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].
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