Could Really Use Some Advice

[DBW]

I also have state of the art hearing aids thru the VA. The audiologist will set your hearing aids up according to the beeps/tones that you hear or don’t hear. This is done via computer. Once that is done he may have you play your guitar to see if you like the sound. Your guitar sound won’t sound any better once you are set up optimally for speech sounds. I also have a minor in audiology as I am an SLP. You really don’t need to bring your guitar to the audiologist

[thefsb]

Originally Posted by TheGITM

I believe that modern hearing aids have custom setting 'modes' so one can change the mode if they are in a crowded public space with a lot of ambient noise, or sitting quietly at home watching television. It sounds like there is an option for a 'music' mode or something related specifically to instrumentation.

I hope so, anyway, as I'm sure to be in line for HAs in the coming years...

Such confidence. I admire it. I'm not at all sure I'll live long enough to need them.

[Tunesalot]

I vote bring the sable and get your new guitar after you can hear better. Many hearing aids are easily tweaked by the smartphone for various environments. Maybe you just cant hear the current one well enough or definitely one needs a new Martin after trying out all the various models. Enjoy hearing better! And send us pics of the new Martin.

[67goat]

The issues I see with the Martin angle are: one, your memory of sound is not nearly as reliable as you think it is and two, no two Martins sound the same. Either way, that could lead you to thinking things sound odd/off when they actually are not.

Originally Posted by thefsb

I voted "punt" but really I'd give a different answer from the offered 4.

I would not adjust my hearing to optimize for guitar sound. Optimize for ineligibility of speech instead. That's way more important than my sense of the "correctness" of how a guitar sounds.

I can get used to how a guitar sounds. Saying "huh?" and "say again" etc. and all the guessing/faking/bluffing is really tiresome.

I'm not at the stage of getting hearing aids yet, but I play guitar more than I talk to people. Guitar would be more important to me, personally.

[leew3]

Originally Posted by thefsb

Such confidence. I admire it. I'm not at all sure I'll live long enough to need them.

May your hearing remain full and useful. I would only add that we shouldn't assume hearing aids are only for when we get older. They were first recommended to me in my early 30's, but I didn't get them until 20 years later. I likely lost some hearing that could have been recovered with earlier use of hearing aids so I've become rather enthusiastic about recommending them as early as needed. I don't leave home (or play guitar) without them.

To the OP, I voted for the Sable as the settings will be close enough. As others have noted, it will take some time for you to adjust to the new experience of hearing everything again. Stick with it as your brain is carefully and wonderfully made and will adapt.

[Br1ck]

I've had my first pair, Rextons from Costco, for a month now. I don't know if you are new to the world or just getting started. If you are getting a pair for the first time, don't take a guitar in for the first appointment. Things will sound very different and your brain needs time to adjust. I took a guitar to my follow up visit three weeks later. Rexton has quite a few channels you can have programed for different environments. The audiologist ( not a doctor) picked the Rextons from the questionnaire I filled out. It had not only a channel for playing music, but listening to music and music at a venue.


I found the default settings for playing music had my treble strings far too bright. I had them shift the default setting so trebles that were at the end of the scale became the new default and gave me more treble roll off if I wanted it. This gives me the ability to roll off even more treble, which I do. I have a very pleasing tone now. You just need to remember to change back to automatic, where the AI adjusts to your environment as it changes. All this is done on my iPhone with the Rexton app.


The primary focus is on speech which is not what is right for music. Normally compressed won't work for playing. Technology is such that most modern aids are using AI to constantly react to the world around you. I'm addicted to hearing things, but there is a lot of high frequency you might not want to hear, like my four dog's dog tags jangling all the time. LOL

I had a newbie issue that was taken care of same day, so Costco has been great. And I'm streaming TV from my ROKU TV with the ROKU app. Even the thickest Scottish accent is audible. My wife needs the subtitles to understand that and her hearing is pretty good.


I'd let my ears adjust before dialing in guitar. My aids have 17 bands of EQ, pretty decent.

[colins]

Originally Posted by 67goat

The issues I see with the Martin angle are: one, your memory of sound is not nearly as reliable as you think it is and two, no two Martins sound the same. Either way, that could lead you to thinking things sound odd/off when they actually are not.

I'm not at the stage of getting hearing aids yet, but I play guitar more than I talk to people. Guitar would be more important to me, personally.

I'm on my first set of HAs (Phonaks), and I find that they enhance the sound of my acoustics by giving me back the trebles I had lost with age (and a youth spent in rock bands). I got my HAs about six months ago and now I wish I'd done it earlier!

