Good Neighbors Are Quite Essential

Bill Hankey · From: Pittsfield, MA, USA

Living in a neighborhood with friendly neighbors is a huge boon to steel players who don't wish to skip practice for fear of disturbing others. I've been very lucky in that regard. I would be interested in reading about others who may have had experiences along those lines.

Stephen Silver · From: Asheville, NC

My very effective solution to this was to purchase all the homes neighboring mine so that I would not disturb anyone with my practicing.
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Dave Hopping · From: Aurora, Colorado

I practice un-amped or with headphones most of the time.Problem solved.

Dick Sexton · From: Greenville, Ohio

Neighbors are only good if they are quiet. And they are never essential, only friends are... Make friends with your neighbors, problem solved.

Kirk Eipper · From: Arroyo Grande, Ca.

I moved to a rural spot, its great because I can play anytime of day an nobody ever hears me.
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John Allison · From: Austin, Texas, USA

Here in Austin (at least in certain parts of town) music from a nearby garage is part of the aural landscape. I've had to tell some of the neighbors that, no, practice sessions aren't audience-optional social events. They love to come over and hang out and listen whenever they hear the band loosening up. I find it awkward at best and sometimes really annoying when people want to listen in on a practice session - even if it's just running through well known material.
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Allison Stringed Instruments
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Dana Blodgett · From: California, USA

I've never heard a complaint from our neighbors yet about the music comin' outta the house or garage! I've Lived here for over 30 years and we've had many a R&R band practices here between my son and I.That includes full on drum sets,Fender and Marshall 100 watt 1/2 stacks, SWR bass heads/cabs and elaborate PA's.
I have had many compliments about the music instead, especially my son's groups!
Where I live there is no NOISE ordinance! Between 10am and 10pm it's a go...If someone in the future has a problem , all they have to do is ask us to dial it back a li'l bit!
Our long time neighbors are used to it.
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Dana Blodgett
From Los Osos,Ca.
'74 ShoBud 6140 3+4, Martins HD28,D-12-28, D-15,'65 Gibson LG-1, '77 Gibson Les Paul special dbl cut p-90's, Les Paul Special p-100's,Les paul Special Hybrid(maple top) hbkr's,'68 Fender Strat reissue, Fender Squire Jazz bass,Epi mandolin,Epi Wilshire '66 reissue, Kamaka Concert uke, 70's Kamaka Soprano Uke, Fender Super amp, Ampeg ba112 bass amp,60's harmony banjo,'00 Gibson SG Supreme

Bill Hankey · From: Pittsfield, MA, USA

Something worth mentioning is the habit of keeping in time by tapping the toe of the shoe on the floor. On hardwood second floors, the din of the contant beating could annoy neighbors living on a first floor. It's the constant thumping that gets to the party living below. Guitar players just starting out, seem to fall in this particular problem.

Bill Hankey · From: Pittsfield, MA, USA

Am I to assume that every steel player is a good neighbor, or vice versa?

Bill Hankey · From: Pittsfield, MA, USA

John Allison,

I don't hear as much about playing in garages and other woodshedding these days. As a matter of fact, one of the things that I became fascinated with, by prompting me upon hearing of them, and attracted me to the pedal steel, was just that kind of enthusiasm among players of the instrument. A friend of mine related to me years ago how he was in visual proximity with Jimmy Day and a couple other greats in Nashville while they were woodshedding. Sounds exciting, even after all the years that have slipped away since the experience was related to me.

Elton Smith · From: Texas, USA

Mine is sorta funny,I live on the main street with a subdivision behind me.I have a 20x20 cabin I built that has green siding on it ,we call the green house.On the lot next door they put the dumpster.I know everyone or they know me,so many times while in practice ,I get the dumpster crowd.I have the best neighbors in the world.The green house is my practice hall.
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Tom T Taylor · From: Western Australia

good fences make good neighbours...
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Bill Hankey · From: Pittsfield, MA, USA

A second lifetime is all that it would take to eradicate most of the problems that develop in the first lifetime experience. We'd know instantly which way to turn, and the things to avoid. Such a waste, not knowing where to place our bets.

Bill Hankey · From: Pittsfield, MA, USA

There are those who live within a short walk of their neighbors, and surprisingly never choose to acquaint themselves on a one to one basis with neighborhood dwellers. They become a family of three or four and adhere to a system of not becoming concerned with what is happening next door. That type of shoddiness I'd guess is how keeping up with the Joneses got its start as we know it. I'm not a big fan of thoughtless behavior by those types showing a disinclination for social activity in proximity with outgoing and friendly families.

Mike Perlowin · From: Los Angeles CA

I usually practice unplugged while my wife is asleep, so as not to disturb her. Obviously I also don't disturb the neighbors.

