How to Not Annoy My Neighbor

[Ginger Bug]

I live in a condo, and I have a very cranky neighbor who lives below me and complains if he hears my bass at all. I've been trying to get him to give me feedback, so I can figure out settings on my amp that I can hear to play along to music, but that won't bother him. However, he refuses to cooperate. So I have to figure this out on my own. (I don't practice loud, btw. The amp and music I play along to are at a volume you can have a conversation without raising your voice. I've got the bass turned down almost all the way on the amp.)

1. Obviously, I could just practice with headphones, and if I have to, that's what I'll do. But I'm wondering if there's maybe a way that I can practice through an amp without him hearing it (his living room is below my living room, unfortunately). As far as headphones, I'm looking at Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro 80 ohm.

2. My current amp is a Boss Katana 210. It has a 1 watt setting. I haven't been using it because it doesn't sound as good. But maybe if I use that he won't hear it?

3. I was wondering if I got a Fender Rumble 25, if that would be soft/weak enough he wouldn't hear it, but would sound better than the Katana at 1 watt.

I appreciate any thoughts or advice anyone has.

 

[kevrex]

getting the amp off the floor would be a good first step. putting it on a chair might take care of the problem.

 

[Ginger Bug]

getting the amp off the floor would be a good first step. putting it on a chair might take care of the problem.

Thanks for this. I actually got an amp stand for it the first time this guy complained. I always use it, but he still complained. Or do you think a chair would work better?

 

[Silky Johnson]

Unless you want to sound like you're playing through a phone speaker you're gonna have a better time with headphones, those Beyerdynamic ones are quite nice, I use Audiotechnica Ath50x and they do a good job too

 

[mikeswals]

Get headphones.

Neighbor is going to hear an amp carry thru walls.

 

[KevInDaBassment]

I live in a condo, and I have a very cranky neighbor who lives below me and complains if he hears my bass at all. I've been trying to get him to give me feedback, so I can figure out settings on my amp that I can hear to play along to music, but that won't bother him. However, he refuses to cooperate. So I have to figure this out on my own. (I don't practice loud, btw. The amp and music I play along to are at a volume you can have a conversation without raising your voice. I've got the bass turned down almost all the way on the amp.)

1. Obviously, I could just practice with headphones, and if I have to, that's what I'll do. But I'm wondering if there's maybe a way that I can practice through an amp without him hearing it (his living room is below my living room, unfortunately). As far as headphones, I'm looking at Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro 80 ohm.

2. My current amp is a Boss Katana 210. It has a 1 watt setting. I haven't been using it because it doesn't sound as good. But maybe if I use that he won't hear it?

3. I was wondering if I got a Fender Rumble 25, if that would be soft/weak enough he wouldn't hear it, but would sound better than the Katana at 1 watt.

I appreciate any thoughts or advice anyone has.

I can speak to both "ends" of this, as I'm sandwiched between people above who have two toddlers (and the parents are rather heavy-footed), paired with people below me who are so loud that I can hear them...

You could get a smaller amp and put it on top of the couch next to you (giving you an air and padding gap) which should mitigate a decent amount, but anything rigid that makes contact with the floor is gonna rumble and be pretty hard to control.

I think you're on the right track with the headphones (I use Beyers and LOVE them, highly recommend them), plus you'll be able to pick up more subtleties in your playing that a speaker or combo amp could obfuscate. Functionally, it will help you with playing cleanly. Lotta great amp/cab sims out there too, so it doesn't have to be torture playing through headphones. IIRC the Katana stuff should have aux-in and headphone out, but for something with less footprint I dig the Zoom stuff (B3n is what I use), there's countless other offerings out there.

 

[nickpc]

Any isolation from the floor will help, so the amp stand is a good idea. Putting it on an isolating mat (even a yoga mat to get started) will help even more. Not aiming it square to the walls/floor will help too.

Just don't put your amp on a memory foam pillow - trust me on this (read about it in this thread...)

 

[ahbass2500]

Any isolation from the floor will help, so the amp stand is a good idea. Putting it on an isolating mat (even a yoga mat to get started) will help even more. Not aiming it square to the walls/floor will help too.

Just don't put your amp on a memory foam pillow - trust me on this (read about it in this thread...)

^this. I use Auralex Grammas to minimize sound/vibration through the floor. They make 3 sizes depending on your cabinet size. Some sound transmission will still be there if you turn up loud enough, but decoupling helps. I do not have complaining neighbors, but I do like to minimize annoyance to others in my house while playing.

Link Removed

 

[Clark Westfield]

Or plop it on a bed for your practice session.

 

[TheReceder]

The saying opposites attract is true. My wife loves quiet, I love volume... hence I play bass when she's gone, and if I'm watching TV when she's doing her thing where she has to concentrate on something, the little bluetooth jbl speaker sits on my shoulder.

There is no amp that I can think of that a downstairs neighbor won't hear, but if you elevate your amp, and keep it about a foot away from your ear, ( I know that sounds crazy) you might just be happy with the tone, and your neighbor would be satisfied. In a condo, or apartment, odds are good that you can hear it 5 feet away, so can they.

 

[Rocket Queen]

Nobody suggests getting a different neighbor?

 

[Ginger Bug]

Nobody suggests getting a different neighbor?

Believe me, that would be my first choice if it were an option!

Thanks everyone for the ideas! I'm going to look into the sound isolation pad, and get some good headphones in case that doesn't work. Seems like the pad might be good to have either way, because my band practices in a basement, and even with the amp stand, my bass is really boomy in there, even with the bass turned way down.

 

[smogg]

headphones

 

[ShadowGroover]

Use a down-firing subwoofer and don't answer the door?

 

[turf3]

Low frequencies are the most able to penetrate structure. Use headphones.

 

[GPett]

headphones all the way. there's not really any point of using the amp that low, you'll have a better time with headphones

 

[lowfreqgeek]

Get a new neighbor? Or just use phones.

Whichever one is easier...

 

[/\/\3phist0]

I live in a remote area and STILL use in-ears or Sennheiser cans to practice.

No need to torture everyone around me with all my mistakes.

Seriously, I can give myself a full gig volume experience: without disturbing my wife sitting next to me on the couch.

 

[Engle]

+1 on headphones. It’s good for your technique to hear yourself clearly.

 

[sawzalot]

You have one option in an apartment situation, which is headphones. It's not his job to give you feedback, that's just annoying. Headphones are really the only way.