partysmasher Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 Recently im getting fucking worried about my hearing, i've been going to gigs for a good few years now and probably see around 70-100 a year at this point. Now even 5 mins of loud music makes them ring for a couple of hours and they often feel like they're blocked. I started wearing ear plugs a couple of years ago but that lasted about 2 weeks and i haven't worn them since. As of sunday im wearing them again, in time for Converge's first London show. Does anyone have any recommendations as to which ones i should get? Also would really appreciate if anyone who plays drums can let me know what they use as im going to need them for that too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monk0nuggets Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 I have the same worries. You can get musicians ear plugs at lots of music stores. They lower the amount of decibels your ear takes in without making the sound sound muddled. You could also have earplugs made that will fit perfectly in your ear and basically do the same thing. Also, these types of plugs also come with different "pills" that will lower the volume to different levels such as 5 decibels or 15 decibels or more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
partysmasher Posted July 7, 2008 Author Share Posted July 7, 2008 Excellent, thank you! I think im looking for filter ear plugs or something along those lines. Im just down the road from a bunch of music shops so i'll be down there later in the week. Thanks for your advice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jailhouse Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 Excellent, thank you! I think im looking for filter ear plugs or something along those lines. Im just down the road from a bunch of music shops so i'll be down there later in the week. Thanks for your advice! Great Idea, more musicians and even fans need to consider wearing earplugs. I am deaf in my left ear because I thought I was too cool for earplugs and ruptured by eardrum at an agnostic front show, and went deaf in that ear. Years of abuse on the ears can be a lifetime of regret. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minty Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 I've started wearing earplugs when playing gigs...but only for all the support bands. Trumpet is hard enough to hear in the monitors alone without having bits of foam in your ears! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
partysmasher Posted July 7, 2008 Author Share Posted July 7, 2008 Excellent, thank you! I think im looking for filter ear plugs or something along those lines. Im just down the road from a bunch of music shops so i'll be down there later in the week. Thanks for your advice! Great Idea, more musicians and even fans need to consider wearing earplugs. I am deaf in my left ear because I thought I was too cool for earplugs and ruptured by eardrum at an agnostic front show, and went deaf in that ear. Years of abuse on the ears can be a lifetime of regret. yeah i figured i really have to start doing this and the only way i'll definitely keep to it is if i make sure im not getting some budget pair from the supermarket and actually spend a little bit of money on it. We have a writer at the mag i work for who's just been told he has tinnitus, from years of reviewing shows, he's only 30! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhulud Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 I've been wearing earplugs to shows since my very early 20's. I started to see...or rather hear...the damage that I was causing myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xfedaykinx Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 i always wear earplugs. the only time i wont is when playing a show. always when attending and during practice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devilstrombone Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 I used to never wear earplugs and working at a venue to where I was attending at least two to three shows a week really fucked up my hearing. Now I always wear them and if I go to a venue and forget ear plugs I just throw some tissue in there. It may sound muffled but at least I will still be able to hear afterward. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirbypuckett Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 I wear ear plugs all of the time now. You're a fool if you don't. Also, the music sounds better with them in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dante3000 Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 Seriously, I am surprised to hear so many music fans who don't wear ear plugs. Everything I've ever heard since the early 90's was "Wear ear plugs or you'll go deaf". Sure I've forgotten them for a show or two (ears rang for a day or two after a Clutch show), but otherwise, why the hell would you go without them? The music sounds the same, if not better (as it cuts out any background noise) with earplugs. If you're playing I could see how you might not wear them but otherwise you're just setting yourself up for years of bad hearing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeian Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 i started wearing ear plugs a couple years back because my ears were ringing for a week after going to a couple of shows i use http://www.etymotic.com/ephp/er20.aspx better sound than the foam ones and since i can keep them on my keychain, i have them every time i go to a show so i don't forget, with the exception of the few times i've done valet and i forgot that they were on my keychain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cosmonaut Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 I've been wearing earplugs to shows since my very early 20's. I started to see...or rather hear...the damage that I was causing myself. +1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericheartsu Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 i really like these pair of ear plugs that guitar center has for like $15, they are like higher end heros. they filter out alot of the low end, and it makes it pretty easy to hear everything. or you can go to an ear doctor and get smoe really nice pro ear plugs for like 100-300$ im problaby gonna do that later this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest baseball Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 I always wear earplugs to shows. I just get cheap ones, 6 pack is like a dollar or two. I don't really see the necessity of nice ones unless you're playing the show instead of watching. They barely take away from the sound clarity. If I don't wear them my ears get clogged with ridiculous levels of wax. That's your ears trying to protect themselves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest genericinsight Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 I've been wearing ear plugs to shows since 2002 when I had a brief scare where I thought I was losing my hearing. Turns out I wasn't, but since then I've started to. I don't know if it's related but I used to come home from shows all the time with major headaches, and since I've begun wearing ear plus I don't get them anymore. Ditto for the ringing in my ears that I used to get. You eventually get used to it and you do find that it does sound better when you wear them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steventangent Posted July 8, 2008 Share Posted July 8, 2008 up the earplugs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leerobert Posted July 8, 2008 Share Posted July 8, 2008 I've been wearing earplugs on and off at shows for a few years. I especially started to use them when I was working at a live venue. Staff were given shitty free ones but it's better than nothing, and you really begin to notice the difference after a few gigs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skumbucket Posted July 8, 2008 Share Posted July 8, 2008 i've been wearing ear plugs to shows for seven years. i wish i'd been doing it longer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
machiel Posted July 8, 2008 Share Posted July 8, 2008 I've got these, they're good. No peep after a show. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
partysmasher Posted July 8, 2008 Author Share Posted July 8, 2008 I've got these, they're good. No peep after a show. Got this exact same set yesterday evening. Think i'll be sticking with the high protection filters for gigs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geezfools Posted July 8, 2008 Share Posted July 8, 2008 this thread should be stickied! Great info guys, wish more people were smart about this and not trying to be cool and go without them. I try to wear plugs when I go to shows, sometimes I forget, but I'm pretty good about it. Gonna grab something a little nicer at guitar center next time in the area for sure! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmoney Posted July 8, 2008 Share Posted July 8, 2008 Where's the best place to buy them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xfactor675 Posted July 8, 2008 Share Posted July 8, 2008 I've got these, they're good. No peep after a show. are they comfortable? can they be lost? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
machiel Posted July 8, 2008 Share Posted July 8, 2008 Yeah they fit fine. I have them for a few years now but never lost one. But you get one extra in case you loose one. And you have to clean them now and then! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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