TromboneChat

I'm in need of yet another mute and so I'm poking around online and searching for bucket mutes and I come across these Jo Ral mutes that don't look like the buckets I'm used to. They look like they'd be easier to put in and take out but how do they sound? Anything like the old Stone Lined buckets that 'clip' on to the bell rim? Comments?

They are indeed easier to put in and take out. They sound like a bucket, although they are slightly different from the StoneLine.

They are also VERY heavy. Also very expensive compared to most other bucket mutes.
The weight has impeded their general acceptance.

I prefer my modified HB bucket, had 4 clips, but changed to 3.

I had a Jo-Ral, but didn't care for it, too heavy as mentioned. Sounded good once I pulled out a bunch of stuffing!!


Eric

I picked up an Eazy Bucket for my 2b and really like it. It clips to the bell, but it's much easier to use than the clips on a Humes and Berg, it isn't heavy at all and it is not that expensive.
http://www.theeazybucket.com/new-products/

The SOULO mute, is excellent, as are the Easy-Bucket mutes, and Jo-Rals. All easier to use than the Stone lined bucket from Bergs and Humes. I use the SOFTONE mute for live situations, and the SOULO or JORAL for the studio. SOFTONE is easy to transport and wont screw up your horn on a quick mute change. All the other buckets are delicate when you transport them, and not quickly put on/in or taken off.

Both the Lincoln Center Orchestra (Wynton Marsallis) and the Basie ghost band use the SOFTONE mute in performance. While you do have to get used to them and find the "sweet spot" for how it works best on your horn, the hassle free transportation is a godsend!

ssking2b wrote: ↑Tue Jan 29, 2019 1:25 pm The SOULO mute, is excellent, as are the Easy-Bucket mutes, and Jo-Rals. All easier to use than the Stone lined bucket from Bergs and Humes. I use the SOFTONE mute for live situations, and the SOULO or JORAL for the studio. SOFTONE is easy to transport and wont screw up your horn on a quick mute change. All the other buckets are delicate when you transport them, and not quickly put on/in or taken off.

Both the Lincoln Center Orchestra (Wynton Marsallis) and the Basie ghost band use the SOFTONE mute in performance. While you do have to get used to them and find the "sweet spot" for how it works best on your horn, the hassle free transportation is a godsend!

The Softone mute is great. Sounds better than a lot of buckets, can always be scrunched up in your case and is silent when it falls off! I didn't get on with the Joral...good sound, but gigantic, and makes a sound to wake the dead when it falls out.

My experience: I was using the tried and true H&B bucket in a brass quintet playing transpositions of the French horn parts, using the mute to get a more horn-like sound. Putting it on and taking it off was a PITA so I tried the Jo-Ral. The positives: easier to put on and take off. Negatives: it was expensive, heavier, a but stuffier (more backpressure), and didn't sound as good in my opinion. I borrowed a friend's Softone once. Positives: Lightweight, packs nicely, can double as a practice mute if you cover the entire bell, and wasn't much more expensive than the H&B. Negatives: I was not wowed with the sound and the one time I used it had trouble getting it set right - it kept falling off.

Another vote for the Easy bucket. Sounds good, easy on/off, not too heavy and fairly cheap. It has a different size for each 1/2" bell diameter.

hyperbolica wrote: ↑Tue Jan 29, 2019 8:42 pm Another vote for the Easy bucket. Sounds good, easy on/off, not too heavy and fairly cheap. It has a different size for each 1/2" bell diameter.

Eazy Bucket Mute -

http://www.theeazybucket.com/

Next best: Softone Mute

https://www.wwbw.com/Softone-Tenor-Trom ... 0qEALw_wcB

Sounds fine (especially if used by entire trombone section) - and SOO easy to transport - just stuff it into your trombone case or mute bag - takes almost no space. You will need a different Softone mute for your large-bell (bass) trombones than for your small-bell (tenor) trombones. Just drape it over the bell (no need to completely surround the bell - then it becomes a stuffy practice mute) and if you do it right it's quick on - quick remove, and won't fall off when you don't want it to.

Back when dollars were tight I found a number of food service plastic tubs, 6 1/2" diameter at the bottom, and made some buckets similar to Easy-Bucket. The sound is just like H&B. My motivation was the players in the section each had their own interpretation of what "bucket" was or should sound like. It was a mess.

So I took these to rehearsal. They were received like a wet limp rag. So I learned, most players don't care about the bucket sound. A mess is okay. And I think most all audiences don't care about the sound either. Even the best pro bands I have seen seem pretty lackadaisical about bucket.

I've also simulated a bucket sound by putting a rag inside a plunger and holding it about 3 inches (75 mm) from the bell. Baileyman has seen me do this. Of course it means you won't be able to play trigger notes, but that's a tradeoff you can deal with.

I've settled on the Suolo buckets lately because they're the most versatile. Not quite as easy to get on and off as an EZ-Bucket or a Softone, but not too bad. They do require a bit of practice but I can reliably do it one-handed in about 3 seconds. And, they're quite light.

Never really fell in love with the Jo-Ral, although I've heard they're a lot better with some of the stuffing removed. I never tried that.

EZ-Buckets are pretty great for taking on and off fast, but they're not perfect. I've had the plastic clips on them break, and because they're part of the molding of the main body, that's not easy to fix.

But, don't bad-mouth the H&B buckets too much. They're a great sounding mute, and if you're willing to put up with how flimsy and awkward they are, they're a good buy for a cheap bucket mute.

I've got to recommend the Peter Gane bucket mute. It inserts exactly like a straight or cup mute, making for easy mute changes, and it sounds *almost* as good as the HB bucket. I'm going to actually replace the padding in mine with cotton and cheesecloth and see if that improves things....

I like the Mike McClean bucket for all of the reasons Nick cites. It's incredibly light as well.