apartment living--how do you cope?

Joe Shelby · From: Walnut Creek, California, USA

This might seem like a no brainer question,
but since most of the time I'm working with
half a mind (sounds like a great title for a song, if someone wants to use it...he, he), I'll ask anyway.
I live in one of those multi-building apartment complexes where everyone is stacked
over, under, sideways, and down (sounds like
a great...) in studio or one bedroom rat cages. There's a bass player downstairs who
my girlfriend and I have been battling over the past two years as he thinks the complex is his own sort of personal rehearsal studio,
and (with occasional reminders) he's cooled
down.
Me, on the other hand, practice through headphones all the time, but sometimes I would really like to play through an amp. There are no rehearsal studios around, unless
you go to Oakland/Berkeley, which is about 40
minutes each way from here, and $15/hour (or more)
How do guys and gals handle (or have handled)
this kind of situation?

b0b · From: Cloverdale, CA, USA

I moved this to the "Steel Players" section, Joe, because it's not pedal steel specific.

Bob Hoffnar · From: Austin, Tx

I practice during the day when it doesn't bother anybody or I just play quietly. Late at night I don't use an amp. I don't like to use headphones. They tire out my ears to fast.

Bob

Richard Sinkler · From: aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana

Hi Joe. I live in a studio apartment. I mostly use my Evans preamp with headphones, but I occasionally use my amp, mostly when playing along with Band-In-A-Box. I put up with my neighbors having parties, so they can put up with my noise once in a while. Just do it.

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Carter D10 9p/9k, NV400, Korg Triton Le88 Synth, Korg CX-3 organ, Yamaha Motif Rack Module, Regal Dobro, Tele, Gretsch Acoustic.

[This message was edited by Richard Sinkler on 16 December 2005 at 09:52 PM.]

Ray Montee · From: Portland, Oregon (deceased)

Some years ago, Jeff Newman sold supreme stereo headphones that simply plugged into the guitar and WOW! Some of the musical sounds I've ever heard of MY playing.
Perhaps Scotty or someone else might still have them available. My son blew mine out.

Joe Shelby · From: Walnut Creek, California, USA

b0b-understood. After I posted I realized I
was in the pedal steel section;a senior moment.
Ray-Quality of sound isn't the issue for me.
In fact, the headphone setup sounds so good
it's hard to enjoy my amp sound, but I think
it's mostly due to not having spent much time
playing through one in the past couple years.
I believe one's hand dynamics need a certain
amount of adjustment depending on what you're
playing through, just MHO.

Joe.

[This message was edited by Joe Shelby on 17 December 2005 at 12:16 AM.]

Smiley Roberts · From: Hendersonville,Tn. 37075

Eric West · From: Portland, Oregon, USA, R.I.P.

I live in a great neighborhood, in a house that I own, and I can practice my steel or my tele through as many hundred watts as I have at any given time which is up to three hundred some. No complaints. I broke them in with my harley some years ago. The ones that complained the most moved and/or died(of natural causes), bless their hearts.

I recently bought a Roland Micro Cube that uses AC or AA Batteries (6, and they last a long time relatively) it has a line in for either a midi/drum machine, a headphone jack, a nice reverb and a couple good amp models.

The volume isn't over or underwhelming, and people I know actually use one as a recording or "pre-amp". It's nice and portable, I play the tele/strats in the yard with the batteries, and the steel sometimes before I set my gear up through it.

They make some larger ones, but it's all I need for what I do with it. Roland makes good dependable amps.

EJL

They're $125.

David Mason · From: Cambridge, MD, USA

A) I have four different pairs of headphones;
B) I have at least four different ways of amplifying an instrument signal into these headphones;
C) I consciously try to limit my other listening, so as not to tire my ears out. No idle "background music", no TV blaring away idly, etc. I don't think it's overkill to use at least a few pairs of headphones to ease both physical and mental fatigue. I won't use in-ear phones, there's going to be a LOT of deaf 40-year-olds when all this iPod frenzy settles. I do like overdrive and distortion and compression sustain at times, so I have a few different ways to get that, including my beloved Tubeworks "Real Tube" unit. Pretty much everything you would do to get a really good sound for direct recording will get you towards a really good headphone sound.

