Sshhmutes and other Practice mutes

[Neo Bri]

How are they? What are your opinions? I have a Silent brass for trombone, trumpet, etc. and the Best Brass Warm-up for tenor and bass trombones, and the Pro-Tec knockoff for trumpet. All seem pretty good.

Thoughts?

[JCBone]

I like the shmute. Minmal back pressure and intonation issues.

[marccromme]

I like the shmute. Minmal back pressure and intonation issues.

This, and that counts both for the tenor and bass version. But heavier than the smaller in bell passioner mute i also own

[lewbone92]

I love my Sshhmute! The price is right on it, and I seem to have no intonation issues. Best of all, I’ve never gotten annoyed apartment complex neighbors at my door when playing after midnight

[ithinknot]

Tenor Sshhmute is good. Low back pressure, no particular surprises with tuning. Insertion depth seems about right for 7.5" bells. May require a bit of extra cork to play best on larger instruments - at least that's what I found with my big tenor, YMMV.

Even fine for my 6.5" alto if you remove the cork and replace with the necessary thickness of (slightly compressible) electrical tape.

Don't go buying the flugelhorn one for alto thinking it'll fit better - I did this and it's the same size as the tenor, just a different color. Blue bottom instead of red. Tube up the middle is the same diameter and length.

[JCBone]

Tenor Sshhmute is good. Low back pressure, no particular surprises with tuning. Insertion depth seems about right for 7.5" bells. May require a bit of extra cork to play best on larger instruments - at least that's what I found with my big tenor, YMMV.

Even fine for my 6.5" alto if you remove the cork and replace with the necessary thickness of (slightly compressible) electrical tape.

Don't go buying the flugelhorn one for alto thinking it'll fit better - I did this and it's the same size as the tenor, just a different color. Blue bottom instead of red. Tube up the middle is the same diameter and length.

I found that you can make the tenor version work on all the trombones. I wrap it in cloth to use on bass and on alto it will protrude a bit but it works fine.

[Kbiggs]

I just bought the Rejano practice mutes for tenor and bass. I’ve tried the Best Brass, Wick, and an old Yamaha Silent Brass. The Rejano is superior for intonation and back pressure, that is, the intonation is very good and there is less back pressure than those other mutes.

[Burgerbob]

I've owned the Best Brass for tenor and bass. The bass one was awful. Really bad blow. Tenor one is fine.

I also own the Pampet mute from Amazon. It was all of $20 and is quite good for the cost. I use this one when I need something small for tenor.

I have played the Ssshh for tenor and bass. I think they're fine, but I haven't bought one.

My favorite overall is the first generation Yamaha Silent Brass, which feels very good and has the best intonation. IMO much better than the Sshh mutes. Downsides are the size and weight. I use this for traveling with the screwbell bass- I can leave the flare off and the weight is the same.

Haven't played the Rejano yet, but I feel pretty set with my current collection... I try to use them as little as possible, hotel rooms and airports at the most.

[Mv2541]

I just bought the Rejano practice mutes for tenor and bass. I’ve tried the Best Brass, Wick, and an old Yamaha Silent Brass. The Rejano is superior for intonation and back pressure, that is, the intonation is very good and there is less back pressure than those other mutes.

From my experience this is totally accurate, but if you try the Shhhmute you'll find the difference between how good the bad mutes you tried and the Rejano is about the same as the difference between the Rejano and the Shhhmute. It's really that good.

[Johnstad]

The Rejano Mutes are fantastic. Switched from Ssshh over to Rejano. The blow is consistent across both. Intonation is much better on the Rejano. I found the Ssshh to be very sharp.

And the Rejano fit in your bell nicely!

[Cmillar]

Do the Rejano mutes fit in small bore horns?

[mrdeacon]

Do the Rejano mutes fit in small bore horns?

Yes! You just have to make sure the mute has the right fit.

[Kbiggs]

Do the Rejano mutes fit in small bore horns?

Yes. On the Rejano Mutes page (google it), there is a message box to provide the make and model of your instrument(s). Both of mine fit well, although they were for a 42B and a 50B. I’ve heard that some people need a different cork to fit properly, but that customer service is very good and have provided either a replacement or a different cork.

[RustBeltBass]

Wondering if anyone has input on how the Rehabilitation mute is for bass ? Most people who I know who own and love theirs are tenor players.

I’m very happy with my ssshh mute but it is very inconvenient for my travels as it doesn’t fit into the trombone case.

[11561man]

Just took my new one for a test run. Intonation seems ok overall, do appreciate the slightly lighter weight.

[mbtrombone]

So, I just got my Rejano Practice mute. I also have a Jo-Ral, Best Brass, Sshhmute, and a first gen Yamaha. All are for bass trombone.

I liked the Sshhmute because of the way it felt when played. Pitch was fine on mine. Doesn't fit in my bell in my Bona Bass Case, so when I was in college and commuting I had one in the studio, and one at home for early/late practice. Was a little weighty, so I felt it the longer I used it in the warm ups or warm downs. Also, depending on what cork is on the mute it may or may not stay in the bell well and will require some sanding to get it to fit right. One liked to fall out because the cork wasn't shaped at all. Seems to be impossible to break since I had one fall out many times on concrete with only some small scratches pitting from the drops.