On one occasion, I needed to see how an amp would perform at high volume. I told my neighbors that I needed to do this, and set up a time with them, so they knew it was coming, them blasted them for 3 or 4 minutes, and then when I was done, I wen over and thanked them for allowing me to make so much noise.

Consequently, they were not angry or upset, and we remained friends.

By contrast, back in the 80s, I had a neighbor who played trumpet with the L.A. Philharmonic, who would practice with the windows open and disturb not just me, but also the other neighbors. I asked him nicely to please either use a mute, or close the windows when he practiced, and he told me to go (f-word) myself. He said he played with the philharmonic and I played in bars, therefore he was more important than me.

Things went downhill from there, till one day I told him that if he wanted a war, I was better armed than he was, that my amp could get a lot louder than his trumpet. He more or less dared me to play that game, so one day when he started practicing with the window open again, I placed my amp next to the window facing his house, turned it on full blast, and put one of those 2 string E-bows on the 2nd and 4th string, (At the time I was still tuning my 2nd string to D#) and let it ring out for 5 minutes.

I never heard another peep put of the guy.

The violist in my chamber music trio, who also played with the orchestra, knows this guy and says he's a real anus (that's not the word she used.)
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Bill Hankey · From: Pittsfield, MA, USA

Mike,

If you've never played steel under a pavilion, you may be missing out on getting what I think is the best sound from your instrument. There is something special about the sound played under a pavilion. I came to realize the difference when my steel was recorded under the canopied structure in West Stockbridge, MA. My steel really sounded much better to me than other recordings made at home where the sound is more controlled. After hearing the recording, I've been tempted to try to determine how this came about. Acoustics have befuddled me on other occasions, but nothing so dramatic as the pavilion recording.

Alan Tanner · From: Near Dayton, Ohio

I have no close neighbors. The only requirement we have is that they keep their animals on their side of the fence and I keep mine (not to be confused with musicians) on my side. I occasionally go and clear the snow from my one elderly neighbors looong drive. Didn't have to do that this year tho'....

Joe Casey · From: Weeki Wachee .Springs FL (population.9)

I'm lucky I own the property on three sides of me...The snakes and the critters never complain when my stereo blast from the pool deck...

Niels Andrews · From: Salinas, California, USA

For practice in an urban environment or motel room. When on the road Vox makes a plug in that uses batteries and earbuds, you can use your iPhone for backing tracks. When at home I use my iMac with Garageband and a headset or if no need to be quiet Mackie 8 inch powered speakers.

Bill Hankey · From: Pittsfield, MA, USA

Steel guitarists take pride in their equipment. Living in an apartment complex with the thought of dedicated practice in mind, is a joke. Get real! Most invariably, the average neighbor hasn't a silly iota in his mind in connection with the pedal steel guitar. Randomly, show me 25 or so tenants living in a complex, and I'll show you the bulk of the 25 who are totally ignorant of the steel's capabilities. It's really pitiful how misinformed such a great number of tenants are found to be in reality. Finding one's niche is without a doubt the proper way to turn in preparedness. And that would include eliminating external interferences that could possibly in some way deter a good student away from a busy schedule.

Mike Perlowin · From: Los Angeles CA

Niels Andrews · From: Salinas, California, USA

They are really ignorant at 5:00 in the morning.

Jonathan Cullifer · From: Gallatin, TN

I built a box out of 3/4" MDF. Knocks off almost 20 db. Being on the bottom floor of my apartment building, I don't have to worry about resonating the floor. It's not perfectly quiet, but I can play with my amp loud enough to get a good tone (through a mic and headphones) and not be louder than the TV.

I also record through the same setup. Never had a complaint, even on some of my late nights.

Ransom Beers · Posted 18 Mar 2012 10:14 am

Both my neighbors are old ladies(well one isn't a lady,but that's another story),point is they both wear hearing aids so from the first of the month until about the 15th-18th I can't play very loud but then the power in the batteries begins to dwindle so I turn up accordingly,ok but when the SS chks. come in & they buy new batteries for their hearing aids I have to start turning down.Kind of a P.I.T.A. but it wurks.

These statements are not necessarily the views of The Steel Guitar Forum & should be considered B.S.!!!!

Bill Hankey · From: Pittsfield, MA, USA

Ransom, things that are not exaggerated claims pertain to the wisdom of the person or persons who first made the deduction about human nature concerning consideration. It must have taken an extraordinary type of individual to ascertain that we should treat others in a way that we would have them treat ourselves. There really should be no problem realizing that silence is golden in most every instance. There are no substitutes for peace and quiet. Decent rentals are commanding $1000 to $1500 for livable apartments. That would be 50 to 75 Andrew Jacksons every 30 days. The likelihood of a tenant not tolerating high volume music from neighboring units is to be assured.

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