# Jamming Space questions?



## Toogy (Apr 16, 2009)

I just recently quit my band and I'm looking at starting up a new one with the bass player & singer from the previous band.

We don't have a place to jam now though as we used to jam at the other guitar players house. I know I don't have any place for us to jam at my house and pretty sure the bass player is the same.

The idea that I came up with was for us to jam in the basement of the commercial store front that I currently rent for my photography studio. 

I was wondering if anyone had any experience with trying something like this? There are tenants in the upstairs apartments, but I would guess that's a good 50 feet above the basement. It is a pretty old building with a brick wall basement.

Any tips or advice?

Thanks


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

I'm betting that the biggest problem is going to be preventing the low frequncy sound(s) from "spreading" through the building.

Cheers

Dave


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

I'd talk to the tenants and ask if they're ok with it, do a quick at-volume trial to see if they can hear it - if all goes well, proceed.


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

I almost guarantee you that the drums will be heard. Ditto with bass.

If you have a drop ceiling in the basement, maybe try to stick some insulation up there, but yeah, drums are loud. I used to live in a 3 storey house and we had a kit in the basement and on the 3rd floor I could hear them well enough to tell you what song was being played.

I'd second the recommendation to try them at full tilt with the neighbours upstairs and see if they think it will be intrusive or not.

For the bass, get it up off the floor and away from walls. It'll sound like a turd set-up that way, but otherwise the walls and floor will just reinforce the bass. Try sitting the amp on hockey pucks or something else rubbery underneath to de-couple it from the floor and move it out to the middle of the room. Awkward set-up, but them's the breaks.


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## RIFF WRATH (Jan 22, 2007)

where are you located????


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## Toogy (Apr 16, 2009)

St. Thomas, Ontario


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

Also, depending on how any heating and ventilation is set up you could get sound traveling through that way.

I remember the first place I lived in when I moved out. One of my roommates was also a guitarist and had drums too.
We had it set up in the basement.

One band he was in used to practice at our place and I could be on the top floor and hear them practice through the heat vents--It was as if I was in the basement--it was okay, because they were good. Until the husband-wife that led the band broke up.


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## fraser (Feb 24, 2007)

id just start doing it- and wait to see the result. 
i used to jam in a barn, out in the country, usually from noon till 8pm every day, and we got noise complaints.
once, completely stoned on mushrooms, theres a knock at the door. i yell come in thru the mic, and 2 cops come in.
they say that although admittedly, its stupid, they have to tell us to cut it out, since there was a complaint.
but one cop grabbed a guitar, and started playing highway to hell, and we jammed with him on it lol.
it was a real sureal experience, but cool.
when they left they said we had to knock it off for the day tho.
apparently some old lady in the next house- almost half a mile away, had nothing better to do than ruin our day.
same guitar playing cop, some 7 years later, caught me walking down the street with an open beer in my hand. he remembered me, and let me slide, with beer intact.
cool guy.


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

fraser said:


> ...2 cops come in.
> they say that although admittedly, its stupid, they have to tell us to cut it out, since there was a complaint.
> ...
> apparently some old lady in the next house- almost half a mile away, had nothing better to do than ruin our day.


They can do that during the day time?
Around here they wouldn't, I know people who have called in noise complaints during the daytime--nothing happens.


On the other hand I was once jamming at a party and someone dressed up like a cop--with a fake cop hat and poked their head into the room--I recognized his face after a split second--but some of the others were fooled a bit longer.


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## fraser (Feb 24, 2007)

zontar said:


> They can do that during the day time?
> Around here they wouldn't, I know people who have called in noise complaints during the daytime--nothing happens.
> 
> 
> On the other hand I was once jamming at a party and someone dressed up like a cop--with a fake cop hat and poked their head into the room--I recognized his face after a split second--but some of the others were fooled a bit longer.


im not up on current laws on this, but at the time, (around 1990), and in that area (was on the border of vineland and jordan- southern ontario), if a noise complaint was made, it was all it took, regardless of the time of day.
we were also like 50 feet from the Q.E.W- a loud place in the middle of the day.
few years ago the police came to my apartment, at 7pm friday night- i was giving an acoustic guitar lesson. they said there was a complaint, but when they saw what was actually going on they told me to forget it.


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

fraser said:


> im not up on current laws on this, but at the time, (around 1990), and in that area (was on the border of vineland and jordan- southern ontario), if a noise complaint was made, it was all it took, regardless of the time of day.
> we were also like 50 feet from the Q.E.W- a loud place in the middle of the day.
> few years ago the police came to my apartment, at 7pm friday night- i was giving an acoustic guitar lesson. they said there was a complaint, but when they saw what was actually going on they told me to forget it.


Wow--hope you don't snore--you could get busted in your sleep...


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