The Best Brass was always in my bell because it fit and it was good for a warmup when needed. Didn't feel all that great and sound/pitch was weird and it didn't work great in the low range. Was very light though. It was easy to dent when dropped, it even dented once when it hit a carpeted floor.

The Jo-Ral was my first mute. Helped with learning to blow better when I first switched permanently to bass. Very heavy, sound was strange, pitch was strange, feel was not great now that I have better practice mutes. Oh and it liked to fall out of my bell. Should have shaped the corks.

First gen Yamaha - was good, but really heavy. Didn't like the front weight to the bell, which I noticed a lot. It also didn't like to stay in my bell and because it has foam instead of cork I was worried about shaping it at all. Was dropped quite a few times and was always ok to keep using.

So, I got the Rejano as a Christmas gift to myself and I have to say, it plays very nicely. I haven't had my horn in my case recently because of COVID I just leave it out on a trombone stand in a safe place, but it looks like it might fit in my case in the bell. The sound is only a tiny bit better than the Sshhmute for me, the tuning is only a tiny bit better also than my better Sshhmute. The feel though when playing through the range is better, and I feel less like I have played with a practice mute when I take it out and play. It is nice and light so I don't notice it when playing like the Sshhmute, Yamaha, or Jo-Ral. The one knock I have is that the bass model is really big, and hard to grab one handed. Also, the material it is made from is slick, and it is so close to the bell wall, that I find it hard to grab to remove at times.

Anyway, that's just my observations with the mutes I own. I am sure it is different for all in the end.

[baileyman]

Nice review. It may be worthwhile affixing a strap handle to the ones that are hard to handle. Light, takes no room.

[robcat2075]

I have the conical "sshhmute" and the Humes & Berg "NEW STONE LINED PATENTED SH! SH! QUIET MANNIE KLEIN PRACTICE MUTE", both in bass trombone versions

The sshhmute will not stay in the bell unless I wet the "cork" first.

The sound of the sshhmute is initially much more satisfying but something about how it feels tempts me to start doing an oral cavity "oy" shape, as if I was tonguing with "toy, toy, toy..."

Without the mute that will sound bad but with the mute it is not obvious so I have to pay close attention to myself so that I do not wander into that bad habit.

The NEW STONE LINED PATENTED SH! SH! QUIET MANNIE KLEIN PRACTICE MUTE produces a much less-focused sound which I'm sure a listener would judge to be worse. However, after I have drilled an extra vent hole opposite the original factory hole, i feel like the response is somewhat more like the unmuted horn than the sshhmute.

The intonation of both of these is so off that they really are for no more than quiet warm ups. You wouldn't practice your recital concerto, your church solo or even your Belwin Mills First Division Band Method Book 1 for Trombone with these mutes in.

I also have an "11-inch" Humes & Berg "STONE LINED PATENTED VELVET-TONE MUTE" that just fits on my bass trombone bell. A more satisfying sound than either of the other two but not as quiet.

It may not have actual stone in it.

I imagine the best practice mute would not be something inserted in the bell but a proper practice room. Something with triple sheet rock, no windows and a sealing solid door.

[BGuttman]

...

a proper practice room. Something with triple sheet rock, no windows and a sealing solid door.

Also known as a "gas chamber"

[robcat2075]

I wonder... what would be the smallest enclosure on the end of a trombone that would adequately muffle it without affecting the playing characteristics?

If we ignore the problem of weight, how small can the "practice room" be made until it is just a box on the bell?

Is there any contrivance of baffling that would dampen the sound yet allow the air to flow free?

[BGuttman]

I wonder... what would be the smallest enclosure on the end of a trombone that would adequately muffle it without affecting the playing characteristics?

If we ignore the problem of weight, how small can the "practice room" be made until it is just a box on the bell?

Is there any contrivance of baffling that would dampen the sound yet allow the air to flow free?

This has been the problem since the dawn of the brass instrument. I'm sure there were people demanding the Egyptian guy playing that early trumpet to find a way to shut it up or they would seal him in a pyramid.

Part of the problem is that a small practice room (even properly ventilated ) has very different acoustics from any other playing venue.

What kind of "practice mute" do you have for your cello?

[robcat2075]

Part of the problem is that a small practice room (even properly ventilated ) has very different acoustics from any other playing venue.

But it doesn't change the response and intonation of the horn like a mute inserted into the bell does.

The objection that a practice room is invalid because it is not the same as a concert hall is a silly one when the discussion is about practice mutes.

What kind of "practice mute" do you have for your cello?

It's like a paperweight that sits on the bridge and diminishes the vibrations that get transmitted to the body of the instrument. It is detectably harder to get notes going on the low strings but it changes the intonation not at all. It isn't nearly the impediment to useful practice that a trombone practice mute is.



However, being too loud is a fairly rare problem for cellos, in general. It's more of a fantasy, really.

[Posaunus]

Softone mute tightly over the bell is as far as I'll go.
(But I don't live in a small apartment where others would be bothered.)