Pepper Pot Mute

[Driswood]

I just watched a video of Erling Kroner playing a blues solo with a pepper pot mute. I once read how Dickie Wells made his. I believe it was Dickie Wells. I think it involved punching holes in a metal straight mute with an ice pick. And I think he took it apart and stuffed it with crumpled up heavy paper, like butcher paper.
Anyone here ever made one? If so, what straight mute did you use, and did you stuff it with paper?

[bassclef]

If I remember correctly, on the old version of the forum, there was a thread with quite an extensive discussion on this mute including detail on how to make one. Might have actually been when Erling was making his (he used to post here frequently).

Not sure if that thread made it over here, but you might want to search the TTF Archives for it.

[Driswood]

If I remember correctly, on the old version of the forum, there was a thread with quite an extensive discussion on this mute including detail on how to make one. Might have actually been when Erling was making his (he used to post here frequently).

Not sure if that thread made it over here, but you might want to search the TTF Archives for it.

Thanks. I’ll look.

[dukesboneman]

Here`s a clip with Dicky Wells playing his Pepper Pot/Shaker Mute.


I made one of these about 15 years ago. I took a straight mute that I wasn`t really crazy about and got a hammer and an Awil and started putting holes into the mute until I got the sound I wanted. The sound is somewhere between a Cup and a straight with some "Air" thrown in. It take some getting used to because it screws with the slotting but that`s part of what makes it cool

[SimmonsTrombone]

In his book, he describes punching holes with an ice pick. He also says he put in paper from a five and dime store. I don't know what that was, but found a lot of speculation online. I put kitchen parchment paper in mine. I'd agree that the sound is somewhere between a cup and a straight.