Number6 Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 I've recently started using a soft foam mute under the strings by the bridge on my Yamaha 5 string and i really like the slightly deadened sound. I only started using it as i found a spare piece of foam and thought i'd give it a try. I don't know untill i rehearse next how it will sound playing with the band but i'll give it a whirl. I just wondered if anyone else uses this kind of a mute for any particular songs or all the time on their basses? The bass currently has round wounds but i may try some flats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkW Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 I went the other way: I bought an elderly MM Sterling a few years ago that had the individual foam dampers for each string built into the bridge. I couldn't get on with it at all, so I ripped the foam off (according to a MM tech it's the same stuff foam rubber mouse mats are made of, should I ever want to reinstall them) and screwed the adjusters all the way down. Perfect! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geek99 Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 A slice of washing-up sponge works fine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roland Rock Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 I have done in the past, and love the sound in certain applications - kitchen roll or mousemat foam for me. The thing is that I seldom want muted tones for the entire set, so now just palm mute when necessary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 I palm mute these days... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shedua511 Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 [quote name='MarkW' timestamp='1427600557' post='2732201'] I couldn't get on with it at all, so I ripped the foam off [/quote] wouldn't it have been enough to tighten the screws that adjust the height of the mutes to avoid them touching the strings? Just wondering, that's what I do on my vintage stingray... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JapanAxe Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 Another palm muter here, or to be more precise, palm-mute and pluck with thumb for a really old-skool sound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonnythenotes Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 Those little coloured pony tail bands are perfect....you just have one of them in position around the headstock, and when you need that muted sound, just pull it forward an inch over the nut and bingo. Just make sure you get black or navy blue....yellow or pink look extremely naff... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkW Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 [quote name='Shedua511' timestamp='1427619154' post='2732273'] wouldn't it have been enough to tighten the screws that adjust the height of the mutes to avoid them touching the strings? Just wondering, that's what I do on my vintage stingray... [/quote] Yes indeed, but they were so manky that they would have had to be replaced if I was going to keep them, so I just whipped them off! :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Number6 Posted March 29, 2015 Author Share Posted March 29, 2015 Mine is just an old bit of soft packing foam cut to the length of the bridge. Easily removed if need be and nearly as easily replaced. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
booboo Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 I've got one of these wwwbassmute.com It's a nice (expensive) semi-permanent way of having a consistent degree of muting at the flick of a switch. I bought it to try and make my j bass sound like an upright as that's what I needed at the time. As with any attempt to make BG sound like URB it got me into the better, but still not quite the same territory that all these things do. What it is good for is mid-way through a covers set when I need an old motown/muted p sound. I can just roll of the tone on the bass, flick on the mute and hey presto it's (nearly) a p. One thing I have found with this or any other muting solutions (besides palm) is that to mute the strings enough to change the sound often pushes the tuning up a bit as I suppose it almost creates a zero fret in front of the bridge or just bends the string slightly. Just make sure you have time to re-tune between car wash and mustang sally ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 Foam works in the studio because it evens out the notes and prevents unwanted resonances. What foam takes away can be added by the desk, but for live work I prefer the dynamics of undampened strings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 (edited) When I lent Lawrie McMillan my acoustic the first thing he did was to add some foam to mute the strings - he felt that it improved the sound... Edited March 29, 2015 by TheGreek Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebigyin Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 I've used a bit of sponge especially when new strings have been fitted, I hate the sound of new strings. Watched a guy on youtube called Mo Morris he plays with flatwound strings foam mutes and has had the same strings on for 15 years. But he blew me away with that old school RnB vibe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timhiggins Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 I used a bit of sponge from the kitchen cut to size last night for recording in studio took it out today at rehearsal as i find you lose a bit of clarity live for me old rounds on a jazz get me the reggae sound without the mute,but i like it on the p more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 (edited) [quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1427618653' post='2732267'] I palm mute these days... [/quote] Me too. IMO the execution is more dynamic and I can get a nice clean yet aggressive tone using this technique. Muting the strings with the palm of your hand. Blue Edited March 30, 2015 by blue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuckinthepod Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 I used bit of old sponge for a while for old school covers like Brown Sugar. Now just roll off some treble and palm mute where necessary. Would like to buy a separate bass with flats and a mute for the old school stuff/motown sound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.