MINNEAPOLIS — After enduring three consecutive nights next to Ted Nugent's giant stack of Marshall amplifiers, I received a gift from the guitar hero: earplugs.
The Nuge may be tone deaf on some topics, but not about hearing. After all, he is partially deaf in one ear. Protecting his ears is essential. He opened a drawer in a roadie case and handed over my first pair of plugs — Super Sonic II.
That was 1976, and I've worn earplugs ever since. Not those foam ones; they block out the sound. No, more sophisticated ones. Like those old Super Sonic II, inch-long flanged rubber with a little metal diaphragm to cut down on the high frequencies. They may look dorky — like something protruding from Herman Munster stuck in your auditory canal — but they serve an invaluable purpose.
