Do not tweak your Axe-FX after a Van Halen show

GuitarDojo

GuitarDojo

Moderator
Moderator
I got to see VH up close last Friday night and it was LOUD!!! Eddie's tone was amazing! Eddies playing was the best I have seen in a LONG LONG TIME!!!! (Prolly since Carnal Tour)
The sound crew couldnt get the levels right until about the third song. I could hear Wolfgang's bass and voice. I was impressed, the kid can hold his own, moved around a lot and showed some expression. There was a lot fo fun and love going on the stage. Good Times...... I wanted my money back after I saw the 2005 shows, this show made up for that!!!

By Sunday I was back in my studio jamming with a friend and all my settings sounded like crap. I remember thinking "what did I do between the last time and now" ......"oh yea ..got my ears blasted by EVH!"
I left everything as it was and yesterday it sounded great again. (should have worn ear plugs) Next stop Motley Crue/ KISS Tour ;)
 
Ear plugs FTW!

Heard a lot of great things about this tour but VH isn't getting any more ticket money from me after that POS 2005 tour. At the 2006 NAMM show I saw a VH tribute band that put on a better show than Eddie & Co. :-x
 
aleclee said:
Ear plugs FTW!

Heard a lot of great things about this tour but VH isn't getting any more ticket money from me after that POS 2005 tour. At the 2006 NAMM show I saw a VH tribute band that put on a better show than Eddie & Co. :-x
Click to expand...

What did you say?

hearing.jpg
 
I read an article with Paul Gilbert blaming his hearing problems on going over to Eddies place and having him blast his ears out. I assume Eddies hearing is probably shot. I remember seeing a JBL add with Pete Townsend saying how great the new JBLs sounded. I had to chuckle at that knowing what his hearing is like. LOL
 
shemihazazel said:
No band is worth hearing loss. I don't get it, especially as a musician.
Click to expand...

I just saw Korn on Monday. Even with 32db plugs in... and leaving before they were done, my ears are still ringing. I agree with you whole-heartedly. I just don't understand why sound guys think it's ok to damage the entire crowd's hearing.
 
Sidivan said:
I just saw Korn on Monday. Even with 32db plugs in... and leaving before they were done, my ears are still ringing. I agree with you whole-heartedly. I just don't understand why sound guys think it's ok to damage the entire crowd's hearing.
Click to expand...

Chalk it up to the loudness war. Korn in particular has always made a point of trying to be louder than everyone else. It's asinine. I can understand being louder than the jabbering idiots in the crowd (myself included), but everything beyond that is just pointless.
 
I remember some old Who shows in the early 70's where we were pretty much deaf for days afterward. Never understood the reasoning to be so much louder than others. Never considered the long term effects in our youth either.
 
Last edited:
By far the loudest band I ever saw was Motorhead. The local paper even had an article on the unbelievable sound levels and how they're completely unnecessary. I had plugs in, my fingers reinforcing those and I lasted like, 3 songs. It rattled my teeth from across the venue. Just stupid loud. I bet it was 150db+
 
I HEAR WHAT YOU GUYS ARE SAYING... WHAT...? NO... I"M NOT SHOUTING...! LOL!

For me, once you get to a certain point as the volume increases it sounds WORSE!!!!

Been an earplugs guys for decades. Even on long road trips where hour after hour of road noise wears out your ears.
 
anybody use ear plugs at home when playing the axe? I love the sound and feel of it loud but ears are getting more abuse now at 44 than in my hs days at the stone in sf (shout out bay area thrash).
 
Loudest concert I ever saw was the original Black Sabbath line up reunion tour on New Year Eve (dubbed New Years Evil) in Phoenix on 12/31/1999. Actually the whole concert was awesome with the acts being:

Soulfly
Slayer
Megadeth
Pantera
Black Sabbath

Everyone was pretty loud (obviously), but when Black Sabbath came out... holy sh*t it was LOUD!!! Awesome show though... they still had it.
 
I'm closing in on 32 and still love modern rock. I've been going to many, many loud concerts since I was 14, and only started wearing earplugs about 5 years ago. It really makes me feel old and dorky to put my earplugs in at concerts, but at the same time, I've done enough damage to have faint tinnitus always present. It's not that bad yet, but I don't want it to get any worse. So while part of me feels dorky, part of me also looks around and wishes I could give the kids advice to save their hearing while they can!

BTW, best low-cost option I've found that doesn't kill the sound totally are the Etymotic Research ER-20 series:

Amazon.com: Etymotic Research ER20 ETYPlug Hearing Protection Earplugs, Standard Clear Stem with Blue Tip (Clear): Home Improvement
 
You know when the act is using ear plugs, you should be.


Sidivan said:
By far the loudest band I ever saw was Motorhead. The local paper even had an article on the unbelievable sound levels and how they're completely unnecessary. I had plugs in, my fingers reinforcing those and I lasted like, 3 songs. It rattled my teeth from across the venue. Just stupid loud. I bet it was 150db+
Click to expand...

Heavy equipment operators suffer this, even with double hearing protection, due to the vibration.
 
I remember seeing Ted Nugent around 1977 and when the band went off stage before encores, the guitars and bass were just propped up with the pups facing the back line. Loud feedback, like I have never heard before or since. I can still hear.
 
symphx said:
anybody use ear plugs at home when playing the axe? I love the sound and feel of it loud but ears are getting more abuse now at 44 than in my hs days at the stone in sf (shout out bay area thrash).
Click to expand...
I play for fun at home. There is something to be said for playing loud and "feeling" the thump of the notes. When I had the Atomic I could not play it loud, no matter where the speaker was located. It got worse as the speaker height got more than 3 feet. I ended up using a 4x12 and pointing it away from me. This way I can play load and enjoy the reflected sound. I usually point it in the direction of the neighbors I don't like ;)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom