Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
At The Back => Time Out => Topic started by: indysmith on December 07, 2007, 02:10:12 PM
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...So what do you guys do about annoying tw@ts in the flat below you that phone to complain EVERY SINGLE TIME YOU TURN YOUR AMP ON.
Honestly, guaranteed within 5 minutes of turning it on, quiet as you like, he WILL complain. utter bar-steward. i was playing just earlier - it's like 2 in the afternoon on a Friday, and the hotplate was set as close to minus infinity decibels as i could get it whilst still getting an audible noise out of it and he $%&#ing calls me up telling me he can't concentrate.
what the hell is he even concentrating on? why doesn't he shut up, or just concentrate somewhere else? why won't he die?
What should i do? I'm pretty worried that if i ignore him i'll get kicked out of student accommodation because when i do he sends security up here to turn it off, and they're gonna get pissed eventually.
Everyone else has their music blaring at full volume 24 hours a day 7 days a week, and no one minds, but i can't play guitar for 5 minutes quietly without the damn phone ringing.
HELP. I might complain to security that he keeps phoning me. or just keep burning holes in the shirts that he leaves on his windowsill to dry...
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Ok, well... I would do this...
I might complain to security that he keeps phoning me...
... and this...
or just keep burning holes in the shirts that he leaves on his windowsill to dry...
... and maybe, if there's like a customer services area or a reception of your accomodation (is it somewhere like Unite?) mention it to them. If the volume is unsociable then he's being unfair - before about 11pm-midnight, people should expect to hear music and TV and so on.
Sounds to me like HE is the one victimising YOU and he should be sorted out.
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... and maybe, if there's like a customer services area or a reception of your accomodation (is it somewhere like Unite?)
I live in a Unite property and reception are useless. They wont do anything about my flatmate who leaves the kitchen in a $%&#ing mess until we fail a kitchen inspection, meaning I'll have to pay some of the fine before anything is done about him being a dirty bar-steward :x
/rant
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Boourns!!
My girlfriend lived in a Unite place in first year, itself it was great... but her reception area was shite and great at the same time. Two people, one was brilliant and the other was a total flannel.
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Go to reception & tell them to make a note that you will be playing guitar at certain acceptable times at an acceptable level & that you want a note making of that. then the next time he calls refer him to them, if thy're as feckless as you say they ain't gonna help him either & therefore he can't complain :twisted:
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i'd have a friend play your guitar, and stand outside his appartment - see how loud it really is, then make a judgement.
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When I was in halls You could play pretty loud as much as you like before 11 and then after that security would come and tell you to turn it down. Theres usually a noise curfew stated in your accomodation contract as long as your not in breach of that you should be fine. BUt GWEM and horsehead's ideas are very good and would cover your back. Stay Strong in the fight!
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i'd have a friend play your guitar, and stand outside his appartment - see how loud it really is, then make a judgement.
Done that - it's only a faint noise - not even TV level... which is pretty obvious because thats about how loud it is when i stand next to it.
I'm gonna go and talk to reception and see what can be done.
@ JackBauer - The thing is with that is that in the contract it states that we're NOT allowed guitar amps period, which seems ridiculous... I'm not giving up guitar for a year because they're ####!!s
edited to include the key word 'NOT'
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@ JackBauer - The thing is with that is that in the contract it states that we're allowed guitar amps period, which seems ridiculous... I'm not giving up guitar for a year because they're ####!!s
maybe thats why hes being a dick. did you try talking reasonably with him? (i guess so)
makes me think i'm so lucky - my house mates actually encourage me to play
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plane ticket, arrange for my weekend absense from work and i'll sort it out for you.
one cant phone, when ones fingers arent attatched to ones hands.
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If he's having difficulty in concentrating - maybe he needs to go somewhere to get help with that - like some kind of concentration camp
OK - I'll get my coat
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If he's having difficulty in concentrating - maybe he needs to go somewhere to get help with that - like some kind of concentration camp
OK - I'll get my coat
ROFLCOPTER
Our student rep was just doing the rounds; we're quite friendly so she's gonna tell security to ignore him and she's told me to ignore him if he calls
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@ JackBauer - The thing is with that is that in the contract it states that we're NOT allowed guitar amps period, which seems ridiculous... I'm not giving up guitar for a year because they're ####!!s
edited to include the key word 'NOT'
there's your problem... nomatter how quiet you are, and it's highly probable he's just a jobsworth douchebag, he's technically in the right.
