kaydee
Strummer
Posts: 28
My main instrument is: tanglewood TW45VSB
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Post by kaydee on May 12, 2021 11:59:02 GMT
Mine is a TW45VSB it is from the sundance performance pro series with a cutaway, so small to medium body size but it does kick out good volume,I also like the fact it feels small ,I find reaching around a large body guitar both a hinderance to my playing and just uncomfortable to hold . Go on the Tanglewood website and the TW45ASVE at £849-00 is exactly the same as mine except for the sunburst finish. Not suggesting you buy one but to give you an idea of size,there are a number of youtube videos on the TW45 guitars. Mine is Solid Cedar top and solid mahogany back and sides,I have tried out dozens of much more expensive guitars over the years and the truth is none of them sounded any better than my Tanglewood so I have never bought another guitar. I have concluded my ears are just not as sensitive as some other players and that makes my choices about buying another very easy......I dont ! 😀 all the best
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Post by surfguy13 on May 13, 2021 10:16:15 GMT
Mine is a TW45VSB it is from the sundance performance pro series with a cutaway, so small to medium body size but it does kick out good volume,I also like the fact it feels small ,I find reaching around a large body guitar both a hinderance to my playing and just uncomfortable to hold . Go on the Tanglewood website and the TW45ASVE at £849-00 is exactly the same as mine except for the sunburst finish. Not suggesting you buy one but to give you an idea of size,there are a number of youtube videos on the TW45 guitars. Mine is Solid Cedar top and solid mahogany back and sides,I have tried out dozens of much more expensive guitars over the years and the truth is none of them sounded any better than my Tanglewood so I have never bought another guitar. I have concluded my ears are just not as sensitive as some other players and that makes my choices about buying another very easy......I dont ! 😀 all the best That looks like a very nice guitar indeed. I had a look at a couple of clips of the TW45 and they really do sound nice. A friend of mine has just bought a (cheaper) Tanglewood and he is absolutely delighted with it. And yes, dreads sound wonderful but they are an armful. I'm quite tall and yet I still find difficulty getting over the body. I have come to the conclusion that for me the only way to play a dread is on a strap. I think the so-called cheaper manufacturers are really upping their game and producing amazing value for money guitars, many with all solid woods. I did buy a Faith about 6 months ago as I was really curious but have to say that I was genuinely disappointed. Although the woods were solid and it seemed to be spec'd well the setup was appalling and even after I had fully adjusted the trussrod to give me more bow in the neck the action was still so low it was impossible to play without the low E buzzing. Also, I was not at all impressed with the sound. Maybe I was just unlucky? If you can get away with one guitar then that's got to be best case scenario. There are a lot of mid-range manufacturers, like Lakewood, who make really remarkably good guitars that seem to be consistent in quality and yet don't necessarily cost a fortune. Also, they're European which appeals to me. I aim to live with one acoustic from here on in but whether that works out I'm not too sure!!
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Post by curmudgeon on May 13, 2021 22:14:10 GMT
Just a word of caution before taking the plunge. A few years ago I was fitted with hearing aids and discovered they made all my guitars sound like banjos! I was told that it would take time for my brain to adjust to hearing forgotten frequencies(I am deaf above 4hz). However I still can't stand to wear them when playing. I've also noticed I can't tell much of a difference between guitars now. So I would definitely wait until you get your hearing aids before making a decision. I second this. I have nhs aids, and last year investigated private ones for IRO £3k the pair.
My wonderful guitars all sounded as if played through a cheap amp with a string chorus effect.
Obviously, it takes time to adjust to the sudden increased tebles .. but "chorus"?
Take advantage of at least a month's trial for hearing aids and even take a guitar into the shop (this was offered to me). I know a lot of deaf old codgers like me but only one who wears aids to perform (he used to start up EE Lightening jets in the RAF and has very profound hearing loss).
