiet, it's like torture. Just remember you can damage your hearing with iPods and MP3 players too.

Take care of your ears.

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Life...... It's sexually transmitted and always fatal

I haven't had it done in 10 years, but I'm positive it was Beltone. They place a piece of string in your ear so they can pull out the finished mold, then inject some blue silicone gel that sets up in a couple minutes. Probably the same stuff dentists use. Then they pull it out with the string, and that gets turned into a negative mold which is used to make the final silicone ear piece. It has a hard plastic ring on the outside, into which snaps the little diaphram of your choice. The ones I have had come with 15 and 25 Db diaphrams and a carrying case.

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"There's an arse for every chair"

5 guitars
7 amps
4 dogs