ROFLCOPTER
Our student rep was just doing the rounds; we're quite friendly so she's gonna tell security to ignore him and she's told me to ignore him if he calls
ah that's good. you hadn't posted this when I wrote what I did ^
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That's a really tough situation to be in.
On the one hand, if you piss someone off enough, he will break, plain and simple, especially if he's already emotionally unstable/unreasonable, such as this fellow is.
My advice is proceed with caution.
If you indicate in any way that you will retaliate with this guy, including plain ignoring him and playing guitar anyway, he can have you arrested for AGGRAVATED HARASSMENT. This is a booking offense and you might spend the night in jail. If he decides to press charges, you WILL have to go to court over it.
If this guy is in the least bit law-saavy, you could have a MAJOR PROBLEM ON YOUR HANDS.
Even if you try to explain to the police you're in the right, they will not want to listen to you. They will want to fill their quota, especially if this guy is pissed to the point of pressing charges against you. You will have to wait until it goes to trial to plead your case.
Once again --
proceed with caution!!!
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Hide your guitar and claim its surround sound in a box?
On the other hand, petrol filled water pistols are quite amusing :P
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Sorry to say this, but you shouldn't be playing your guitar anyway. You just said it's against the rules for amps, so y'know, maybe invest in something you can plug headphones into. Or get an acoustic. The guy is being unreasonable, but he is in the right I'm afraid. You signed the contract...
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That's a really tough situation to be in.
On the one hand, if you piss someone off enough, he will break, plain and simple, especially if he's already emotionally unstable/unreasonable, such as this fellow is.
My advice is proceed with caution.
If you indicate in any way that you will retaliate with this guy, including plain ignoring him and playing guitar anyway, he can have you arrested for AGGRAVATED HARASSMENT. This is a booking offense and you might spend the night in jail. If he decides to press charges, you WILL have to go to court over it.
If this guy is in the least bit law-saavy, you could have a MAJOR PROBLEM ON YOUR HANDS.
Even if you try to explain to the police you're in the right, they will not want to listen to you. They will want to fill their quota, especially if this guy is pissed to the point of pressing charges against you. You will have to wait until it goes to trial to plead your case.
Once again --
proceed with caution!!!
Haha, TO this is england not the states. What's more likely to happen is he'll come round here or i'll go round there and we'll kick shite into eachother before sitting down and working something out, but yeah i'll make sure not to piss him off to the point of him taking me to court, however unlikely that seems.
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I had this problem in halls.
The guy above me really hated it when I played. He used to stamp on the floor.
So I used his stamping as a click and played on.
Once he stared jumping round: the stamping being louder and moving all around the cieling. I decided to believe he was moshing, so I played really heavy riffs to the timing of the jumping.
Then some supervisor person came round and said I was too loud. I turned down. He still stamped about, but 'they' came to check the volume again and said it was fine (TV kind of levels) and told him to be more reasonable. Never heard anything about it again.
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you need a louder amp - thn you wont hear the phone ring
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you need a louder amp - thn you wont hear the phone ring
nice
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you need a louder amp - thn you wont hear the phone ring
That's my kind of solution - gets the HTH stamp of approval :lol:
In all fairness though, your contract states no guitar amps. In agree that other people will get away with blasting out music, but people have no tolerence for guitar.
My (upstairs) neighbours used to stamp on the floor when I first moved in, but I ignored them and they soon got tired of it. I'm fair about it though, I'll never play before 12pm or after 9pm. I consider that fair AND it's not like I'm cranking the f*uck out of the amp either, we're talking a similar volume to what you have a home-cinema setup at when watching a film.
In return I accept that they insist on hoovering every f*ckin Saturday morning when I'm attempting to catch up on some sleep.
