• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Tinnitus

T

The_Robster

Nov 13, 2007
81
3
Missoula, Montana
www.myspace.com
#1
I'm 20 years old. I have been playing loud music with a marshall halfstack cranked ungodly loud pointed straight at my head on one side and a drummer beating the hell out of his drumset on the other for probably 4 or 5 years now.
What really pisses me off is that for the majority of it I've worn hearing protection, in fact I was the only member of the band doing so. Well it turns out it wasn't good enough... For the past year or so I have been struggling with on and off ringing in my ears. However just recently, it has gotten incredibly noticeable. It used to be that I would only hear it at night when I was going to bed. Now I can hear an audible high pitch frequency, at all times, even during the day, when other sounds used to block it out. It is getting really bad and noticable when I want silence and try to read a book for instance.
I'm really scared. I'm scared that I'm going to have this ringing in my head for the rest of my life and never have another day of silence in my life. I really don't know what to do. I am worried that I'm going to have to quit music, music is my life. But I just got back from practice a little bit ago and my ears and my head are literally hurting..
If I quit playing and listening to music entirely for a while do you think that my ears will return to normal or am I doomed?
I'm sorry this is kind of a rant, but I'm scared right now that I am going to have to life with this tinnitus for the rest of my life and I just don't know what I can do about it, I feel helpless..:crying:
If anyone has any experience with tinnitus, please share your story/experience/tips/ whatever.
 
#4
If you have tinnitus, you will have to adjust to it, it won't completely go away, ever, that is the fact my doctor explained by telling me to 'get used to it'.

The moulded customs are the way forward, my tinnitus started after one particularly loud 3 piece gig, 10 years ago through not wearing ear protection. Caffeine, alcohol, stimulants all make it slightly louder I've found, but I don't notice it during the day and I don't think it is as prominent as it used to be.

I take the custom plugs everywhere with higher noise levels, gig's, working next to a chain saw, machinery etc, if you expose your ears to any high level noise after the onset, it does exacerbate the tinnitus for the next day or 2 I've found.

IMO there's nothing macho or rock n' roll about exposing your ears to high volumes, it's just dumb, I can see/hear that now. Take it easy, and be more aware of what helps and what doesn't ; )

Don't delay in buying custom's, as a player they really should be top of the list before that distortion pedal or anything else ; )
 
#7
Phalex said:
I was playing around with my bass and my tinnitus, and it turns out the ringing in my head is a 1/4 step flat D. I thought it was interesting......
Click to expand...

Mine changes, the worst I've had is a different pitch in each ear beating against each other out of tune, like hearing a slightly flat b5 interval, that was a bloody curse. Better now though ; )

You got Db constantly? I used to own a refrigerator that buzzed in perfect G, great for tuning the bass too ; )
 
#8
Skitch it! said:
Mine changes, the worst I've had is a different pitch in each ear beating against each other out of tune, like hearing a slightly flat b5 interval, that was a bloody curse. Better now though ; )

You got Db constantly? I used to own a refrigerator that buzzed in perfect G, great for tuning the bass too ; )
Click to expand...

I had no idea it changed! It's a constant thing, but I guess I'll have to check it periodically to see if my head stays in tune or not.....
 
#9
It doesn't go away. Almost any damage you do to your ears is permanent. While ear plugs are hardly rock n' roll, you don't hear musicians who use ear plugs complain about their ears because it works.

Keep in mind that you can still cause more destruction to your ears, so it's not too late to start using ear plugs.
 
#10
Phalex said:
I had no idea it changed! It's a constant thing, but I guess I'll have to check it periodically to see if my head stays in tune or not.....
Click to expand...

Horses for courses, each case is different for everybody I've found, 90% of the drummers I have worked with have it (watch those cymbals, high end killers). The cause for me started years back, I looked for a bigger rig while in London to start playing the bigger clubs with a couple of incredibly loud drummers the band was using at the time.

I blew-up and returned to a well renowned bass dealership, around $5000 worth of gear, Eden WT800, Hartke, Peavey + over the course of a month (I eventually had to sign a disclaimer, I gave the stuff the most thorough of tests ; ) before getting the Ashdown stuff (which goes up to 11), that's the kind of volumes we were talking about, silliness ; )

I'm older and a bit wiser now, just a bit, definitely more careful with the old ears that's for sure, but the price for the nonsense back in the day is always there, but managable.
 
#13
bassrique said:
I hate to be callous, but you will get used to it. I've had it for 20+ years now and rarely think about it anymore.
Click to expand...

+1. To the OP, tension and stress will make it seem more perceivable, don't be freaked, it's done, but the plugs/preventative thinking will make it subside I've found, if I had not read the op earlier, I wouldn't have even thought about it. For you, it's time to be more careful now imo, your not the first, and you certainly won't be the last with this deal, you will adjust ; )
 
#17
It would be nice to have a constant E tinnitus (or some other open string). Wouldn't need a tuner anymore. :D

But seriously, I've had a few tinnitus bursts that lasted maybe about 10 seconds tops, even before I started playing bass. Annoying as hell. I have always been wearing earplugs when playing with a drummer, I just hope I never have to deal with constant tinnitus.
 
#19
What I think is my tinnitus is just a never-ending buzz, but it almost never rings. And when it does, it has gone away soon, fortunately.
It started after I had used on-ear headphones for a rather short period of time, 6 months or something like that, but almost 4hs a day, everyday. Not even loudly, 6/100 tops was the loudest I needed. Except when drumming along to tracks, when I have to turn the player all the way up to hear the track and myself. That probably was it...
Anyway, stay away of this kind of headphones:
Bowers-Wilkins-P3-On-Ear-Headphones.jpg
 
#20
The_Robster said:
I'm 20 years old. I have been playing loud music with a marshall halfstack cranked ungodly loud pointed straight at my head on one side and a drummer beating the hell out of his drumset on the other for probably 4 or 5 years now.
What really pisses me off is that for the majority of it I've worn hearing protection, in fact I was the only member of the band doing so. Well it turns out it wasn't good enough... For the past year or so I have been struggling with on and off ringing in my ears. However just recently, it has gotten incredibly noticeable. It used to be that I would only hear it at night when I was going to bed. Now I can hear an audible high pitch frequency, at all times, even during the day, when other sounds used to block it out. It is getting really bad and noticable when I want silence and try to read a book for instance.
I'm really scared. I'm scared that I'm going to have this ringing in my head for the rest of my life and never have another day of silence in my life. I really don't know what to do. I am worried that I'm going to have to quit music, music is my life. But I just got back from practice a little bit ago and my ears and my head are literally hurting..
If I quit playing and listening to music entirely for a while do you think that my ears will return to normal or am I doomed?
I'm sorry this is kind of a rant, but I'm scared right now that I am going to have to life with this tinnitus for the rest of my life and I just don't know what I can do about it, I feel helpless..:crying:
If anyone has any experience with tinnitus, please share your story/experience/tips/ whatever.
Click to expand...


What ? speak up please
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back