Thank you all, its nice to hear other peoples experiences, ima be more aware next time i decide to be around anything loud. Ive gotta go to a Doc soon anyways for a checkup (havent had one since i was so idk ill see how it goes as far as how deteriorated i am Thanks Again

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earplugs are very important. I have forgotten mine a few times and the result is the unpleasant experience that you had. You will remember now though.

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you can save the world with your guitar one love song at a time it's just better, more fun, easier with a fender solid body electric guitar or electric bass guitar.

thank God after all those yrs standing in front of my carvin X-100's i didnt kill my ears.
i did use el cheapo ear plugs but they were very very low quality back then.
there was a post on here just a couple weeks ago about custom made ear plugs.
use them. until then, if you want that amp pushed, put it in a closet and turn it up.
it will block the higher freq pretty good for now, toss a towel over the amp as well, a bit of a muffled tone but your ears wont be recieving that punch to the ear drums.

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63supro
"The good thing is in a club situation, most of the patrons are trashed and really can't tell the difference."

Man...It does sound like you're punishing your ears too much. I was stubborn and didn't put my earplugs in properly before firing a .50 cal machine gun...Stupid idea. I now have a very hard time hearing from my right ear (55% hearing loss in that ear based on my last audiology test), especially when there's a lot of background noise. And my left ear has also suffered as well from my stubbornness, just not as bad.
I used to stand in front of a Peavey Renown 400 watt 2x12 combo, and rock out for hours, so I'm sure that started the hearing loss. Your best bet is to do as some here have suggested and grab some earplugs. OR...if you're just playing at the house keep it throttled back to less-than-ear-splitting levels. I understand the urge to crank an amp all the way up, and I'm not saying I've never done the same thing; but now I realize it was a bad idea.

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Check out my new FB music page!

https://www.facebook.com/TheDevilandMe.Music

Between endless hours of cranked tube amps and three specific live shows (Georgia Satellites in '88, Buddy Guy in '91 and ZZ Top in '96), I have aggravated my genetic disposition to tinnitus (my father, a non-musician and non-concertgoer has significant hearing loss, possibly due to hunting/sport shooting; and his grandfather was deaf by his late 60s).

I can point to those specific shows because of the ringing/hissing I heard for several days afterward. The problem "went away", but years later I am dealing with the aftermath. The hours-long jams and gigs with everything cranked to eleven probably did more accumulative damage overall.

Now, if I'm in a quiet room, I hear a sound akin to putting a sea shell next to my ear...a rushing, hissing noise, but it's not pleasant...it's so loud it will keep me awake, so I have to have some sort of white noise like a fan in order to sleep. In a loud environment, it sounds like a blown woofer, especially in my right ear (where most of my bassists have resided).

I can't understand the words people are saying (especially in a noisy room) and certain frequencies just drive me up the wall (like nails on a chalk board).

I have worn earplugs for about ten years or so, but it's too little/too late, and it has gotten worse even with protection. On top of it all, I can't take aspirin as recommended by my doc (family history if heart disease) because it aggravates all the symptoms I mentioned greatly.

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Good Vibes To Y'all!



Screamin' Armadillos
Texas Roadhouse Music
Guitar/Slide Guitar/Harp/Vocals

You're not crazy. I hear it too. I think it's a glitch in the matrix. We're actually living under water.

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'10 American Deluxe HSS Sunset Metallic
'10 JA-90 Thinline Telecaster
'15 Music Man JP-15 Blueberry Burst
'07 Les Paul Standard Faded LCPG #82
'14 Carvin ST300
'12 Carvin CS424S
'66 Guild Starfire IV w/Bigsby
'14 Warmouth Partscaster Daphne Blue

You may want to get an appointment with a Master level Certified Audiologist to have your hearing tested. He/She can then tell you the degree of hearing loss you have suffered and if it is permanent. It is like any other doctor's visit, but it is worth it.

I suffer from hearing loss and it is probably from fireworks and other foolishness that we made as kids, playing too loud w/o ear protection in local bands, and the years in my job as a firearms instructor. I still love guitar and play a good bit, but never too loudly. As much as I love music, I love being able to hear it even more.

Take care, guys. Those ears are meant to last you a lifetime, but you have to treat them right to get all the mileage you can from them.

