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Louis-Nut New Member
Joined: 08 Nov 2015 Posts: 6
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Posted: Thu Oct 04, 2018 11:46 pm Post subject: Glass straight mute |
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Louis Armstrong seems to be using a glass mute in this performance. So I must have one.
Could anyone point me in the right direction?
https://youtu.be/EDg--Bb79YM _________________ 1950 Henri Selmer Paris 19a
1946 Henri Selmer Paris 19b
1970 Olds Ambassador
https://youtu.be/pMO5-PQ_sOY |
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zaferis Heavyweight Member
Joined: 03 Nov 2011 Posts: 2350 Location: Beavercreek, OH
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Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2018 2:43 am Post subject: |
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I'm not sure, but I always thought that was a clear plastic mute. Relistening to the clip you posted, my ear agrees with that guess.
I haven't seen anything like it... it would be fun to try, my "gut" tells me that a glass mute would be heavy and have a dead/dull sound.
cheers. _________________ Freelance Performer/Educator
Adjunct Professor
Bach Trumpet Endorsing Artist
Retired Air Force Bandsman |
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TKSop Heavyweight Member
Joined: 23 Feb 2014 Posts: 1735 Location: UK
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Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2018 4:18 am Post subject: |
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zaferis wrote: | I'm not sure, but I always thought that was a clear plastic mute. Relistening to the clip you posted, my ear agrees with that guess.
I haven't seen anything like it... it would be fun to try, my "gut" tells me that a glass mute would be heavy and have a dead/dull sound.
cheers. |
Depends how big the glass is, I guess - if it were fairly thin (think chemistry lab flask kind of thing) then I would've thought it would be manageable... not so much if milk-bottle thick.
I'd have thought the opposite, that it'd sound brittle and nasty...
Still, would agree that clear plastic seems most likely. |
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boog Veteran Member
Joined: 04 Jun 2014 Posts: 247
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Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2018 7:41 am Post subject: |
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If you want to hear how it sounds, use a glass soft drink bottle. Used to use a "Coke" bottle when I would forget to bring a real one to band practice. A drink bottle actually has a nice sound when you record it. Of course, it ties up your left hand...but so does a plunger. |
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lakejw Heavyweight Member
Joined: 06 Jan 2010 Posts: 543 Location: Brooklyn, New York
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Danbassin Veteran Member
Joined: 13 Oct 2013 Posts: 460 Location: Idyllwild, CA
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Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2018 8:19 am Post subject: |
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It's a clear plastic mute.
I actually picked up one of these (missing one piece of cork) at the Baltimore Brass Co. this summer. I've hesitated to put cut-down modern corks on it, as I've been keeping my eye out for Shastock-sized corks to use, but it plays surprisingly well, even as is.
You can hear that the low register is a bit stuffy (what else is new?), but it's a really unique vintage sound.
-DB _________________ Daniel Bassin
Conductor/Composer/Trumpeter/Improviser/Educator
I play:
Monette - CORNETTE/PranaXLT-STC Bb/MC-35/Raja A Piccolo;
Kromat C-Piccolo; Thein G-Piccolo; Various antique horns
MPCs - Monette Unity 1-7D and DM4LD |
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bike&ed Heavyweight Member
Joined: 24 Dec 2004 Posts: 1837
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Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2018 3:20 pm Post subject: |
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I have used a beer bottle as a mute once or twice, interesting sound... |
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Louis-Nut New Member
Joined: 08 Nov 2015 Posts: 6
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Posted: Sat Oct 06, 2018 4:23 am Post subject: |
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Thank you for the replies everyone. I wouldn’t have realized that it was plastic. Unfortunately they do not seem to be available anywhere new or used.
Daniel Bassin,
It would be great if you could put up some measurements on that mute and possibly pictures. I am planning to improvise something by gluing together plastic containers. _________________ 1950 Henri Selmer Paris 19a
1946 Henri Selmer Paris 19b
1970 Olds Ambassador
https://youtu.be/pMO5-PQ_sOY |
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boog Veteran Member
Joined: 04 Jun 2014 Posts: 247
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Posted: Sat Oct 06, 2018 4:41 am Post subject: |
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Somewhere over the last few years I remember reading a post, I think it was on this site, describing how to build a home-made straight mute with a air-freshener container (maybe Glade?). Sorry I can't remember more, but maybe one of the readers here can recall where this appeared? |
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Don Herman rev2 'Chicago School' Forum Moderator
Joined: 03 May 2005 Posts: 8951 Location: Monument, CO
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Posted: Sat Oct 06, 2018 6:08 am Post subject: |
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boog wrote: | Somewhere over the last few years I remember reading a post, I think it was on this site, describing how to build a home-made straight mute with a air-freshener container (maybe Glade?). Sorry I can't remember more, but maybe one of the readers here can recall where this appeared? |
http://everythingtrumpet.com/gearhead/Renuzit_Practice_Mute.html _________________ "After silence, that which best expresses the inexpressible, is music" - Aldous Huxley |
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Louis-Nut New Member
Joined: 08 Nov 2015 Posts: 6
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Posted: Wed Oct 10, 2018 5:04 pm Post subject: Louis Armstrong plastic mute update |
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I found a conical shaped plastic spray bottle to make the mute from. Here are some photos of the construction:
I cut off the threads.
