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ohiotpt
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Joined: 25 Jan 2008
Posts: 988
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 Posted: Mon Mar 29, 2010 7:19 pm Post subject: Mutes - Top 4 choices |
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The mute collection is getting a little bit rag tag...time to upgrade.
So here's the (trumped up) question:
You're going on a year long tour with NO chance to replace/upgrade/buy any more mutes and the MAXIMUM number you can carry is FOUR (if you think you can get away with 3...fine) You might be finding yourself in a jazz band, pit orchestra, concert band, symphony orchestra, recordding studio, etc ...and you're able to bring all the trumpets you want. You're on a tight budget so paying triple for some small advantage would not be a good idea...but a few bucks for a superior quality would be reasonable
Which mutes would you bring with, including what brand and model?
.
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-fred
Lots of horns available to try and buy (or just try) in the Florida Treasure Coast area (Especially Kanstul trumpets) - PM if you'd like to stop by. |
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Oncewasaplayer
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Joined: 24 Sep 2007
Posts: 974
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| Posted: Mon Mar 29, 2010 8:01 pm Post subject: |
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I'm glad you asked this question. You need:
- a practice mute - anything but the Yam silent brass
- a straight mute - Tom Crown
- a cup mute - Dennis Wick
- a harmon mute - Joral bubble
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Adam V
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Joined: 12 Nov 2008
Posts: 1765
Location: Los Angeles, CA
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| Posted: Mon Mar 29, 2010 8:03 pm Post subject: |
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Straight: TrumCor aluminum
Cup: Humes & Berg Stonelined
Harmon: JoRal copper bubble
Practice: Bremner shhh
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dr_trumpet
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Joined: 22 Nov 2001
Posts: 2533
Location: Cope, IN
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| Posted: Mon Mar 29, 2010 8:30 pm Post subject: |
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Straight: Marcus Bonna with copper bottom
Cup: Denis Wick adjustable cup (with some foam rubber inserts to quiet it down and use as a practice mute if necessary)
Harmon: Jo-Ral Bubble in copper
Soft Straight: Marcus Bonna quiet straight mute (great for those soft straight mute moments we have so often, but can't seem to get soft enough for....)
I can pack the cup or bubble with a cloth or cotton to create a practice mute for the few times I need on on tour.
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Dr. Albert L. Lilly, III DM
Artist/Clinician for Vincent Bach Trumpets (Conn-Selmer)
Principal Trumpet, Hendricks Symphony (Avon, IN)
Arranger/Composer; Lilly Music |
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Flattergrub
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Joined: 01 Sep 2008
Posts: 762
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| Posted: Mon Mar 29, 2010 9:06 pm Post subject: |
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Cup - Denis Wick adjustable
Straight - Denis Wick w/copper bottom
Harmon - Jo Ral bubble in copper
Practice - Bremmer "Shhhhhh" |
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one_trumpet
Veteran Member
Joined: 15 Feb 2005
Posts: 383
Location: Houston, Tx
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| Posted: Mon Mar 29, 2010 9:17 pm Post subject: |
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Straight: Trumcor Copper Bottom
Straight: Regular Wick
Cup: Wick
Harmon: Jo-Ral Copper Bubble |
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pitchlevel
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Joined: 25 Mar 2003
Posts: 537
Location: Guanajuato, Mexico
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| Posted: Mon Mar 29, 2010 9:26 pm Post subject: |
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Trumcor straight
Trumcor Lyric
Stonelined cup (stuff a sock in the cup and it becomes a practice mute)
Joral Bubble harmon |
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tobidowski
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Joined: 19 May 2005
Posts: 419
Location: Pennsylvania
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| Posted: Tue Mar 30, 2010 4:36 am Post subject: |
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Straight - Any model that fits your budget and you like the sound of
Cup - See above description
Harmon - See above description
and
either a practice mute for practicing on the road OR another straight of different materials with a different sound than your primary straight.
Wouldn't hurt to bring some cotton balls, foam rings, and buy yourself a bottle of whiskey for the Crown Royal felt bag so you have some inexpensive ways to alter the sounds of your mutes if needed.
Taking the whiskey on tour is optional, but highly recommended. |
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tobidowski
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Location: Pennsylvania
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| Posted: Tue Mar 30, 2010 4:47 am Post subject: |
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Oh and if you are going to be sitting in a big band you are going to want to have a plunger.
Don't bother spending the money for a "plunger mute". A couple of bucks at a hardware store will get you a sink plunger that will work just fine. |
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Dale Proctor
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Joined: 26 May 2005
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Location: Heart of Dixie
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| Posted: Tue Mar 30, 2010 5:17 am Post subject: |
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Straight - Wick
Cup - Humes & Berg
Harmon - Harmon
Plunger - hardware store special
Those are the mutes that are always in my case.
