Electric guitar: How loud do you usually practice?

[Flogger59]

I plink while watching TV. It drove my wife nuts, so I got a bass for that. No hiding behind anything, you can tell when you clam, and when I do get on an amp, even a spanky clean Fender, it feels so easy.

[Padrino]

i practice pretty loud, enough so that my roomate will have to raise his voice to get my attention. I DO have an SPL meter...but never really bothered to check what levels I'm at.

 

I use a HRDx running at about 5-6 and use a volume pedal to tone it down a little bit.

 

And so far no visits for me.

[Webinfront_]

Between 'conversational level' and 'raised voices' depending on who's home.

[Zacman0126]

Most times its somewhere between conversational level and raised voices. When I'm alone that is, but when I'm jamming? I crank the 6505 up to 5. Earplugs become mandatory at that point.

[again with this]

"TV volume" here. I voted "raised voices". I try not to disturb anyone, but you gotta be loud enough to hear what you're doing.

[Vince]

sometimes "cans" with GR3, otherwise my Hayseed 15 with the master between 1/3 and 1/2 way up - you'd have to talk loudly to me in the same room, but not shout.

[t-rey]

Usually between conversation and raised voices.

[SonicMoniker]

Generally between loud and raised voices, but if I'm just messing around then at conversational level.

[pioneerprogress]

depending on mood, somewhere between raised voices and conversation.

I voted raised voices because realistically, I couldn't carry on a conversation at normal volume and understand every word when I'm practicing.

[bdhn]

i had a music room but when the baby came a couple months ago he took it:lol:but i still practice in there.

 

before the baby i would have said "raised voices" during the day but now i voted "conversational" depending on if the baby is home or awake......this is through a H&K switchblade 100 2x12 combo.

 

at night it has been through a johnson J-station and head phones for the past 6 or 7 years.

 

i play the j-station at my computer desk in the living room while noodling around the internet

[turnstylepoet]

I practice at a touch louder than conversational level. I run my full pedalboard into my JC-50 for home practice.

[jhamnett]

I've had a couple convos with the local po po...

[Trick Fall]

Pretty much as loudly as I can get away with. Before my daughter was born I could crank the Marshall to wall shaking level and my wife really wouldn't complain. I also have a SF Champ and a Blackstar HT-5 that I like to play at the top end of their volume ranges. If it's late at night and my wife is sleeping I'll play the Blackstar or Champ at between 3-5. I also use a Tech 21 Leeds through my studio monitors for quieter/baby sleeping jamming. I'd really like to soundproof part of my basement.

[Blakemore Effects]

Depends where I am. In my apartment I either practice unplugged or with one of my 5 watt amps, and not turned up very loud.

 

However, if I'm back home visiting my parents, I typically bring one of my amps, and I crank that bitch while I'm practicing. Good times. I've measured myself at 110 dB before.

[Sheik_Yerbouti]

Since Phil was kind enough to ask...

 

Raised voices level - most of the time, particularly if I'm trying to learn a song and jamming with the stereo. I have to have the feel of the amp really starting to breathe for that.

 

The rest of the time, just practicing scales, exercises and other monotonous stuff, usually lower than "conversational" level while I'm watching TV.

[goodhonk]

not as loud as the tv in the next room.

[J.D. Salinger]

Between "Conversational" & "Raised" for me too.

 

I usually run my '65 Bassman (50 watter) between 2 and 3 and then with the Bluebeard well, let's just say it could get real loud.

[acdc518]

apartment- blues jr at barley audible levels.

parents houes-50 watt bassman on 4-8

[zooLemon]

At home, fairly loud. It depends on what the family feels like putting up with.

 

At school (living in a dorm) I save the electric for band practice and play mostly acoustic in my room.

[Metalrulez]

Conversational levels here. I torture my guitars why torture the rest of the world with my noise.

[chris_d]

Full volume when playing drums.

 

When playing guitar during the day, not too much quieter than i would play with a drummer. I use that type of practice time to try new things out with pedals and guitars and whatnot, to get control of my gear, and adjust things at proper volume, FOR proper volume use, without having to waste the time of folks i would play with by doing it at "rehearsal" or on stage.

 

At night(like after 5PM-ish) i play at more like speaking to loudspeaking volumes.

 

[andreas]

I always practice unplugged, wether it is noodling, excercises or learning new songs for coming gigs. You can't hide when you're naked...

 

I will of course play through one of the amps as well at times, but that's usually only to test a new setup I'm planning on using for an upcoming gig, as well as general testing to see that everything works. I have no neighbours to disturb, but will still usually keep it at decent levels. I'm only out to see what works and what doesn't, so there's nothing gained in cranking the volume.

 

Then there's recording... that's a different beast altogether. I mike the amp, which tends to make the volume go up a little.

[TheCardiacKid]

i might practice a little quieter than i write...

 

you gotta have it loud enough to inspire when writing.

[Jkater]

I could have voted "cans" but recently I have started to make a habit of practicing with an amp. I just got an Egnater Tweaker two days ago... It sounds very good at low volume.

 

[JRBain]

Unplugged. Almost always.

 

I moreorless only ever play through my pedalboard or amps when I'm checking that it's all in working order for when I play out (and when I play out).

 

To be honest, while I do enjoy playing with pedals and amps, I have to wonder if I didn't play out, whether I would use them much. It's not that I can't be bothered. I love my pedals. Part of it is that throughout my time playing I've either lived with my family or with my university housemates. My family don't like lots of noise, and we were great friends at university and generally just respected each other's want of peace and quiet, so I seldom played amplified there either.

 

I definitely started wanting to play unplugged because I know that it's good for my technique, but over time it has become home to me, and I actually opt to play unplugged when I could plug in.

 

I actually prefer playing an unplugged electric guitar or an acoustic to plugging it in. Having said that though, that's hardly surprising. I don't play in a 'rock' church band anymore, which means that I hardly ever get to play at anything other than whisper quiet volume, and never (when playing out) with effects or overdrive. And my amps are cheap.

 

I think if I had nice amps instead of cheap ones and could turn them up, my attitude might change, but I can't imagine that I'll lose my identification with an unplugged guitar. It just feels right.