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kaydee
Strummer
Posts: 28
My main instrument is: tanglewood TW45VSB
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Post by kaydee on May 14, 2021 7:53:41 GMT
Good grief,if anything is going to do your ears in a Lightning is the very thing,maybe take up drumming instead 😂
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Post by surfguy13 on May 14, 2021 10:36:13 GMT
Just a word of caution before taking the plunge. A few years ago I was fitted with hearing aids and discovered they made all my guitars sound like banjos! I was told that it would take time for my brain to adjust to hearing forgotten frequencies(I am deaf above 4hz). However I still can't stand to wear them when playing. I've also noticed I can't tell much of a difference between guitars now. So I would definitely wait until you get your hearing aids before making a decision. I second this. I have nhs aids, and last year investigated private ones for IRO £3k the pair.
My wonderful guitars all sounded as if played through a cheap amp with a string chorus effect.
Obviously, it takes time to adjust to the sudden increased tebles .. but "chorus"?
Take advantage of at least a month's trial for hearing aids and even take a guitar into the shop (this was offered to me). I know a lot of deaf old codgers like me but only one who wears aids to perform (he used to start up EE Lightening jets in the RAF and has very profound hearing loss).
I third it! I have had my NHS hearing aids for about 4 or 5 weeks now and have stopped wearing them altogether. Total nightmare. All sorts of issues unrelated to music but have to agree that everything I have played, bass/guitar/acoustic have sounded very strange indeed. I was getting massive ringing in both ears that I never experienced before wearing them and as @curmugeon mentioned, everything sounds like it's running through a chorus pedal. Also sounds like a sitar at times depending on what volume setting I have. Definite no for playing guitar! Also, I found they really didn't help my day to day hearing. Total waste of time. I had a hearing test at Boots back in 2016 and they confirmed moderate hearing loss in treble registers which my recent hearing test confirmed. However, Boots don't do NHS aids so they suggested a pair of digital 'buds' which sit in your ear for a mere £3999! Absolute steal. Hmmmmm.......think I'd prefer to be deaf'ish and spend the £3999 on a new acoustic!
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Post by lavaman on May 14, 2021 11:17:01 GMT
I'll fourth it!
Had my NHS hearing aids for 18 months or so now. I have age related hearing loss that starts to dip at about 4 Khz. They do take a lot of getting used to but they are invaluable for understanding Mrs Lavaman (I hear her vowels sounds well enough but sometimes get the consonants confused) It's also helpful when in large gatherings where there's a lot of background noise. And handy for American TV programmes where the speech can be slurred.
The chorus effect is a pain. My aids boost the trebles and the amplified sound goes down a small tube into my ear. The earpiece is mushroom shaped and features 5 large holes that allow ambient sound to enter my ear. So I actually hear a mix of amplifed trebles and 'normal' sound. The hearing aid introduces latency of a few milliseconds causing the the chorus effect. I discussed this with my aid supplier and he said most people don't notice it. Perhaps musicians are more attuned to detecting latency?
I take them out when I play my guitars, they all sound tinny and horrible. When I'm mixing a recording I've started wearing just one otherwise I won't hear the top and and I'll boost the hell out of it to compensate.
One of the joys of growing old.
