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dmh737
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Joined: 26 Jun 2004
Posts: 771
Location: Central Florida
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 Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2022 6:22 am Post subject: Wah Wah Mute Suggestion |
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I've searched the forums and haven't found an answer.
I have an old original Harmon Brand mute. It is very quiet and very restrictive. I used to have a Humes & Berg which wasn't bad, but when we moved south a few years ago, it never turned up.
So, In your opinions, what is the least restrictive, LOUDEST Wah Wah mute out there?
Looking forward to your opinions!
Thanks!
Dave
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ayryq
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Joined: 16 Feb 2019
Posts: 354
Location: Rochester, NY
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| Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2022 6:27 am Post subject: |
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TrumCor Zinger
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Dayton
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Joined: 24 Mar 2013
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Location: USA
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| Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2022 8:09 am Post subject: |
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I posted my decibel meter about 4 feet from my bell, and here is what I recorded at normal effort and pushing hard:
Jo Ral Bubble (copper): 84/99 db
Soulo Wah Wah (copper bottom): 84/98 db
Trumcor Zinger: 82/97 db
Charley Davis Harmon: 82/96 db
Huber Step Wah: 85/93 db
Emo Wow Wow: 79/91 db
Harmon: 79/90
Windy City: 79/90
I did this with the stem out for those with a stem (the Huber Step Wah does not).
Not a truly scientific experiment given the difficulty of controlling effort and exact distance, but I suspect the Jo Ral, Soulo and Trumcor would consistently be louder than the Harmon, Emo and other aluminum mutes with a traditional "Harmon" shape and thickness. |
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dmh737
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Joined: 26 Jun 2004
Posts: 771
Location: Central Florida
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| Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2022 9:00 am Post subject: |
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Wow @Dayton. Thanks so much for the effort. Great info!
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Mac Gollehon
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Joined: 27 Feb 2014
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| Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2022 3:59 pm Post subject: |
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| Walt Johnson Gatsby mute. I recorded a lot with it history channel as well as my own tracks. Check it out on GRIDFAILURE featuring Mac Gollehon Dismememberment Cabaret on Nefarious Industries. |
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ayryq
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Location: Rochester, NY
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| Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2022 3:58 am Post subject: |
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Your results surprise me; maybe I'm thinking not of pure volume, but of tone. That is, I thing the Zinger is much buzzier in a way that cuts through an orchestra or wind ensemble (even at lower dynamics!), whereas the copper bubble is mellower, and doesn't really buzz much at all below mf.
I don't have nearly as many mutes as Dayton but I think of the very-heavy copper bubble as being the most soloistic (almost requiring a mic) and the zinger as best for section work that needs to cut.
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Yamaha YTR6345HGS Bb
Bach "Philly" C
Bach 239 Eb/D
DEG Signature 2000 Bb/A picc
Yamaha YTR-9835 Bb/A picc
Yamaha Bobby Shew flugel
Yamaha Neo cornet
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Dayton
Heavyweight Member
Joined: 24 Mar 2013
Posts: 2046
Location: USA
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| Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2022 4:56 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: | Your results surprise me; maybe I'm thinking not of pure volume, but of tone. That is, I thing the Zinger is much buzzier in a way that cuts through an orchestra or wind ensemble (even at lower dynamics!), whereas the copper bubble is mellower, and doesn't really buzz much at all below mf.
I don't have nearly as many mutes as Dayton but I think of the very-heavy copper bubble as being the most soloistic (almost requiring a mic) and the zinger as best for section work that needs to cut. |
The question was which is loudest, and that is quantifiable -- although, again, my "experiment" is somewhat lacking. Which mute carries best, or is best for a particular situation --as you point out -- is much more situational/qualitative.
The Zinger is typically the only Harmon-type mute I have in my bag. It works well in just about every situation for section or solo playing. There are times when the mellower sound of the Soulo works really well, but only with a microphone. Not because it can't be heard, or at least not entirely, but because pushing a mute like that to the max makes it just about impossible to get that mellow sound I am trying to achieve.
That's something important for composers, arrangers, musicians...to consider with mute choice. The kind of sound you typically want with a Harmon-type mute is nearly impossible to get when you are playing fff to be heard -- as a section or a soloist. You need the rest of the band to play quietly, or a microphone. That brings the decision back from which is loudest or carries best, to which gives you the sound you want (buzzier, mellower, etc.). |
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JonathanM
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Joined: 25 Aug 2007
Posts: 2018
Location: Charleston, SC
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| Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2022 9:38 am Post subject: |
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Here while back I was playing around with a bunch of mutes and noticed that a Joral with a muli-colored cork emitted a slightly more piercing/cutting tone... Mutes that I'd wrapped with rubber to replace the cork had a much softer, more subtle tone. Tone DOES make a difference - and the cork/rubber grip makes THAT difference more noticeable; but like beauty, it's in the eye(s) of the Beer-holder. 
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