The solution - get a headphone amp. I just recieved my Black Box the other day and was jamming over the beats till 1:30am - try doing that with a guitar amp at that hour in the morning.
:twisted:
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I do the same not playing before 12 or after 9 - thats just mean. I play about the same volume as you also. Nevermind.
As for headphone amps - just don't like the idea. hate having wires around me while i play. However; my girlfriend has got me some very tasty Grado SR-80s for xmas, and those new vox am-Plugs are looking quite appealing (AC30 one sounds pretty good in this months guitarist mag CD)
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Off topic a bit, but SR-80 = excellent headphones. I use them to check mixes all the time. (I also know John Grado very well, as I do a lot of business with his company, Grado Labs)
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Having had bar-steward neighbours in the past, door slamming @ 4am and playing music very loud 20 minutes after we put the kids to bed. It is very difficult to have get anything done when having issues with noise (not saying that you are being unreasionable)
Is it specifically guitar amps that are banned, or playing a guitar through an amp ? I say this because you could always start learning to play keyboards (or even better drums)
Another option would be a USB interface, amplitube and some PC speakers ?
HTH, what do you think of the black box ?
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That's a really tough situation to be in.
On the one hand, if you piss someone off enough, he will break, plain and simple, especially if he's already emotionally unstable/unreasonable, such as this fellow is.
My advice is proceed with caution.
If you indicate in any way that you will retaliate with this guy, including plain ignoring him and playing guitar anyway, he can have you arrested for AGGRAVATED HARASSMENT. This is a booking offense and you might spend the night in jail. If he decides to press charges, you WILL have to go to court over it.
If this guy is in the least bit law-saavy, you could have a MAJOR PROBLEM ON YOUR HANDS.
Even if you try to explain to the police you're in the right, they will not want to listen to you. They will want to fill their quota, especially if this guy is pissed to the point of pressing charges against you. You will have to wait until it goes to trial to plead your case.
Once again --
proceed with caution!!!
i agree wholeheartedly. You have to remember that on internet forums, people are anonymous, and often suggest macho ways to act which they'd never even entertain in real life- yet you might be tempted to take their advice.
is playing your guitar through your amp worth going to court over, and possibly having a criminal record for?
annoying, yes, but probably not worth it. As you yourself said, it's against the rules to have a guitar amp- no matter how quietly you think you're playing, even if it is at TV volume, you're technically breaking the rules even by plugging in. Which, in a court of law, or even by student halls rules, means you don't have a leg to stand on. Even if it doesn't get you to court, is it worth being kicked out of halls for? I know plenty of people who've been kicked out of halls of residence for pretty minor offences- it can happen very easily.
plus it's worth remembering that it doesn't seem as loud when you're playing. My sister was forever telling me to turn down- she's recently started playing herself, and when playing with the same amp settings, she's like "it's not so loud when you're playing, is it?"...
[Haha, TO this is england not the states. What's more likely to happen is he'll come round here or i'll go round there and we'll kick shitee into eachother before sitting down and working something out, but yeah i'll make sure not to piss him off to the point of him taking me to court, however unlikely that seems.
no-one in england sues? :roll:
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Just call Davey for some dirty deeds done dirt cheap. :twisted:
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One word answer: Accustic!
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One word answer: Accustic!
or get a pod and some wireless headphones if you really dont like wires.
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This thing will eat you up if it goes on and will effect the way you play, as in you won't be putting any passion into your playing because you will be holding back.
I play through my Tascam Guitar Trainer most of the time so I can let rip without my conscience holding me back. I can get the levels on my amp very low and beneath tv levels but it winds my brother up and I know that my neighbours can hear it, so I use the amp when I know the neighbours are out ect and in my mates new sound proofed shed!
As far as acoustics go, they will be louder than an amp that is quieter than the telly. A friend of mine had a neighbour who would complain about his acoustic guitar after around 10 minutes and when I lived with my parents donkeys years ago my Dad would complain about me playing an electric unplugged.
I know it's a bummer but you can't do anything these days without some boring whinging numpty complaining, they do it because they can.
