Weird Issue With Sounds

[maxmax]

Hi gang,

Sorry for the long post, but I have a weird thing going on with my hearing that I can't really explain much shorter than this. I'm not posting this looking for help, because I doubt there is much to do about it, but thought I would throw it out there and see if any of you have dealt with something similar.

So I'm 43 and have played a variety of stringed instruments for most of my life. About ten years ago I was playing a lot of tenor banjo. I used the standard jazz tuning of CGDA (as opposed to the lower GDAE tuning that some, often Irish players use). This tuning is quite brash on the banjo, especially the high A string is quite piercing. I had no problems with it for years, until I suddeny, and I mean over the course of a week or two, starting having real issues with the sound. It got to a point where my ears were in physical pain playing. I tried all the setup work I could to tame the harsh sound, but nothing helped. I haven't touched a tenor banjo since.

I figured there must have been something with my hearing that changed with age and that frequency just didn't work for me any longer. I even had a hearing test done, but doctor said my hearing was fine (and I've never had issues with my hearing in general either).

Fast forward to about five years ago. At this point I was mostly playing the Dobro. An instrument I truly love the sound of! I have a few different Dobros at home, one in particular that I used to adore the sound of. But, again, the same thing happened: in a very short period of time, I just got super fatigued of hearing the sound of my Dobro. Not necessarily the high pitch pain that I was dealing with from the tenor banjo, but just really annoyed by the whining sound it makes. I can still enjoy hearing it on other peoples records, but I just don't like playing it anymore.

I've always had a bass guitar at home, but haven't played it too much. I started getting more serious about playing bass a little less then a year ago and have pretty much played everyday since. I have two basses, both Fender Jazz basses, one fretted and one fretless. While I can enjoy the sounds of all basses, the Jazz bass has been my favorite sound. Until now. It started about a week ago, and now for some reason I can't stand the sound. It's not the case of my ear is getting better and I know more precicely what sounds of a bass prefer, this is like I'm almost feeling nauseous when playing my Jazz basses with both pickups engaged. If I turn one down I'm fine, but it sounds a little boring, like I've always thought with Jazz basses with just one pickup turned up.

I'm not particularly sensitive when it comes to anything else in life, be it the sounds of things or other sensations, so I really don't get why this is happening. I'm going to get a Precision bass now, but I'm still woried that this sensation is going to come back to me regardless of what instrument I play for an extended time.

I would be really curious to hear if anyone here has dealt, or even heard of, something similar?

Cheers,
Max

 

[Nuisance]

No clue my friend. But I plugged your symptoms into an AI, and this is what came back:

Possible causes and what to try

1. Auditory sensitivity / recruitment

• Sudden changes in how certain tones feel can come from cochlear damage that’s not obvious on a basic hearing test (often normal pure-tone thresholds) but causes loudness recruitment or hyperacusis for specific frequencies. That can make particular timbres or high-mid harmonics feel painfully loud or unpleasant while other sounds seem fine.
• Try: an audiologist who does extended testing (loudness discomfort levels, high-frequency thresholds, otoacoustic emissions) and tests for hyperacusis or recruitment.

1. Timbre and harmonic content interacting with your ear

• Instruments you describe (tenor banjo CGDA, Dobro resonator, Jazz bass with both pickups) have strong upper-mid and harmonic content. If one region of your cochlea is more sensitive, sounds rich in those harmonics will be fatiguing or nauseating even if overall volume is moderate.
• Try: EQ or damping to reduce offending bands (cut around upper mids where piercingness lives, often 2–6 kHz on banjo and resonator; 1–3 kHz for nasal/jazz-bass brightness). Use ear-filtering headphones or an EQ pedal/amp to experiment at low volume.

1. Central auditory processing / temporary sensory change

• Stress, fatigue, medication changes, or even occipital/neck tension can alter sound tolerance. These shifts can be abrupt and reversible.
• Try: note recent life/medication/illness/stress changes; rest, sleep, hydration; avoid loud sounds for a few days and see if sensitivity eases.

1. Tinnitus-related sensitivity or misophonia-like reaction

• Sometimes annoyance or nausea stems from an emotional/neurological reaction rather than pure loudness—particularly if the reaction is immediate and specific to a timbre.
• Try: keep a short log of when it occurs (instrument, pickup positions, volume, time of day, mood) to spot patterns; an audiologist or ENT with experience in tinnitus/hyperacusis can advise.

1. Instrument/electronics interactions (for the Jazz bass issue)

• Both-pickup tone can create phase boosting, comb filtering, or a resonant peak that sounds harsh to you even at moderate levels.
• Try: check wiring or pickup height; try the same bass through different amps or DI with an EQ to isolate whether it’s the instrument’s spectrum or your ear reacting.

Practical, immediate steps (prescriptive)

1. Stop playing for a few days to a week to limit further sensitivity.
2. See an audiologist/ENT who does loudness discomfort levels and extended audiometry (request testing beyond standard pure-tone thresholds).
3. When you resume, play quieter and use EQ to notch offending bands:
   • Banjo/Dobro: reduce 2–6 kHz.
   • Jazz bass (both pickups): reduce around 1–3 kHz; experiment with phasing/P/O blend.
4. Try different instruments and setups slowly (one change at a time): Precision bass, different strings, amp EQ, pickup blends.
5. Consider sound therapy counseling if audiology suggests hyperacusis/tinnitus-linked sensitivity.

 

[maxmax]

Thank you very much for taking the time to do that! Didn’t think of that myself.

But that was an interesting response. Maybe there actually is something physical going on, and not just me being crazy. Going to look into this further!

Many thanks,
Max

 

[ardgedee]

Essentially: A hearing test only gauges whether you can hear well, it does not diagnose ear problems. Most of the rest of the "AI" response is blather.

Talk with your physician about this. Request a visit with an ear, nose and throat specialist. You might have a psychological problem or a physical problem, but you have to start somewhere to figure out what's going on.

As somebody who had chronic ear problems as a child, and had a parent with life-long chronic ear problems, I read things like this and reflexively cringe. There are a lot of damaging things that can happen to your ears that don't involve tinnitus. Get yourself checked out.