I also try to keep my volume down, down, down - I've somewhow made it to 47 without unusual hearing loss, and I'd like to keep it that way. With all that, I still occasionally have to drag my ancient beasts out to a friend's house in the country and let fly with all 370 glorious watts. Take THAT, sniveling wildlife....

Jack Francis · From: Queen Creek, Arizona, USA

I heard a comedian ask, "Why do they call them apartments if they are stuck together?"

[This message was edited by Jack Francis on 17 December 2005 at 02:49 AM.]

Mike Perlowin · From: Los Angeles CA

I usually practice without an amp.

On one occasion I needed to test an amp. I mean crank it up and see what it would do at top volume.

I approached my neighbors and explained that I needed to do this. I told them it would only be for a few minutes, and I asked them when would be a good time to do it so as to cause the least disturbance. We agreed on a time, and agt the appointed moment, I let her rip for a few minutes. Then, after I turned the amp off, I told the neighbors I was done and thanked them for allowing me to do it.

They in turn thanked me for my consideration and we remained friends.

Charlie McDonald · From: out of the blue

At least with heaphones, you can minimize the sound from the bass player downstairs.

Do unto others... or otherwise, do unto them what they do unto you.

John McGann · From: Boston, Massachusetts, USA * R.I.P.

I use a mixing board hooked up as a main switching system, so i can practice with tracks or metronome, etc. and route the sound into the board, on another pair of channels have the steel in stereo, and use the headphones- this setup works any time of day or night.

I own a house, but I don't like the sensation of practicing where anyone can hear my mistakes/out of tuneness etc.

Whatever optimum tone you get at home with an amp has to be tweaked to the band/room anyway.

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http://www.johnmcgann.com
Info for musicians, transcribers, technique tips and fun stuff. Joaquin Murphey transcription book, Rhythm Tuneup DVD and more...

HowardR · From: N.Y.C.-Fire Island-Asheville

Here's an amusing bit.

I live on the 22nd floor of a 34 floor story building. I can practice while viewing the lights of the George Washington Bridge.

The people below used to complain about my playing. Ok, I can understand when it's late at night, like after 11 or 11:30, but they would complain at 8pm.

Here in NYC there are "quality of life" laws and exceedingly loud noise from TV, radio, etc...fall under this. What is exceedingly? If it's so loud that it's an annoyance, ok, if you can just hear it, well, that's apartment living. Get over it. BTW, I'm talking dobro, not electric. But I can get carried away on an acoustic.

Several times the security guys would ask me to lower it. Well, one of the security guards is a jazz guitarist and we're friendly. We always talk music and he gave me some off the cuff ideas.

On weekends, I would get up early and run the vacuum cleaner for long periods of time over their bedroom. They complained, but since this wasn't a quality of life issue, they had to live with it. During the week is the only time that you can do any construction. I used to take a small, thick piece of steel, put it on the wood floor, and take a hammer drill to it.

After awhile, they got the idea. They had a choice of music, or drilling/vacuuming. My security guard friend told me that these people complained about everyone above, below, and adjacent apartments all of the time.

Finally, they moved. Didn't even say goodbye.

[This message was edited by HowardR on 17 December 2005 at 12:48 PM.]

Jim Sliff · From: Lawndale California, USA

Earlier this year I found the greatest solution to practice volume levels,and general practice procedures, ever.

A Fender GDec Amp.

It's a Champ-sized solid-state amp with 50 built in tones and MIDI rythm tracks that can be reprogrammed (drums, beats, key) and saved in 50 user slots. Just about every style is offered, from country to surf to heavy metal. you can also hook it to your computer via MIDI cable and play ANY MIDI file through it.

