V8 nope... i have been to protec. They are also good. The place i got mine was noiseclipper.

See noiseclipper.co.za

guidothepimmp he place i got mine was noiseclipper.

See noiseclipper.co.za

Nice one thanks @guidothepimmp! Sometimes it's good that I stick my foot in my mouth (sometimes both!).

Quite like the look of the "FIT-4-ALL MUSIC" variphones, as a balance of price/performance (16.5 Euros) - I've sent noiseclipper a email to see if there's local stock and how much they'd be.

Will update if/when I hear back from them.

Update: Heard back from the fellows at noiseclipper...

A set of Variphone Fit-4-All's are going to set you back the princely sum of R264.50 (vat inc)...imho, a complete bargain! Impressed how it's fairly much the same price in euros as rands.

Honestly, it's a no brainer purchase and I'll harshly say, if you don't have a set of plugs, you don't have any brains if you don't get a set...?

Feel free to email them at smp@noiseclipper.co.za or call at +27 (0) 12 349 0700 to find your nearest stockist (if you are not in PTA).

I'm hoping to get the gear junkie to stock 'em...

Thanks @guidothepimmp for the link!

I just picked up a set of the Fit-4-All music, was hoping to get them before the jam on Saturday but no such luck. Looking forward to testing them in anger.

Got me a cheapy set of silicon plugs for Garage Day and they worked like a charm. Will invest in a proper set sometime though.

V8 I've spent a fair amount of time on industrial sites wearing disposable and cheap reusable plugs. One thing that struck me about these is that they preserved the mids and highs to a far greater extent (although this may equally be a lower cut overall). I found it a lot easier to hold a convention in them than what I'm used to.
I haven't tried them outside of a household environment yet so I can't really comment beyond that. Guess I'll get back to you after the next garage days.

I've had a set of the Vaters for a while now, also come with a little metal container... They live in the pedal box for my line 6 POD HD500X. I recently jammed a short gig with a drummer on an acoustic set and the first time he hit the snare I popped them in because the snare shots actually cause me a level of discomfort (almost pain) in my ear holes.

I also always wear them to live music events too. I like being able to walk away from the concert without having "fuzzy" hearing.

V8 Alternatively a some friends are using Thunderplugs and I've not heard any complaints (pun intended). But oddly, I can't find a local stockist, The Gear Junkie did have - i'll update if I can find them. They were reasonably priced (around R200/set)

It seems that Thundercloud Music stock these for R220.00/set:
https://thundercloudmusic.co.za/products/thunderplug-earplugs-tp1

And you can add me to the horror stories. Ruptured left eardrum 40 years ago when some bloke shot a pistol next to me. As ignorant as I was (still am sometimes), I carried on with loud music and shooting without any protection for years. So, I have constant tinnitus for the last 20 years (it was intermittent before), loss of some frequencies, "fuzzy" hearing even after going to a louder restaurant or shopping center. It seems to be getting worse with age too. Now, I take ear protection even when going to the Music and Guitar Expo.

Thank you for this discussion/reminder and I hope younger people take note.

Oh yes, I was so stupid. I really hope the younger generation listen.
"Always use ear protection - and sunscreen!"
Old fart No.2

I came up old school and for years we never wore ear plugs. The louder one's Marshall, the better the tone. The result.....my ears are screwed. And yes....cymbals will kill your ears. Why is it that when a guitar player goes over to the drummer and jumps up on the riser to pull some stage moves .......and you shove your head over the rack toms ......that's when drummers will always start smashing on the damned crash cymbals?

Anyway....my tinnitus is off the charts. It drives me crazy sometimes. Left ear sounds like a machine shop all the time...and hurts sometimes too. Between that and several gunshots in close proximity to my head, plus military training....they never handed out hearing pro at the firing range back then. So my tinnitus and general hearing loss is bad. And any kind of Sativa makes it infinitely worse.

Don't let it happen to you. The hearing loss. The sativa....more power to ya! And hearing damage will screw you even when listening on headphones.......gets the tinnitus screaming again. So that goes out the window.

Even now I can't stand plugs in my ears when I'm playing though. I gotta try going back to my Hearo's or something better. The foam one's work well for attenuation but unfortunately they kill all the frequencies I need to hear. But like I rehearsed Saturday and my ears are going off deluxe, even now. I put some of those rough foam one's in but ended up pulling them 1/2 way out and even then it was like I had a dish rag stuffed down my ear canals. I prefer the smooth foam one's as far as feel but usually just use them in a pinch at work when it gets loud.

I have a pair of molded ear plugs for shooting that are custom fit to my ears but they kill almost everything.

Yeah....try avoid hearing damage. It's a real miserable bitch. You might think you are okay and when you are younger you (seemingly) bounce back quicker initially and it might go away. But next thing....if you keep exposing yourself to unnaturally loud noise......it will nail you.

Take care of yourself.

Damage comes from everyday life - hammering on a piece of steel, working the angle grinder. (Oh, do use eye protection.) I have mostly used ear protection when shooting, those wax plugs the army handed out surely did not help much (damage does not only happen through the ear canal), but the idea was good. Now, I even protect my ears while hunting. In my case, apart from DIY, motorcycling. Not loud music or such follies. I mostly cruised at below 90 km/h, but the wind noise did get to me. Earplugs would have helped, as would a good helmet.

At least these days I have constant singing in my ears....

Used my set of Fit-4-All Music at garage day today... And I have to say I'm impressed. I had no ringing or discomfort during or after the jam. They were as comfortable as can be expected and did an amazing job of preserving guitar frequencies so I could still hear myself. It's also perfectly possible to hold a conversation with them in so I didn't even take them out between songs.

My only complaint is that they made singing significantly harder. I really battled to pick my voice out of the mix, even with the vocals turned right up, so I pushed a lot harder than I needed to and my pitching was probably a bit wonky. Don't know if there is any way around this short of in ear monitors.

Still, great product, I would definitely recommend.

I picked up a pair of these:

https://www.musiciansfriend.com/accessories/vater-earplugs

from Mars Music Cresta on friday before garage days. They were a bit more expensive than the NoiseClippers (R475 vs R260), but I grabbed them because there was no chance of me getting a pair of the NoiseClippers in time. I was fairly happy with the sound, but then again, I don't really have much to compare them too. They come with a ~ 20dB and a ~30dB filter, and I had the 20's in. No ringing in my ears afterwards so I'm happy

This is what I have been using. You put them in the microwave and when they are warm you press into your ear and they mold to your ear shape. Works pretty well.

https://www.turners.com/otis/otis-flugz-21db-hearing-protec-414041

No brainer. Use em. An use em on my motorcycles too

Right-o it's been around a year and it's time to BuMp the conversation. Why? Becasue we may have a few new peeps around (maybe?)...and musicians don't listen

Actually I came across this recently and it's REALLY interesting - I havn't delved into they how's and why's of tinnitus - worth a couple watches

Mostly annoyingly...I cannot find my frikking earplugs! They're somewhere safe, sadly safe from me....! And I'm itching for a jam, but no plug's = no jams. Boo!

Just an update...i have now fairly severe loss of hearing at certain frequencies almost certainly as a result of listening/playing loud and motorcycling. I have some in ear aids now to help me in the world.

And , funny enough, with the wearing of masks my hearing has "worsened" and i have come to realise that i probably subconciously lip read without realising it.

Dont be like me, wear plugs. Simple.