Andy Timmons

I would like one of my favorite guitar players, Andy Timmons, to be able to tell his story:
(Skip to 7:52)

Andy Timmons Pt 2

If you are unfamiliar with him, here is a taste:

Andy Timmons on Jeff Beck

 

Saw Andy play a tiny club near my city a few months ago. He warned people to wear earplugs and not stand too close to the PA system. He is such a gifted player and a very humble guy, always making time for his fans.
I was one of the few actually wearing earplugs and enjoying the show from afar. Little did i know a couple of months later, i'd end up with tinnitus due to an unfortunate accident..
Life can be cruel at times!
But his story is inspiring and proves one can overcome the burden of tinnitus, given time and proper healing.

 

Wow, he can play. I cannot believe I have never heard of him before!

 

Excellent post! There is hope at the end of the tunnel!!! Thanks for sharing

 

Wonderful!

 

'Didn't think I'd get to meet another Andy Timmons fan; I'm so isolated. And you saw him in concert; so cool! He really does seem like one of the sweetest guys in the world; great to hear a confirmation of that from someone who has been around him in person.
Though tinnitus is always tragic, I guess you and Andy are now bound togther by your love of guitars and a common hearing condition. It makes me feel little better knowing he's in our boat.
If you're out there Andy, thanks for making my world a little brighter with your music and your story.

 

Thats a good interview. hes lucky guy to find a good specialist and that treatment helped him, also having a specialist who contacted him. In the UK we have nothing.

 

Another one here...used to play electric gypsy (on guitar) back then when my ears could take it.

 

Been a Beck and Carlton fan for a long time. Timmons has that combination, but injects his own style quite nicely. Hope he's wearing earplugs? He doesn't want to end up like Jeff Beck, who's another T victim in music.

 

Found this excerpt online where paul gilbert and andy timmons discuss their hearing issues. Seems AT did succesfully overcome his hyperacusis:


AT: I want to say a quick thank you to you for taking some time to talk about and go public with your hearing issues. First and foremost, thank you for being so forward – I know some people can be so private about personal issues. Pete Townsend did it back in the eighties. I remember seeing him on MTV warning kids with their Walkmen about volume because he had tinnitus back then.
As you know, I’ve had tinnitus for many years, but it really ramped up at one point, along with hyperacusis. And, the combination of those two things prevented me from listening to any music for a while there. To say that was a depressing time in my life would be the understatement of all time.

I reached out to you because I knew you’d had some experience, and you’d respond with these very thoughtful emails. It meant a lot to me. I really appreciate the fact that you shared some insight and some wisdom. It helped me get through that time.
Like everything, you kind of have to figure out your own path with whatever your issues are, but sometimes it’s nice to hear from somebody who’s having similar stuff to deal with, and know that you’re not alone. So, thank you. You were very kind, and I appreciate it

PG: Oh, you’re very welcome.

AT: I’m very lucky that I did this one re-habituation with white noise generators planted behind my ear. They generated a low-level white noise in the frequencies that had been diminished in my hearing spectrum. The thought there being that by listening to that for seven, eight hours a day, you’d kind of train your brain not to listen to the ringing.

I did it for months, and it, coupled with some lifestyle changes – I was taking prescription medications for a variety of things and mixing them with alcohol, not a good idea – I’ve gotten to a point where I couldn’t be happier.

The biggest struggle was the hyperacusis. For those that don’t know, it’s the sensitivity to loud sounds. With that I had to basically seal my ears completely for a gig. I had to ask my bass player to barely be on, and ask the drummer to lightly tap [laughs].

I had two weeks booked in Japan, and that was rough. I got through it, but it was hard. So, I’m just happy you’re out there being honest; telling people to wear hearing protection because you think it’s never going to happen to you. You could talk to any guitar player our age, and almost guaranteed, they’d have similar problems – everybody from Eric Johnson to [Eric] Clapton to [Jeff] Beck. They’ve all dealt with these things.

But, when someone like you can say, “Hey, protect your ears,” it’s great. Especially around the drums. I think the drums have actually done more damage than the guitars, believe it or not; or the headphones. It’s always shocking when you head back into the cutting room and listen to your headphone level from across the room [laughs].

 

Wow! what an amazing player... I was aware of Andy but hadn't really heard him until now. Thanks for sharing...Very inspiring!

 

What a great player, and he had a great tone, wonder how could be doing it coping with hearing loss.

I just saw an interview of Paul Gilbert, another guitar hero, and his current experience with hearing aids:

Phonak meets guitar legend Paul Gilbert

Kind of a commercial but well, he also endorses a lot of other gear!

 

I e-mailed him and told him about FX-322 and he never e-mailed me back. That was like a year ago.

 

Gilbert or Timmons?

Guess they are too devoted to their thing and as long as they can do it, don´t care too much of unreleased treatments.

 

Paul Gilbert.

 

Just saw this. Thank you for posting. I am a musician too. Also a guitarist. Struck with hyperacusis too 3 months ago, and I immediately had to quit my band and cease music. It is good to know other musicians have overcome it and that there is hope. Would love to be able to play my guitar again.

TRT gets a lot of hate on this site. But I have been considering it for a while now and I think I should dive into it now.