Problems with new neighbors...

SMILEYSIXX · #1 10-11-2010, 03:12 PM

Alright, so a few weeks ago some new people move into the house right next to me. It was cool until they thought my playing was too loud, so I turn it down. You have to kinda deal right? I do admit, I like to play a little loud, but here's what gets me. My amp is about the volume of a 10 watt practice amp right now. The neighbors, sitting on their porch, are louder than my amp. I can still hear them complaining. Typical annoying neighbors right? Except these guys have a dog. Not a chihuaua or a teacup yorkie. Siberian husky rottweiler mix. No matter how loud my amp is, the dog finds it necessary to be louder. How do you handle this situation? I've tried to talk to them, but surprisingly, they fail to comprehend my anger.

totallyfrozen · #2 10-11-2010, 03:18 PM

So what's the problem:
The barking dog?
--OR--
The fact that you've tried to keep your amp as low as you can and still get complaints?

rollerberg2000 · #3 10-11-2010, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SMILEYSIXX

Alright, so a few weeks ago some new people move into the house right next to me. It was cool until they thought my playing was too loud, so I turn it down. You have to kinda deal right? I do admit, I like to play a little loud, but here's what gets me. My amp is about the volume of a 10 watt practice amp right now. The neighbors, sitting on their porch, are louder than my amp. I can still hear them complaining. Typical annoying neighbors right? Except these guys have a dog. Not a chihuaua or a teacup yorkie. Siberian husky rottweiler mix. No matter how loud my amp is, the dog finds it necessary to be louder. How do you handle this situation? I've tried to talk to them, but surprisingly, they fail to comprehend my anger.

Sigh. Age old problem for bassists, the frequencies carry more than a guitar amp. The only solution I've found over the years for bad neighbors is to move. And move somewhere I can make noise all night if I want.

SMILEYSIXX · #4 10-11-2010, 03:23 PM

Kinda the whole thing. I can barely play my bass anymore without complaints, and yet the neighbors insist on themselves and their dog being loud as **** and see no problem.

dozicusmaximus · #5 10-11-2010, 03:25 PM

You probably wont win this one. The cops will side with them most of the time. My drummers house was the same. Granted we were pretty loud. We kept turning down. The called the cops, and he said if he could hear it from the street it was to loud.
I'm sure there is a decible rating or something.
What gets me is you sure can hear a lawnmower down the street...

panama · #6 10-11-2010, 03:25 PM

Unless the volume outside your homes walls (not inside your house) is exceeding the decibel limit allowed by your city they can't tell you to do anything. Tell them to shove it.

SnakeKappele · #7 10-11-2010, 03:26 PM

Well, I've played the drums for over 30 years and I know where you're coming from.

Acoustic drums and cymbals are going to make noise and all I could do was pay $12000 to have extra thick sound deadening foam filled aluminum shutters put on all the windows and doors.

My neighbors still blare their music, work on their race car engines, run their dirt bikes up and down the street, build ramps in the street in front of my house to jump their skateboards on, and play basketball all the time (bang, bang, bang). They do what they want but call the police on me!

I also play bass and the nice thing about that is you can plug in headphones and nobody will give you crap!

Stick_Player · #8 10-11-2010, 03:30 PM

Headphones

totallyfrozen · #9 10-11-2010, 03:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SMILEYSIXX

Kinda the whole thing. I can barely play my bass anymore without complaints, and yet the neighbors insist on themselves and their dog being loud as **** and see no problem.

Well, you'll have to think of a polite way to talk to them (you can be polite and still be firm and assertive at the same time) but you might need to get the point across that unless they want the authorities called about their barking dog everytime they turn around, they need to allow you to make some noise too.

Live and let live, right?

Raccio14 · #10 10-11-2010, 03:35 PM

Honestly, I'm with panama on this one. Unless the volume outside your house is exceeding the city/neighborhood decibel limit, there's nothing they can do. Don't let them, or even a cop tell you otherwise. You have your rights and freedoms, and being a musician doesn't take that away from you; you just might have to fight a bit.

totallyfrozen · #11 10-11-2010, 03:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by panama

Unless the volume outside your homes walls (not inside your house) is exceeding the decibel limit allowed by your city they can't tell you to do anything. Tell them to shove it.

This is usually true before 10pm. Well, 10pm is the noise curfew in our city; it might vary from place to place.

I agree with you but I think that a bad relationship between neighbors might come from that approach. The downside is that a bad relationship with these neighbors might come no matter what.

behndy · #12 10-11-2010, 03:43 PM

try talking to them nice. once. then **** 'em. if they're not going to be reasonable from the get-go then they probably never will.

get a decibel meter reader, find out what the limit is BY LAW and stay under it.

pejsaboy · #13 10-11-2010, 03:46 PM

panama and totallyfrozen are right on, IMO. If they expect you to be quiet for them, they need to have the same courtesy to you. If politely talking with them and coming to an agreement doesn't work out, figure out how loud you can legally be and play just short of that- then they can call the police all they want and you're still sittin' pretty.

As a somewhat funny aside- My neighbor was having problems with a dog just down the street during the daytime. At one point he went to the people's house and explained that their dog was making far too much noise on a regular basis. He then offered to buy them a muzzle if they couldn't afford it, and to let him know. I haven't heard a dog barking since!

lunarpollen · #14 10-11-2010, 03:52 PM

Find out what the local ordinances are about noise levels, and then find out if you are indeed in violation of them. If not, then the neighbors have no legal basis for complaint, and in fact they could be cited for harrassment if they keep it up. If you do learn that you are actually violating the noise ordinances, then undoubtedly they are in violation when they are on their porch making louder noise or when their dog is making noise, and you should definitely call the cops on them for it when it happens.

behndy · #15 10-11-2010, 03:52 PM

..... unless it's a design that could kill the dog muzzle's don't stop a dog from barking.

zachoff · #16 10-11-2010, 04:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SMILEYSIXX

Kinda the whole thing. I can barely play my bass anymore without complaints, and yet the neighbors insist on themselves and their dog being loud as **** and see no problem.

"I'll turn down when your dog shuts up."

emor · #17 10-11-2010, 04:30 PM

Tascam Bass Trainer

SnakeKappele · #18 10-11-2010, 04:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by emor

Tascam Bass Trainer

+1

Great device!

duff beer · #19 10-11-2010, 04:47 PM

I have it good...when our band rehearses in the summer, I sometimes open the basement window open and my neighbor sits on his deck drinking beer listening to us.

pejsaboy · #20 10-11-2010, 05:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by behndy

..... unless it's a design that could kill the dog muzzle's don't stop a dog from barking.

No, but it made them shut their dog up