Whilst cleaning my ears this morning, I came upon a bit of blood in lefty.... Odd, because that was the first ear to lose the earplug at that Melvins show last week, so I'm a bit worried it could have something to do with that

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Favorite bands:

Melvins
The Jesus Lizard
Cows
Big Business
R***man
Minutemen
Flight
Minor Threat
Big Black
Shellac
Karp
Scratch Acid
Wipers
Pixies

it very well could, but also keep in mind that the ear has very thin membraine too, so its easy scratched. could come from a simple scratch.

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63supro
"The good thing is in a club situation, most of the patrons are trashed and really can't tell the difference."

Well when I was cleaning it it caused a tingling, kind of itching feeling.... I THINK it's just a scratch though, because I haven't noticed the need for any volume increases yet....?

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Favorite bands:

Melvins
The Jesus Lizard
Cows
Big Business
R***man
Minutemen
Flight
Minor Threat
Big Black
Shellac
Karp
Scratch Acid
Wipers
Pixies

ok floyd, thats were i'll put my money. i do it to sometimes. get you a Qtip dipped in rubbing alcohol, and clean around in there. if you get that open cut alcohol feeling, you'll know lol.

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63supro
"The good thing is in a club situation, most of the patrons are trashed and really can't tell the difference."

I used to know a guy that kept a dime in his ear. Not sure why, I never asked him. Maybe he couldn't afford a diamond stud?

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'10 American Deluxe HSS Sunset Metallic
'10 JA-90 Thinline Telecaster
'15 Music Man JP-15 Blueberry Burst
'07 Les Paul Standard Faded LCPG #82
'14 Carvin ST300
'12 Carvin CS424S
'66 Guild Starfire IV w/Bigsby
'14 Warmouth Partscaster Daphne Blue

Not a good idea to put anything in your ear other than earplugs. If you notice blood, during the day your Doctor would look at that, in the evening/night you could stop at any emergency clinic and they would look at that for you. Be careful and Q-tips are for cleaning hard to reach areas on your gear.

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you can save the world with your guitar one love song at a time it's just better, more fun, easier with a fender solid body electric guitar or electric bass guitar.

I have posted on this topic before. The human ear is not designed to listen to high intensity sound. That "creamy strat tone" that a lot of guys talk about is nothing more than the cells of your inner ear going into shock had high decibels (melting figuratively). Sustained sound above 85 decibels is harmful to your ear.

This is what happens on a typical ocassion: As you play with your amp at a somewhat high setting for some time the inner ear goes into shock, subsiquently you feel the need to raise the volume more to get the same sense, your ears go into increased shock, so you raise it again, this repeats until your cranked up all the way to "11" and your ears are damaged and painful.

The worst thing you can do:

1: play your guitar and wear a set of headphones or earbuds plugged into your amp. (for that matter wear headphones or buds and listen to loud anything.)

2: play a gig or practice standing in front of you speakers or amp or both. This is the typical stage set up and its the worst for musicians.

If you have some hearing loss its bad but you will adjust. If however you develop "tinnitus", prepare for a living hell. I developed tinnitus subsiquent to taking a perscription medication. It was very challenging overcoming this, that is, learning to live with this symptom. Most Ear Nose and Throat specailists know little about the treatment of this condition and will just tell you to get used to it. There are some physical therapies for the condition. But you willhave to find a doctor who specialized in treatment of tinnitus.

I do know Eric Johnson, and Jeff Beck are tinnitus sufferers. Eric Clapton, EVH, Pete Townsend all have massive hearing loss. I am sure their are others. For the life of me I cannot understand how Ritchie Blackmore is not totally deaf.

Take care of your ears, cut the volume down. If you have to play in a loud setting wear some sort of hearing protection.

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I remember when we were free!

Oh Man .....the dreaded Tinnitus...I got this and it is frerakin the most terrible feeling.Take care of your ears just like your eyes man cause you only get one pair.I am pretty sure I got mine from shooting guns for so many years and not so much from loud music.I wore ear protection always at the indoor range but not always out hunting or shooting trap or skeet.Trust me when I say that you do not want tinnitus...

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1986 Fender Sidekick Reverb 35
1990 Fender Red Knob - "The Twin"
1992 Fender Newporter - Acoustic
2000 Fender American Series Strat - Natural ash
2010 Fender Mustang 1
2011 Fender Blacktop Jazzmaster -Sunburst
2012 Fender Champion