Practice Mute Round Up

[WilliamLang]

Hi all!

I took my collection of practice mutes and made a quick demo video to compare. While I like using the Rejano Mutes the most on tenor, it was interesting to listen back to the variety of sounds that could potentially be used in the right situations.

Feel free to use the chapters in the description and comment section to jump around if you don't want to watch the whole thing!



The Line Up!
Rejano Mutes for Tenor, Bass, Alto
S-Mute Salt Shaker
Best Brass
Okura Mutes
Dennis Wick
Yamaha Silent Brass Gen. 1
Trumcor Super Stealth

[tbonesullivan]

Great video! When I was looking at practice mutes around the time the Best Brass had become popular, I remember the Bremner "Sssshh" mute being my favorite, though it was too large to fit into a case easily, so I went with the Dillon branded best brass clone.

The Sssshh was much better in terms of intonation and feel than the Best Brass mutes, IMHO, though I don't know how it would compare to the newer practice mutes out there.

[Burgerbob]

You're missing the Pampet!

[WilliamLang]

Sssshh mute and the Pamper just went on the to-buy list for down the road! gotta catch em all

[tbonesullivan]

Sssshh mute and the Pamper just went on the to-buy list for down the road! gotta catch em all

I know if you order the Sssshh from NZ, you can get it in a bunch of different colors, though I don't know if anyone stocks those in the U.S.. It's also ABS plastic so if you drop it it doesn't really care.

[dukesboneman]

Great Video. Thanks.
I`m a bit of a Mute nut so this really spoke to me.
I have the Rejano Tenor Practice Mute and the Protec Liberty.
I find that the Protec is even top to bottom and the intonation is really spot on
The Protec also works very well in my Weril Alto
I have the Denis Wick red Practice mute for my Euphonium. It`s a little wonky but serves it`s purpose.
I also have the 1st generation Silent Brass too and , Yeah it clumsy and really front heavy
and a Matty Klien practice mute that`s just awful. (it was a gift)

I LOVE the Salt Shaker Mute, use it all the time
I made one years ago from an old Harmon straight mute and an Awil.
Just started punching holes in it until it looked like the one in the Dicky Wells video
Sounds like a cross between a Cup and a bucket

[OneTon]

Good stuff. What did you not like about the Salt Shaker mute as a practice mute? It sounded pretty even across the range with decent intonation. It might be a little loud.

[WilliamLang]

I like the salt shaker a lot as a bucket alternative, but yes I find with the felt all the way in that it's a touch louder and stuffier feeling than the other options. But from what I understand the versatility of it is really the selling point, and it's great at that aspect.

[bassclef]

Sssshh mute and the Pamper just went on the to-buy list for down the road! gotta catch em all

I went through a period of time where I to rely on a practice mute a lot more than I wanted to, so I tried every one of them on the market at the time. There are a few more available now which are very good, seems like you've got those covered.

I found one to be the best in terms of weight, resistance, pitch alteration and staying in the bell - it was a fiber style mute made by Wallace. They don't make them anymore, but Voigt seems to make an exact copy:
https://www.thomannmusic.com/wallace_ue ... osaune.htm

I highly recommend that one as well!

[craign]

Sssshh mute and the Pamper just went on the to-buy list for down the road! gotta catch em all

I found one to be the best in terms of weight, resistance, pitch alteration and staying in the bell - it was a fiber style mute made by Wallace. They don't make them anymore, but Voigt seems to make an exact copy:
https://www.thomannmusic.com/wallace_ue ... osaune.htm

I highly recommend that one as well!

I have one that looks almost identical to that which is labelled "Don Mallet Handmade Mutes" (google found me one online, but I have the Tenor version: https://osmun.com/maslet-bass-trombone-practice-mute/). I much prefer it to the older style Denis Wick that I have. It's quieter, lighter, fits in some cases and has a surprisingly normal feel.

[hyperbolica]

Nice summary. I think you'd like the smaller Yamaha that's my fav tenor practice mute. I use a Shhhhmute for bass, which seems ok. The Wallace referenced earlier is ok, although I sold mine in preference of the Yamaha.

These smaller alternatives to buckets are interesting as well, especially the salt shaker. I got a couple EZmutes which sound nice, but they're bulky, although not as bulky as the old stone lined mutes with the metal clips.

PS: to the Salt Shaker dude: You could make that thread into a quarter turn mechanism and improve the assembly/disassembly of the mute...

[harrisonreed]

Different take - using the Ullven Popy Harmon mute without the cup (use any of the other 3 stems instead) is nice and quiet, great as a practice mute. AND you get to practice something you might actually use in performance at the same time​. Best of all, that mute actually would fit in the bell in a gig bag or some looser cases.

You can mod any other Harmon to do this by using a thin roll of felt or foam in the mute hole to increase the resistance a bit.

[Retrobone]

I have 4.
Best Brass, Wallace Muirhead metal, Denis wick old style, and the Don Maslet tenor that seems to be the model of the Voigt.
Don Maslet far and away the best of the bunch, and Best Brass for on the road. The othe two suck.

[oldschooltromboneplayer]

I have the ssshmute and the Pampet. I must say I really like the Pampet.

[NathanSobieralski]

If you've been curious about the sound you can get out of the Salt Shaker, William does a great job capturing it in this video, about 12:40 in.

[baileyman]

Just make sure you get a mute that extends a few inches beyond the bell otherwise you cut off the wavelength for lower partials.

[Cmillar]

I've tried a lot of practice mutes over the years, and sold most of them along the way.

Have only kept these two: (I like them both on either small or large bore horn)

Best Brass: for short, unobtrusive warmups before a gig while backstage or getting ready to play (it's the original aluminum version)

Yamaha Silent Brass (2nd gen.): for 'extended' practice when needed without bothering the wife or daughter...which means never using it for more than 30 minutes due to it being a mute and not really that great for any extended actual 'face-time'

[chouston3]

Back in 2008 a guy told me that he worked on his low range with a Dennis Wick practice mute. He would play low notes and if he got it to buzz he concluded that it meant his throat was open. I tried it and it helped my low range.

I found it interesting and used a practice mute for that purpose for awhile.

[NathanSobieralski]

One other thing ill mention about the Salt Shaker. I have some customers who like to use it as a sort of practice mute, either in their home or before a concert, just to cut down on the sound a bit while preserving a more free blowing feel. Its obviously not as quiet as a dedicated practice mute, but it can fulfill a roll like this.