Can anyone recommend hearing protection for musicians?

[Blogbass]

Hasn't anyone tried cotton wool? You can customize the fit and you will never run out of the stuff.

 

[Johnny Crab]

+1 again for ETY's. I ALWAYS have a pair lose in my back pocket(I'm between a drummer and a partially deaf-but-very-talented guitarist/keyboardist who turns up as the night goes on(right ear). They are here: [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

I will graduate to these: Invalid Link Removed
which are a different version(response curve) of their law enforcement/military ear plug and can be used during range practice.

ALL ear plugs will affect how you hear mostly while singing & playing. Practice & record.

PS: I work at a petrochem plant and we have the foam 35 dB NRR orange plugs. Fine if you want to turn everything off and not be able to hear normal communication but not good for music/performing. If you want to get technical or scientific, get a dB app or dB meter and check what it reads at your practice place. Then you'll KNOW how many dB's you need to cut down on to be safe. A LOT of concerts' venues are now running such an app on laptops and giving fines to FOH operators who exceed levels of a certain dB. Lemmy would not be happy.

 

[SAlcott]

Guitarists turn up periodically because of something called "Temporary Threshold Shift". After a little time at a certain volume, the ears become accustomed to the abuse, requiring more volume to get the same perceived effect. Most musicians are unaware that this happens; just watch your average bar band. After three or four tunes, just like clockwork, the guitar players will turn up; after a few more, turn up again. The best thing you can do is protect your ears even if no one else has the sense to do the same.

 

[dkelley]

I've actually played several times in a different room from my own amp, let alone the guitarists amp lol

I also play with headphones on frequently when doing fast paced pro gigs where we have to sight read and jump from tune to tune

 

[YuppyPunk]

I can get boxes of disposable ear plugs from work. They fit better than so called musicians ear plugs and are much cheaper even if you have to buy them. There is no sound difference what so ever between them and musicians ear plugs. They use it as a selling point.

Disposable earplugs are designed for industrial use to protect hearing by reducing the frequences that damage hearing more than others. This leads to the "underwater" sound thast most people have trouble adjusting to. Musicians should use earplugs that reduce all frequencies evenly leading to a reduction in volume only. I use Alpine earplugs. The set I have has inserts for -12db and -18db reduction and they ran about $20.