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Post by surfguy13 on May 14, 2021 12:38:10 GMT
I'll fourth it! Had my NHS hearing aids for 18 months or so now. I have age related hearing loss that starts to dip at about 4 Khz. They do take a lot of getting used to but they are invaluable for understanding Mrs Lavaman (I hear her vowels sounds well enough but sometimes get the consonants confused) It's also helpful when in large gatherings where there's a lot of background noise. And handy for American TV programmes where the speech can be slurred. The chorus effect is a pain. My aids boost the trebles and the amplified sound goes down a small tube into my ear. The earpiece is mushroom shaped and features 5 large holes that allow ambient sound to enter my ear. So I actually hear a mix of amplifed trebles and 'normal' sound. The hearing aid introduces latency of a few milliseconds causing the the chorus effect. I discussed this with my aid supplier and he said most people don't notice it. Perhaps musicians are more attuned to detecting latency? I take them out when I play my guitars, they all sound tinny and horrible. When I'm mixing a recording I've started wearing just one otherwise I won't hear the top and and I'll boost the hell out of it to compensate. One of the joys of growing old. It seems that your requirements are the same as mine; hearing and understanding anywhere where there is a lot of background noise. Supermarket checkouts are pretty much the worst other than US television programmes where the volume not only seems to go up and down constantly but the sound quality is the wrong side of appalling. I have stopped watching anything American as without subtitles I am nowhere. However, as you say, with any gathering of people I find it virtually impossible to have a conversation. Likewise when outside in windy conditions etc etc.....the list goes on. I would have been happy to live with them and take them out when playing or listening to music but mine were as a result of a doctor referral to Specsavers and they were about as useless as it is possible to be. There was no alternative offered at the time, Specsavers have the NHS contract in this area. The staff had no idea what they were doing, failed to give me any instruction or advice as to how to use the hearing aids and when I contacted them they failed to return any of my calls. As a result I am now on the list for a proper hearing assessment at Addenbrookes Hospital and then, hopefully, some progress where using the hearing aids as they were designed to be used!
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Post by lavaman on May 14, 2021 15:44:57 GMT
I had a similar experience with Specsavers who also have the NHS contract in this area. My first assessment was a disaster. There was no audio chamber to isolate external noise (I could hear the traffic outside). Having had several hearing tests as part of my annual medical for working offshore, I knew what test gear they should use so I insisted on another test using an audio chamber and the proper equipment. The second test was much more professional and we discussed the EQ boost we would select. After 3 weeks I went back for a 3rd test to tweak the EQ and left / right balance and I feel its as good as we can get it.
Hope you get referred to Addenbrokes soon. They will know what they're doing.
Iain
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kaydee
Strummer
Posts: 28
My main instrument is: tanglewood TW45VSB
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Post by kaydee on May 14, 2021 15:59:23 GMT
Hopefully on a positive note,I find this discussion very enlightening.Most posts on other forums are so preoccupied with by how much this guitar sounds better than that guitar ,or whether it is because of tonewood (a) versus tonewood (b) . It is very refreshing to have a chat regarding real world problems . It seems all the more relevant when there seems to be an increasing number of people taking up the guitar in their retirement.
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Post by surfguy13 on May 14, 2021 16:38:13 GMT
I had a similar experience with Specsavers who also have the NHS contract in this area. My first assessment was a disaster. There was no audio chamber to isolate external noise (I could hear the traffic outside). Having had several hearing tests as part of my annual medical for working offshore, I knew what test gear they should use so I insisted on another test using an audio chamber and the proper equipment. The second test was much more professional and we discussed the EQ boost we would select. After 3 weeks I went back for a 3rd test to tweak the EQ and left / right balance and I feel its as good as we can get it. Hope you get referred to Addenbrokes soon. They will know what they're doing. Iain That really is interesting Iain. It seems like the NHS have gone for the cheap option with Specsavers and our local Specsavers as about as cheap as it gets. I had the same experience as you with the audio chamber. I was told it could not be used due to COVID restrictions and as the shop is located within a Sainsbury's supermarket I could hear all the shop noise when doing the tests which was absurd. I demanded that they do it again and they reluctantly agreed, so went through the whole thing again. Interestingly the hearing tests at Boots took just under 1 hour 45 minutes with about an hour of that time spent with audio tests. Really thorough. The Specsavers tests took exactly 7 minutes so are they fit for purpose? Very much doubt it. I had a full audiogram at Newcastle General Hospital in 1981 which took nearly 3 hours so the 7 minute test really does pale into insignificance. I complained to my GPs practice and the Area Health Authority but my guess is they'll stick with Specsavers simply because its cheap. It's great that you eventually managed to get your hearing aids as good as it was possible to get them and it is really enlightening to hear about your experiences. As you say, roll on Addenbrookes. I still have the hearing aids so hopefully it will just be a case of them setting them up for me and actually explaining how to use them, although I hope they re-do the tests too! Guy
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Post by surfguy13 on May 14, 2021 16:41:33 GMT
Hopefully on a positive note,I find this discussion very enlightening.Most posts on other forums are so preoccupied with by how much this guitar sounds better than that guitar ,or whether it is because of tonewood (a) versus tonewood (b) . It is very refreshing to have a chat regarding real world problems . It seems all the more relevant when there seems to be an increasing number of people taking up the guitar in their retirement. Agree totally! I find that Acoustic Soundboard is a really friendly forum with a really good knowledge base; you can ask for advice and discuss all the ins and outs of one guitar against the other but also go off piste and discuss pretty much anything.
