practice mute and easy blow..

BobList · Posted: Mon May 03, 2004 7:12 pm Post subject:

ok, ok, I know this is a horns forum, but it gets the most hits. I have recently had to move to an apartment. I need to know, what is the most free blowing practice mute out there. I have never needed one, so I have no idea what is best. It must first and foremost be the closest thing to a natural blow; volume reduction is secondary. I have heard by more than one person here that the
Brass Spa mute by Reeves is the best choice for what I need.
Any other suggestions? I need to know...thanx, Bob List, Baltimore

E.D.Lewis · Posted: Mon May 03, 2004 7:24 pm Post subject:

The Reeves mute is pretty good, but for less than $1.00 you can make an even better mute using a Renuzit air freshener. Go to the Dallas Music website (I think it's http://www.dallasmusic.org ) and in the gearhead section are instructions on how to build one. Very easy and effective. By far the most freeblowing practice mute I've ever used. You can even rig it so that the resistance and sound dampening are adjustable. This is not a gimic - it works great! For more on this and other mutes do a search in the "other toys" forum and you'll find plenty of banter on this topic.
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radiobob · Posted: Tue May 04, 2004 4:19 am Post subject:

I second the Renuzit mute, I just made one two days ago and I'm amazed at how well it works, much better than I expected. I manage a bed & breakfast and quiet is utmost priority. Try it, it works.

Bob

_Don Herman · Posted: Tue May 04, 2004 6:14 am Post subject:

I found the Peacemaker the most free blowing of the few I tried, sans the Renuzit (which I have not tried). The latter has the advantage of being very cheap and easily adjustable. Plus, no real loss if you accidentally leave it on stage at the end of the night. Unlike some, I do like the earpieces with the Peacemaker, as they reduce my tendency to overblow. They do take careful adjustment to get right so they just hang there rather than pinching/squeezing, however. The Yamah SB I felt was too expensive for what I wanted and had more resistance than some of the others.

HTH - Don
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crzytptman · Posted: Tue May 04, 2004 8:02 am Post subject:

I make a Renuzit for all of my students so they have NO EXCUSE for not practicing! It is very freeblowing - I don't use the top. I use dense foam weatherstripping for the seal and a folded sock top inside. Whisper quiet and smells great!

Nate
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jhatpro · Posted: Tue May 04, 2004 8:32 am Post subject:

You might like a Denis Wick Precision mute, the black one with a silver, sliding cup. You'll have a straight mute, a cup mute, and a practice mute all in one. You can slide the cup toward the bell to dampen the sound and, if you wish to make it even quieter (it's pretty quiet) pack it with tissue. Plays reasonably open, too.
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radiobob · Posted: Tue May 04, 2004 9:37 am Post subject:

Anyone find anything better than the weatherstripping for the seal? That's what I used and it compacts and then expands and it falls out of the horn after awhile. It's good enough though, I had to superglue it to the Renuzit to get it to stay.

Bob

LaserBoy · Posted: Tue May 04, 2004 7:27 pm Post subject:

I've been in the apartment situation too. Here is what I have used:

Peacemaker. Very quiet. Nice to have stethoscope to get feedback. Makes your
attacks sound crisper than they really are. Anyplace that sells stethoscopes will
sell soft tips for your ears (more comfortable than hard plastic).
Mute is heavy and has a tendency to fall out. Intonation is good, with the
exception of a few notes below G (second line). Relatively high resistance.

TrumCor.
http://www.trumcor.com/trumpetmutes.html
I liked this one the best. Nice tone quality. Resistance is less than a cup
mute with a sock stuffed in the cup. Good intonation. Mute stays in and is light
(not tiring to practice for a long time). Slightly louder than the Peacemaker, but
still quieter than the TV or stereo (i.e. fine for apartments.)

Renuzit. I wasted $1.39 and a couple of hours trying to make something. The end result
smelled bad, had terrible tone and crap intonation. And wasn't particularly quiet.

I have not tried the Yamaha Silent Brass. Other folks say it is extremely quiet
but HEAVY. Also by far the most expensive product in the category.

Your mileage may vary. But when I had to practice a majority of my practice
time with a practice mute, it was well worth investing in a quality mute. I tried
to get at least one hour a week somewhere without the mute to prevent weird
things from happening to my playing.

LaserBoy
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