https://flic.kr/p/2aPmGSC
I cut wine bottle corks to fit the contour of the bottle and my trumpet.
https://flic.kr/p/2aPmGXC
Turned out better than I thought it would. I’m thinking about cutting off the bottom and replacing it with something flat so it doesn’t look so bottley.
https://flic.kr/p/29a2tXj
https://flic.kr/p/29a2tQ5
It fits ok. The initial toots sound pretty promising. I’m not allowed to play in the house, strictly speaking. I’ll upload a video to my YouTube when I get a chance to really play.
If DB or somebody else who owns one of these mutes could show me some photos and specs I would sure appreciate it a lot.
Here’s a photo of the actual mute from the Goodyear show footage:
https://flic.kr/p/2bN8DBk _________________ 1950 Henri Selmer Paris 19a
1946 Henri Selmer Paris 19b
1970 Olds Ambassador
https://youtu.be/pMO5-PQ_sOY |
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benlewis Heavyweight Member
Joined: 21 Jan 2004 Posts: 1016 Location: Memphis, TN
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Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2018 7:51 am Post subject: |
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Pops also uses the clear mute in one of the scenes in the movie High Society...
HTH
Ben |
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jazz_trpt Heavyweight Member
Joined: 25 Nov 2001 Posts: 5734 Location: Savoy, Illinois, USA
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Posted: Fri Oct 12, 2018 9:40 am Post subject: |
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I think the back story was that the clear plastic mute was given to Armstrong by Jack Teagarden, but I could be mistaken about that. _________________ Jeff Helgesen
Free jazz solo transcriptions! |
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giakara Heavyweight Member
Joined: 13 Jul 2003 Posts: 3833 Location: Greece
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Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2018 2:22 am Post subject: |
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I believe that he also use the early days the Shastock straight mute .
Regards _________________ Lawler TL5-1A Bb 2015
Lawler TL6-1A Bb 2004
Lawler TL5-1A Bb 2003
Getzen eterna 910 C
Getzen eterna 850 and 800 LB cornets
Selmer Paris 3 valve picc
Yamaha 731 flugel
Carol mini pocket
Reeves/Purviance mpcs |
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Louis-Nut New Member
Joined: 08 Nov 2015 Posts: 6
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Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2018 9:50 pm Post subject: Plastic bottle mute test |
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Here’s the first test of my creation. It is amazingly easy to play!
This is my first day of practicing Someday, by Louis Armstrong. I learn songs by ear and just keep feeling my way through them until it sinks in. I apologize for the many mistakes. I will upload Someday again for comparison when I get better at it.
https://flic.kr/p/2aVDP1u
Ben,
The High Society mute does look exactly the same except it has a white bottom. Thanks for the info! _________________ 1950 Henri Selmer Paris 19a
1946 Henri Selmer Paris 19b
1970 Olds Ambassador
https://youtu.be/pMO5-PQ_sOY |
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jimspeedjae Veteran Member
Joined: 05 Apr 2013 Posts: 165
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Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2018 9:57 am Post subject: |
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I made a mute out of a Perrier bottle once.
Good size, good shape. And good sound too.
But way too heavy to use more than a "I wonder what happens if I stick some corks on this thing" kind of thing. |
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LarsHusum Regular Member
Joined: 30 Jul 2007 Posts: 87 Location: Copenhagen
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Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2018 11:15 am Post subject: |
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I've made one from an Orangina glas bottle.
It has a great mute shape, and it plays with good intonation from top to bottom.
It's supprisingly good, but it is of course made of glas. So it's a bit heavy, and doesn't project. _________________ http://www.hornkapelle.dk |
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Louis-Nut New Member
Joined: 08 Nov 2015 Posts: 6
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Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2018 4:11 pm Post subject: |
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I definitely agree with TKSop that a glass mute could only have been thin glass like tempered glass, but glass is seeming more and more unlikely. The mute played by Louis Armstrong on the video above is most likely plastic, as zaferis and TKSop said.
This plastic mute that I made is light as a feather and it sounds closer to what I hear on Louis Armstrong’s recordings than the other mutes I have used.
I would love to get my paws on a real one!
Does anyone know the brand/model they were sold under? _________________ 1950 Henri Selmer Paris 19a
1946 Henri Selmer Paris 19b
1970 Olds Ambassador
https://youtu.be/pMO5-PQ_sOY |
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