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kaydee
Strummer
Posts: 28
My main instrument is: tanglewood TW45VSB
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Post by kaydee on May 15, 2021 19:32:54 GMT
I second this. I have nhs aids, and last year investigated private ones for IRO £3k the pair.
My wonderful guitars all sounded as if played through a cheap amp with a string chorus effect.
Obviously, it takes time to adjust to the sudden increased tebles .. but "chorus"?
Take advantage of at least a month's trial for hearing aids and even take a guitar into the shop (this was offered to me). I know a lot of deaf old codgers like me but only one who wears aids to perform (he used to start up EE Lightening jets in the RAF and has very profound hearing loss).
I third it! I have had my NHS hearing aids for about 4 or 5 weeks now and have stopped wearing them altogether. Total nightmare. All sorts of issues unrelated to music but have to agree that everything I have played, bass/guitar/acoustic have sounded very strange indeed. I was getting massive ringing in both ears that I never experienced before wearing them and as @curmugeon mentioned, everything sounds like it's running through a chorus pedal. Also sounds like a sitar at times depending on what volume setting I have. Definite no for playing guitar! Also, I found they really didn't help my day to day hearing. Total waste of time. I had a hearing test at Boots back in 2016 and they confirmed moderate hearing loss in treble registers which my recent hearing test confirmed. However, Boots don't do NHS aids so they suggested a pair of digital 'buds' which sit in your ear for a mere £3999! Absolute steal. Hmmmmm.......think I'd prefer to be deaf'ish and spend the £3999 on a new acoustic!
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kaydee
Strummer
Posts: 28
My main instrument is: tanglewood TW45VSB
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Post by kaydee on May 15, 2021 19:35:02 GMT
I think spending 4k on a guitar has got to be a better bet than on ear buds. No question😂
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Post by curmudgeon on May 17, 2021 21:46:01 GMT
Today, whilst trying to get sensible answers from energy providers, I took a break and got out my Collings dreads ans my Santa Cruz RS. For the past few months I've enjoyed my smaller guitars but the bass and middle of the big dogs, give me deep joy. I have moderate/high hearing loss in the trebles, ancient ears and a decade or two driving a drum kit between Marchall amps.
It's not my fault that everyone on TV mumble!
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Post by surfguy13 on May 18, 2021 7:56:17 GMT
Today, whilst trying to get sensible answers from energy providers, I took a break and got out my Collings dreads ans my Santa Cruz RS. For the past few months I've enjoyed my smaller guitars but the bass and middle of the big dogs, give me deep joy. I have moderate/high hearing loss in the trebles, ancient ears and a decade or two driving a drum kit between Marchall amps. It's not my fault that everyone on TV mumble! Yup, small bodied guitars feel great and dreads sound great. I think that's why I came to the conclusion that an OM size body and the longer scale was pretty much the perfect compromise between the two. Yes, I understand perfectly where your hearing loss is concerned. I have been a bass player for decades and that, together with 20-30 years as a chain saw operator, meant that my hearing never stood a chance! And yes, everybody on TV does mumble and Americans are virtually impossible to understand!
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