Quote:
Originally Posted by Carbonius
Yes. Hyperacusis... and 2 other things.
Tinnitus that has been going on for 6 years non-stop, 3 frequencies always ringing with one that oscillates a bit; 3600 hz, 7800 hz and 8000hz. VERY annoying. I have to have music at 85+ db to drown it out if I want a break. Although that leads to MORE ringing when I am done... It's a nasty circle
I also hear well beyond what I should for a mid 40's male. Up to 12,500 hz. My Hyperacusis kicks in at the 4000hz and beyond range. Sounds will hurt me when other people barely or don't even hear them at all! You probably know what I'm talking about.
I quit playing guitar for a couple of years, then tried to get back into it. It's hard to play when you find your head trying to get away. Sounds bizarre, but you may not what I mean. I literally found that I was subconsciously pulling my head more and more away as I was playing. Hard to play when you are running away from yourself.
Classical guitar was my door back in. hardly any issues as all with it. The position shifts can bother me a pinch, but I limit that through technique. I run Carbon strings on my Classicla and it is SOOOOOO nice. I bought a good one, Solid Rosewood B/S with a double Cedar Top. Warm, dynamic range, good volume if I want it.
I'm liking the Gretsch so far for me ears. I wanted to get back into something that I could strum and also dirty up a bit if I want to. I bought a POD500 years ago. I can run one guitar through 2 virtual amps. I liked having one clean, then a 2nd signal dirty that I could bring in with the volume pedal. I could even pan it (clean left, dirty right), many options. Acoustically the Gretsch doesn't hurt me the way steel string acoustics do. So then plugged in I should be able to control whatever offending frequencies may appear. Low pass filters can help.
I have thought about a Godin Nylon Multiac. I just tried one the other day and it played well. Although strumming and lead work just doesn't work as good.
Thanks for your input. I am sorry for any pain you suffer! Just curious, have you had any luck with hearing aids or any external tools like that? I've stuck to earplugs and noise canceling Bose headphones. However the tinnitus complicates the earplugs, it just accentuates the ringing. The Bose headphones let me play music. Nice for blocking out the world, but bad at meals! Cutlery on plates is one of the worst things for me!  |
I totally understand your issues. I also have tinnitus that I've lived with for more than 20 years. I've had full audiology profiles run and the doctors have told me that I could try "hearing aids" if I wished, but the chances of them helping the tinnitus and hyperacousis are very slim, as the hearing problems I have are more related to intelligibility and not actual loss of range. I have very slight upper range loss and everything else is pretty normal, especially in the mid-60 age range.
I played in bands semi-professionally for something like 30 years and gave that up after a very bad collarbone injury that kept me from performance for over a year while it healed. I decided at that time that I liked playing in lower-key venues and situations that didn't include 1 am teardowns.
The hyperacousis is the greater issue now, and I do everything I can to avoid the types of sounds that aggravate or trigger it. There are still triggers that cause me extreme discomfort and the need to cup my hands over my ears, such as my wife putting away the dishes in the cupboard, and many other similar examples. Others just don't understand how something so innocuous can cause so much pain.
I do not even think about power tools or lawn mowing without 30db attenuating ear plugs, and avoidance of loud sound situations helps me greatly with being able to tolerate occasional music performances or even playing gigs occasionally now. I've found that limiting my exposure has allowed me to pick and choose the situations I would like to accommodate.
Oddly enough, one of the things that have helped me more than anything else is using "masking" programs with a good set of headphones fairly often.
Here is a free masking site that I often use:
https://www.audionotch.com/tinnitus-masker
The "City Street Sweeper" with a good set of stereo headphones is my favorite...
The masking programs bring a huge amount of relief, and although they don't decrease the background level of the tinnitus they make it mush easier to "ignore" and live with.
My wife finds it interesting that I don't pay much attention to television if she watches, but I've explained to her that the volume she listens at is below the level of the several constant frequencies that I listen to
all the time. I think that helps folks understand exactly what we're up against.
The steps I have taken now permit me to play mandolin, steel strung guitar, and even open back banjo acoustically, and also plugged in for looping and lower volume performance situations. Relating to your particular question I also have a Cordoba Orchestra Fusion crossover guitar that is just plain refreashing to sit down and play. It seems that this is the direction you may need to pursue.