Jazz Bass Mutes

[Stub Mandrel]

It seems a long time ago I tried to make some 'traditional' jazz bass mutes, gave up and so found a set of real ones, courtesy of a basschatter.

 

Recently the Squier jazz I fitted them to has been nearby, and it's reminded me that the sound is not what you'd expect. The sustain is about four seconds, not super long, but not the dull thump a chunk of foam under the strings or a clip on mute would give.  The effect is partly losing the highs and partly to emphasisi the initial attack and first stages of decay. Great for a staccato sound (thin Andy Fraser on the Mr Big solo). It really changes how you play by making fast, complex passages really clearly articulated. It also brings the sound closer to a double bass than using flats alone would (I'm using them with roundwounds). I think I'll take it to my next rehearsal and see what happens.

[Baloney Balderdash]

I never really played with a mute, but from what you describe it kind of sounds like what I get from the technique I recently started to apply a lot when playing and really enjoy the effect of, that is cutting the notes short by only lifting the fretting finger in question partially, gradually (but this graduation in reality actually happening fairly quickly) slightly loosening pressure of the fretting finger on the string, so that the pad of the finger now will sort of mute the string in question naturally.

 

The advantage of that over a fixed mute it obviously that you can freely alternate between this and then having then regular fretting, as well as this way you will also have full control over exactly how and how much the fretted string is muted.

 

Not sure if we are actually talking about the same effect though, as I, as said, never actually played with a string mute.

 

 

Edit!!!: Thinking about it I don't think the above technique will give the same result anyway, not sure what I was thinking when I wrote it, but it wouldn't be able to give that initial damping effect on the fretted notes as a mute would.

 

 

Edited September 19, 2022 by Baloney Balderdash

[jd56hawk]

I use different thicknesses of foam and I think the felt lets my strings ring out when I need them to depending on my pick's attack.

 

[Owen]

I saw a video on YT a long time ago of a guy playing a Jazz with the "proper" felt mutes. It was a very different sound and very, very pleasing. 

[Stub Mandrel]

On 16/09/2022 at 12:30, Baloney Balderdash said:

I never really played with a mute, but from what you describe it kind of sounds like what I get from the technique I recently started to apply a lot when playing and really enjoy the effect of, that is cutting the notes short by only lifting the fretting finger in question partially, gradually (but this graduation in reality actually happening fairly quickly) slightly loosening pressure of the fretting finger on the string, so that the pad of the finger now will sort of mute the string in question naturally.

 

The advantage of that over a fixed mute it obviously that you can freely alternate between this and then having then regular fretting, as well as this way you will also have full control over exactly how and how much the fretted string is muted.

 

Not sure if we are actually talking about the same effect though, as I, as said, never actually played with a string mute.

 

 

Edit!!!: Thinking about it I don't think the above technique will give the same result anyway, not sure what Iwas thinking what I wrote it, but it wouldn't be able to give that initial damping effect on the fretted notes as a mute would.

 

 

 

No, not far off, that does give a similar effect.