[pianotech] Hearing Improvement

[Michael Magness]

On Tue, Sep 8, 2009 at 4:33 PM, Rob McCall <rob at mccallpiano.com> wrote:

> Hi Diane,
>
> I'm fairly new to this business and have never used earplugs to tune.  I
> use them all time when I'm flying airplanes, but that's mainly to block out
> as much noise as possible, especially the high frequencies of a jet engine.
>
> What do you recommend as far as a good earplug for piano tuning that allows
> the requisite reduction in noise but without losing the high frequencies for
> hearing the beats, etc.?  is there a particular brand or style or type of
> earplug that works best for piano work?
>
> By the way, I took a detailed hearing test at the House Ear Clinic in Los
> Angeles last year.  So far I haven't lost any of the frequency ranges
> tested!  So I'm happy about that, but I'd like to make sure I maintain my
> hearing as long as possible.
>
> Regards,
>
> Rob McCall
> Murrieta, CA
>
>
> On Sep 08, 2009, at 12:43 , Diane Hofstetter wrote:
>
>
>> Earplugs are wonderful for tuning! They improve the signal to noise ratio,
>> thus making it easier to hear the piano by making the background noise less
>> prominent.
>>
>> However, they will not improve your actual hearing acuity.
>>
>> It is sad to say that at several conventions I have met techs who have
>> purchased a wide variety of earplugs in an attempt to improve their high
>> frequency hearing loss.
>>
>> Knowledge is power.  We need to know what our problem actually is before
>> we can effectively deal with it.
>>
>>
>> Diane Hofstetter
>>
>>
>>
>> [pianotech] Hearing Improvement
>> Blaine Hebert brhebert at verizon.net
>> Tue Sep 8 09:18:57 MDT 2009
>> Previous message: [pianotech] Eddie Higgins
>> Next message: [pianotech] Hearing Aids
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>>
>> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>
>
Hi Rob,

I have been in this business for 40+ years, I only began wearing earplugs
about 10 years ago and have been kicking myself for not doing it sooner. I
had experimented with the foam shooter's plugs but they didn't feel right
and I abandoned them.

About 10 years ago I got some of the 20db plugs from Pianotech and found
they worked well for me. I had my hearing tested in 2000 and had no
significant loss at any of the frequency levels. I had some family and other
health issues to deal with in the intervening time and didn't have my
hearing checked again until 2007 and when the results were compared to my
2000 test the examiner(same person) found my hearing had improved in certain
areas and had not deteriorated in any way.

I have been using my hearing protection religiously while tuning and using
power tools in the shop and yard, 30db in the yard, the earmuff type in the
shop which are 28 to 30db.
 I have found, as others have pointed out that the 20db plugs help me to
hear what I need to hear without keeping me from hearing other things I need
to hear like buzzing strings, clicks, squeaks and other action problems that
need attention in addition to tuning.

I used the plugs as an aural tuner and continue to use them with my Cyber
tuner acquired just a year ago, since I only use the etd to tune one string
of the unison and tune the others to match it aurally.

Mike
-- 
I intend to live forever. So far, so good.
Steven Wright


Michael Magness
Magness Piano Service
608-786-4404
www.IFixPianos.com
email mike at ifixpianos.com
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