Wearing earplugs in public and not looking like a dork.

[emilio g]

I don't have custom-made musician earplugs because I don't really have a problem playing with the cheap foam earplugs you can get in most drugstores.

But at gigs, concerts, and social situations that are "stoopid loud" there are always those ignorant types who think you're some kind of wuss that just can't handle it. (One guy I used to work with a while back prided himself on having a car stereo that's so loud it blew out the seal on his windshield on a few occasions.)

While I don't lose any sleep over some idiot making fun of me for trying to avoid a hearing problem later in life, it doesn't score me any points either. Have you ever been in a loud bar trying to talk to women with highlighter orange pieces of foam sticking out of your head? Its usually awkward at best.

To avoid this, I take the fluorescent colored foam earplugs and color the ends black with a Sharpie, then let them dry for at least a few hours. When properly inserted, its very very difficult to see them, even in well lit areas. The end of the plug just looks like your ear canal.

It would be awesome if I could find black earplugs, but nobody seems to make them. Most earplugs seem to be intended for industrial applications where supervisors need to be able to see that employees are wearing ear protection from a long distance, which is why they almost always seem to be brightly colored.

While the health of my hearing definitely takes a priority over my social life, its nice to be able to have my cake and eat it too.

[Bricesedge03]

lol. i am big into sporting clays and trap and what not. i have the lime green custom molded ear plugs i use. I dont care if i look stupid. if i think its too loud and have to wear ear plugs well good for me and my hearing. lol

[OmnitzGarima]

Hearos makes flesh-colored plugs that work for pasty white guys like me. I don't care if I look silly, it's my ears.

[JazznFunk]

Yep... There are flesh colored ones that are less conspicuous. I don't care personally... On-stage I use the Hearos Hi-Fi's, which are possibly the dorkiest looking earplugs ever. But man do they work. Function over form in this case. Foam earplugs are what I use offstage. And if some chick doesn't like your hearing protection, then what will she say about other protection?


...just had to throw that in.

[dmusic148]

I guess it does matter a bit what color you are. I'm an ordinary 'white guy' and Hearos are practically invisible when I wear them. Which is always, if it's loud. Maybe there's a market for different colors for different skin tones?

[OmnitzGarima]

Originally Posted by JazznFunk

I use the Hearos Hi-Fi's, which are possibly the dorkiest looking earplugs ever.

I have some Etymotic Research plugs and some dorky looking Hearos, too. I use what I need to protect the ears.

[OmnitzGarima]

Originally Posted by dmusic148

Maybe there's a market for different colors for different skin tones?

Mary Kay should be all over this.

[emilio g]

I guess it does matter a bit what color you are. I'm an ordinary 'white guy' and Hearos are practically invisible when I wear them.

Even if your skin tone matches a set of hearos perfectly, you can still see them because your ear canal is not flesh colored, its a black hole. Skin toned earplugs are great, but I think we can do better!

[John Sprague]

If they say you look like a dork because you wear earplugs, you can say "Well, sure, but I'm a musician, so I have to protect my livelihood", which will bring you back around to being cool again.

You can also draw peace signs or sport team or band logos on the end to get you back in the cool zone.

[Marcus Johnson]

Originally Posted by emilio g

Even if your skin tone matches a set of hearos perfectly, you can still see them because your ear canal is not flesh colored, its a black hole. Skin toned earplugs are great, but I think we can do better!

They should make some for us older guys, with a bunch of gray hairs sticking out of them.