Witha built-in tuner, 8" speaker, stereo aux (for a CD player) and two guitar inputs and headphone output, it's what I use 90% of the time at home. One minute I'm playing along with some Beatles-sounding thing, the next a Pink Floyd styld track, later a Bakersfield progression. Or you can turn offf the drums/piano/bass tracks and just tweak tones and effects to your heart's content.

It was introduced as a beginner's tool, but it's just about the best $250 a seasoned player can spend for a practice tool.

Charles Curtis · Posted 17 Dec 2005 9:50 am

My adjoining neighbors like the psg sound; in fact my next door neighbor wanted me to bring my psg to her party last night. I didn't although it would have been nice as I'm sure some work at the college where she teaches (quiet group). My beautiful D-10 Emmons is getting a little too heavy to lug around; however this am I went to Washington Music and bought a small Micro-Cube amp. I never play after 9 pm, it's too easy to get carried away sometimes and get too loud.

Bill McCloskey · Posted 17 Dec 2005 10:34 am

I used to take Uillean Bag pipe lessons from a guy who has a small apartment in New York. Uillean pipes can get loud and what this guy did was purchase a soundproof booth which fit into his apartment. There is a company that makes them specifically for these situations. Basically, its like a small recording room, fits in your bedroom and is completely soundproof. You can move your guitar and amp into this room, shut the door, and no one will hear a thing. They sell for around $1,000.

HowardR · From: N.Y.C.-Fire Island-Asheville

and for another $200.00, they can install plumbing & a showerhead.

Talk about clean playing....

Michael Lee Allen · From: Portage Park / Irving Park, Chicago, Illinois

REMOVED

Ben Jones · From: Seattle, Washington, USA

To the original poster of this thread. Almost all leases allow you to practice your instrument at a reasonable volume for a couple hours a day. Be considerate of course, but realize and if necessary let your neighbors know, that you have the right to play. Use Small amps or get a hotplate for a large tube amp if thats what you have so you can drive it harder at lower volumes. They are making mini amps now in the 3-5 watt range that sound great. Epiphone valve Jr. for example. $100.

If people would just be honest and respect each other, the world would be a much better place I am sure you will ALL agree.

[This message was edited by Ben Jones on 17 December 2005 at 02:27 PM.]

Michael Lee Allen · From: Portage Park / Irving Park, Chicago, Illinois

REMOVED

Mark van Allen · From: Watkinsville, Ga. USA

This can be a tough one, depending on your neighbors...
When my wife and I moved to Las Vegas, the first day we moved in to our apartment she was sitting on the living room floor listening to a portable cassette player (very low volume) at 4 in the afternoon when the downstairs neighbor came storming up declaring that 4-6pm was his naptime and this better not be the start of blah blah blah. Working things out with him was a nightmare. The lady's kids to our left (this was an ADULTS ONLY complex) would blast metal music at 4am, about when we were getting home from our gigs, so I could see the other side of the noise issue.

One day the kids next door found the gun the lady's boyfriend had, and while playing around put two shots through our common wall and the headboard of our bed. If we'd been there it would have parted our hair. There are worse things than music next door...

Joe Miraglia · From: Jamestown N.Y.

Live in the country,play country music, play that steel guitar all you want!

Joe

Farris Currie · From: Ona, Florida, USA, R.I.P.

Thank GOD i'm a country boy!!!
People use to tell me from a mile down the road how they heard me. AND some even said how good it sounded!!!!
farris

Sidney Ralph Penton · From: Moberly, Missouri, USA

i didn't read everyones reply on this but the only thing i can say is you don't have to have it cranked up like your in a big concert hall or something. and if you do have to have it cranked up then go to one of the studios you was talkin about.

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if its not a zum steel it isn't real
just trying to steel for the Lord>

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