Rise above it! Adapt, apply and overcome! :lol:
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i generally practice with an unplugged electric anyway, it can be difficult to find a convenient time to fire up the amp.
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This is why I have a Line6 Toneport at home, no external amp to make noise but you can crank it as loud as your ears can take it.
And as for that law stuff... sorry but that's tripe. It's not a part of our culture as it is in America, we might complain to the hilt about things like that but nobody here would instinctively reach for the Lawyerphone and sue someone.
If it says in the contract that you can't have an amp... then I reiterate what I said: speak to reception and ask if it's ok as long as you keep it to reasonablr hi-fi/tv volumes within reasonable hours, say pre 11-pm? If you go to them and be responsible and human about it, they're far more likely to accomodate you.
This rule of NO AMPS EVER in halls like that is bollocks, you can make just as much noise (or more) with a cranked stereo than a lot of guitar players will make with their amps from my experience.
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If it says in the contract that you can't have an amp... then I reiterate what I said: speak to reception and ask if it's ok as long as you keep it to reasonablr hi-fi/tv volumes within reasonable hours, say pre 11-pm? If you go to them and be responsible and human about it, they're far more likely to accomodate you.
This rule of NO AMPS EVER in halls like that is bollocks, you can make just as much noise (or more) with a cranked stereo than a lot of guitar players will make with their amps from my experience.
I have asked at reception and they said it's fine on those terms, and just to ignore the guy below me. I think they must've spoke to him too, because i played guitar twice :O yesterday and the phone didnt ring once!
Funny you should say that - there's stereos cranked to full volume all over the place, you can hear bangin' beatz wherever you walk... i consider that far bigger noise pollution than somebody playing some actual music on guitar at less than half the volume.
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If it says in the contract that you can't have an amp... then I reiterate what I said: speak to reception and ask if it's ok as long as you keep it to reasonablr hi-fi/tv volumes within reasonable hours, say pre 11-pm? If you go to them and be responsible and human about it, they're far more likely to accomodate you.
This rule of NO AMPS EVER in halls like that is bollocks, you can make just as much noise (or more) with a cranked stereo than a lot of guitar players will make with their amps from my experience.
I have asked at reception and they said it's fine on those terms, and just to ignore the guy below me. I think they must've spoke to him too, because i played guitar twice :O yesterday and the phone didnt ring once!
Funny you should say that - there's stereos cranked to full volume all over the place, you can hear bangin' beatz wherever you walk... i consider that far bigger noise pollution than somebody playing some actual music on guitar at less than half the volume.
Aahh excellent, a victory for the guitar world!! :D Amongst all the dodgy hip hop and bubblegum pop you're probably being subjected to, what's wrong with you practising your hobby?
Nicely done, this is definately a win for ya.
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I have asked at reception and they said it's fine on those terms, and just to ignore the guy below me. I think they must've spoke to him too, because i played guitar twice :O yesterday and the phone didnt ring once!
Funny you should say that - there's stereos cranked to full volume all over the place, you can hear bangin' beatz wherever you walk... i consider that far bigger noise pollution than somebody playing some actual music on guitar at less than half the volume.
that's cool, glad to hear it. :)
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Sounds like a cool out come, nice one.
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get some isolation foam for underneath your amp.. it's probably a lot louder downstairs than u think.
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Actually - get the amp off the floor (if it sits on the floor) - may masively reduce the noise for your neighbour
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Damn :evil:
Feline beat me to it!
I had the same issue in student accomodation in Manchester just over 10 years ago now (I loved my 100watt Marshall Valvestate!). I stuck it on a milk crate with a big lump of polystyrene insulation I got from B&Q between it and the milk crate, and then between the milk crate and the floor. The problem with halls especially is the fact that you have pre-cast concrete floors which are actually the ceiling of the room below. Believe me when I say that the noise downstairs is a lot worse than you think it is...........it shocked me when I first found out. I got a guitarist mate to play for me and went downstairs to listen. Thankfully I got on well ( :roll: :wink: ) with the girls in the flat below, but it certainly made things better for them when I made those changes