For anyone contemplating HAs, or wondering about setting them up for acoustic guitar (as opposed to speech, or music in general) try this thread, and this thread for recent discussions. Then ask your audiologist to set them up for you. It only took my audiologist a few minutes to do this after I told him what I had read in the AGF threads.

To the OP - work with your audiologist to modify one of the programs as described in the above threads, and you should end up with a setting that is good for all acoustic guitars, not just one particular Martin.

[fretfile100]

If you want to buy another guitar I’m not sure GC would be the best buy. But I buy used generally so I am probably not a reliable guide. I have hearing aids and a McPherson will be fine.

[tinnitus]

My hearing aids came with two programs and my audiologist added a third (Playing Music). I select whichever program I need with my iPhone, paired via BlueTooth.

Automatic activates all the mics fore and aft, and adds various enhancements like feedback suppression and a couple other things I can't name off the top of my head.

Noisy/Party is the other standard option. It turns off both rear-facing mics so the hearing aids focus on what's in front of me. It's great in loud restaurants, minimizing noises coming from behind. I use it a lot.

Playing Music is the added option. It doesn't "tune" anything. Rather, it shuts off the enhancements in the automatic program, the primary offender being feedback suppression. In the Playing Music program, my guitars sound less jangly. I can play with or without switching to it. Sometimes if forget to go back to Automatic after practice and I'll hear a quiet squeal (feedback) when I enter a small, enclosed area like my car.

Given the median age group at AGF, most of us here with hearing loss probably have somewhat similar profiles, a pronounced notch in the SFR (Spousal Frequency Range). So a boost in the trebly (voice) area helps augment what we might be missing from a guitar. The improvement there is all a bit generic to me, evening out the tonal range of my four acoustics, but not necessarily so one particular brand/model would stand out as unique among the others with my eyes closed.

If I owned a music shop, I wouldn't appreciate selling a relatively nice guitar (or any for that matter) to someone fully intending to go test-drive hearing aids and return it. But who knows? Maybe ask the owner/manager in advance so they're in on the plan too. Might be fine.

[67goat]

Originally Posted by colins

I'm on my first set of HAs (Phonaks), and I find that they enhance the sound of my acoustics by giving me back the trebles I had lost with age (and a youth spent in rock bands). I got my HAs about six months ago and now I wish I'd done it earlier!

For anyone contemplating HAs, or wondering about setting them up for acoustic guitar (as opposed to speech, or music in general) try this thread, and this thread for recent discussions. Then ask your audiologist to set them up for you. It only took my audiologist a few minutes to do this after I told him what I had read in the AGF threads.

To the OP - work with your audiologist to modify one of the programs as described in the above threads, and you should end up with a setting that is good for all acoustic guitars, not just one particular Martin.

I didn't mean that it would be problematic to set it for guitar, but more the idea that OP was thinking about using a new guitar as the reference point. Memory of sound and variance between guitars might make OP think they are hearing something off from the HAs because OP having an expectation of what it should sound like that could be way off from reality.

[colins]

Originally Posted by 67goat

I didn't mean that it would be problematic to set it for guitar, but more the idea that OP was thinking about using a new guitar as the reference point. Memory of sound and variance between guitars might make OP think they are hearing something off from the HAs because OP having an expectation of what it should sound like that could be way off from reality.

I agree 100% that working from memory is not ideal. My experience is that if you get the HAs right, with help from the audiologist, you don't need to do it based on memory and one guitar, because you can make it better for all guitars based on technology and professional advice.

[musicman1951]

Originally Posted by PassingThru

Let me add that the audiologist will tune to the sound I bring and will adjust to best match "what I hear" compared to my hearing loss. I just prefer to hear the "Martin sound" for this process.

I think you've answered your own question - buy the Martin.

[gmel555]

Originally Posted by Rockysdad

….IF, it's first time using aids, things aren't going to work as you think, your brain has to *adjust* to the hearing aids as they present the sounds to you…..wait until you *hear & adjust* to your new aids….

Best advice IMHO, once you’ve acclimated to the aids, THEN go out and audition guitars to find one that sounds the best for you.

[Tleek]

Sounds like you’re looking for an excuse to get a new Martin and if you are, and can afford it, just go for it. I voted just use what you have because why not. I also think it’s unethical to buy one planning to return it.

[Guitars44me]

Originally Posted by Osage

My Dad's hearing aids have an app with multiple customizable settings. He doesn't play guitar any longer but has one setting dialed in for listening to music, one for watching tv and one for general use/conversation and one for restaurants. If you're hoping to dial them in to guitar, bring a guitar you know the sound of, not something you just picked up.

Someday, I want this. HA Speech settings are NOT optimized for music, and vice versa

I would want a 000-12 fret slot head if I was jonsing for a Martin. Just me

Hope it works out for ya!

Paul