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spyke
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Joined: 08 Jul 2008
Posts: 177
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| Posted: Tue Mar 30, 2010 5:25 am Post subject: |
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Straight, Dennis Wick (ALUMINUM)
Cup, Dennis Wick
favorite Harmon
Fibre, Trumcor
I definitely object to copper-bottom straight mutes. |
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Craig Swartz
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Joined: 14 Jan 2005
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Location: Des Moines, IA area
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| Posted: Tue Mar 30, 2010 5:25 am Post subject: |
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Your post seems to assume that I'd only need to have one trumpet. Some gig...  |
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ohiotpt
Heavyweight Member
Joined: 25 Jan 2008
Posts: 988
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| Posted: Tue Mar 30, 2010 5:49 am Post subject: Re: Mutes - Top 4 choices |
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| Craig Swartz wrote: | | Your post seems to assume that I'd only need to have one trumpet. Some gig... |
| ohiotpt wrote: | | ...and you're able to bring all the trumpets you want. |
A mute quota, maybe, but a trumpet quota? Never!
_________________
-fred
Lots of horns available to try and buy (or just try) in the Florida Treasure Coast area (Especially Kanstul trumpets) - PM if you'd like to stop by. |
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Ed Lee
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Joined: 14 Aug 2009
Posts: 2156
Location: Jackson NC 27845
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| Posted: Tue Mar 30, 2010 6:27 am Post subject: |
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| Listened to a muted rendition ... the mute was a styrofoam ball ... sounded just like a plunger ... maybe better ... been a long time since the big band era. |
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giakara
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Joined: 13 Jul 2003
Posts: 3832
Location: Greece
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| Posted: Tue Mar 30, 2010 7:02 am Post subject: |
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In my case i have
Harmon-harmon
D.wick-cup
Joral-plunger
Braspa-practice
and i remove the cup from Wick to get a straight 
Regards
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tpter1
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Joined: 17 Jun 2004
Posts: 1194
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| Posted: Tue Mar 30, 2010 7:31 am Post subject: |
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TrumCor Lyric (comes with a nice bag that can double as a felt mute)
Denis Wick aluminum straight
Denis Wick adjustable cup (doubles as a straight with no cup)
Tom Crown Copper wah-wah (has a lot of zing) |
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dershem
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Joined: 14 Jun 2007
Posts: 1887
Location: San Diego, CA
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| Posted: Tue Mar 30, 2010 8:21 am Post subject: |
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| tobidowski wrote: | Oh and if you are going to be sitting in a big band you are going to want to have a plunger.
Don't bother spending the money for a "plunger mute". A couple of bucks at a hardware store will get you a sink plunger that will work just fine. |
About 15 years ago I needed to replace my plunger, so I went down to a hardware store near my office, walked to the back where they had the plungers, grabbed one that was the right size, left the stick in the bin, and took it to the register.
The clerk looked at me, and said "Trombone player, eh?"
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con brio
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Joined: 17 Oct 2008
Posts: 350
Location: Orlando, FL
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| Posted: Tue Mar 30, 2010 8:29 am Post subject: |
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| dershem wrote: | | tobidowski wrote: | Oh and if you are going to be sitting in a big band you are going to want to have a plunger.
Don't bother spending the money for a "plunger mute". A couple of bucks at a hardware store will get you a sink plunger that will work just fine. |
About 15 years ago I needed to replace my plunger, so I went down to a hardware store near my office, walked to the back where they had the plungers, grabbed one that was the right size, left the stick in the bin, and took it to the register.
The clerk looked at me, and said "Trombone player, eh?" |
Does no one like the old plastic Bach straight mutes? |
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dr_trumpet
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Joined: 22 Nov 2001
Posts: 2533
Location: Cope, IN
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| Posted: Tue Mar 30, 2010 8:58 am Post subject: |
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| con brio wrote: |
Does no one like the old plastic Bach straight mutes? |
Sure, but they aren't the best choice for me with ALL of my trumpets, and if in this fantasy scenario, I can take every horn I want, but only four mutes (usually it's the opposite), I'd take others. The Wick Cup can double as a straight in emergency, the Bach cannot. The Bach straight is good, but doesn't work so well on some of the trumpets I own. If the constraint was also that I needed to use Bach trumpets (or something Bach-like), I'd use the Bach straight, or a Wick.
On crowded outdoor gigs, where wind can blow things over (like music stands), I always try and use my Bach plastic mutes. They cut, the are damage resistant (from drops or things being dropped on them), and they are light.
The problem with this scenario is that, in truth, the gig isn't defined. I didn't list a plunger mute because it wasn't defined as a jazz gig. If it were a heavily jazz gig, the plunger is in the case. If it is heavily classical with an occasional need for a plunger, I can pick up something on the road that will work (or use my hands-I have LARGE hands). If the gig is a lot of pit work for musicals, you'd have to consult the book to know what you might need. For example, if you're playing a pit and burying the singers, a carpet remnant placed on the stand can reduce the amount of sound you put out.
So, while the scenario is flawed a bit, so will every answer depend more upon the gig and the emphasis.
_________________
Dr. Albert L. Lilly, III DM
Artist/Clinician for Vincent Bach Trumpets (Conn-Selmer)
Principal Trumpet, Hendricks Symphony (Avon, IN)
Arranger/Composer; Lilly Music |
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cheiden
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Joined: 28 Sep 2004
Posts: 8914
Location: Orange County, CA
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| Posted: Tue Mar 30, 2010 9:18 am Post subject: |
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Straight - JoRal Copper
Cup - H&B
Harmon - JoRal Copper
Bucket - EazyBucket
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