Mutes really should be auditioned. I used a red and white for years, but the sound was very important to me. Since I usually have my horn with me, I made auditioning mutes an excuse to visit all kinds of interesting shops, especially on business travel. I wasn't desperate with the old red and white, but it gave me a very real errand that allowed me to visit, and feel comfortable in, establishments that otherwise might be very beyond considering me to be very important, and with the effort I was putting in, I was prepared to pay any price for a mute that was distinctly better than old red. As silly as it sounds, this attitude and purpose resulted in hours of good fun while my colleagues held fort at the hotel bar. On one of these forays, I think in NYC, I came across an aluminum mute made by JENCO. The only JENCO I am aware of made Cillestes, and I've never figured the connection, but it was labeled Jenco. My horn , at the time, was a heavy bell Chambers, and this mute in the horn drew notice and favorable comments from others in the store. That mute has been with that horn ever since, and over years, I've gotten unsolicited complements from conductors on the tone quality. It works well in any 8D clone, especially if nickel silver, but none quite match the sound in the Chambers. Over the years, my son and I have explored acoustics, and I think the materials just work well together. The mute is nothing fancy. Basically the shape of old red, but made of aluminum with a plywood plug crimped into the big end. For some reason the combination of cheap plywood and a soft aluminum can muffles the horn perfectly. Now that I use my Paxman 42M for a lot of playing, I had to go through the same process. The JENCO mute is disappointing in the Paxman. The mute I finally found for the Paxman is solid copper, but it is terrible in the Chambers. Old red is as good a general purpose mute as you'll find, and will do the job as well as any other. But always be on the lookout for a mute that really matches the horn. You'll know it the instant you plug it in. -----Original Message----- From: C G <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: horn@music.memphis.edu Sent: Sun, 07 Aug 2005 12:50:55 -0500 Subject: [Hornlist] The next ascent of mute
Hello all, I am in some dire need of advice. I'm heading into my fourth year undergrad and am still playing on the little sneezy red/white Humes stone-lined mute that is available anywhere and everywhere. I am looking to get a new mute this month. I play on a Yamaha 668ND (2003 purchased/made?). I tend to play with a middle area sound, not really notably bright, but tending to be darker. Can anyone suggest to me a mute that would compromise the nickel of my horn, perhaps the make/model, or my personal sound? I'm assistant principal in our Wind Ensemble, behind our head chair who plays a Holton with a Trumcor 45. If not contextual advice for my tone/specific horn, could anyone recommend to me a reputable maker/vendor of mutes that would be in the $130 or less price range? The dilligent dilletante of Horn, Casey P.S. What is the update on personal opinion about non-professional players such as myself? I've been playing for 11 years, have had private teachers and won scholarships, but there still is the notable social rift between those who "do-it-for-a-living" or the majors and those like myself. Don't want to start up a disastrous discourse, but just care to inquire! _______________________________________________ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music2.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/billbamberg%40aol.com _______________________________________________ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music2.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
