Mufler - Any experience?

[eutgard]

A kind of fancy foam mute but...

http://cgi.ebay.com/Mufler-The-Elect...item1e59fe6f8d

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-T1TH0CBXLE


At USD 20.26 including s&h to South Korea, I'm not certain I should order this.

[Pilgrim]

It doesn't do anything a piece of foam under the strings won't do.

[superbassman2000]

lol fancy? it's just a piece of foam--you can make this yourself for a few pennies

[countbassiedad]

I actually think the "Mufler" is a great product. It's made out of some kind of foam but is covered with a black felt-like material. It almost looks like a soapbar pickup from a distance. Apart from the good looks (vs a hunk of foam), the advantave I have found with the "Mufler" is that it can easily be inserted or removed with one hand. The foam mute I use takes two hands to install. For $9.50 (including shipping) I'm glad to have this in my pocket as another muting option - a very cool niche product I think. There is also a mechanical muting device sold at bassmute.com but its well over $100 and requires drilling. For the money you can't beat the Mufler.

[PaulNYC]

Go to a hardware store and buy thick foam door gasket.

[fdeck]

Originally Posted by eutgard

A kind of fancy foam mute but...

http://cgi.ebay.com/Mufler-The-Elect...item1e59fe6f8d

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-T1TH0CBXLE


At USD 20.26 including s&h to South Korea, I'm not certain I should order this.

Does it sound like a double bass?

You could try some of the spare foam pads that come with every bicycle helmet. They look like fabric covered foam too.

[Steve]

Meh. Mute with the edge of your palm, play with your thumb and play in an upright bass style and you can make an electric bass sound WAY more upright than that.

That does however appear to be an old active walnut precision special from around '82. I had one I bought new and gigged for 20 years right up until I switched to 5er's.
Those things are either crisp or crisper and a really poor choice for trying to fake that tone.

[fdeck]

LOL, I was just wondering what others think, because I can't make my upright bass sound like that sound clip.

[Steve]

Did you ask on the DB side?

[benc]

Originally Posted by fdeck

LOL, I was just wondering what others think, because I can't make my upright bass sound like that sound clip.

Granted, it doesn't sound exactly like an upright but it does kill the sustain and overtones and closely mimics a doghouse with gut strings.

Actually, it just sounds like a Fender with a foam mute - a sound I happen to dig very much. James Jamerson, for one, shared my affection.

That said, the Muffler looks cool but I agree with the above replies that it's over-priced. OP, you'd do better to just get a mattress topper like this one: http://www.biglots.com/Home/item.asp...d=172&iid=7425 You'd have a lifetime supply for $20.

[superbassman2000]

lol it is a fender with a foam mute!

i'll do you one better benc, you can buy that mattress topper, cut one for yourself and then cut the rest and stick them in unmatched socks for aesthetic reasons and sell them for 8.95 a piece--you could make 100 bucks!

[benc]

[atomicdog]

It works well under the A and D strings but completely kills the G string on my Squier 50s Vibe bass. It has limited use. But I can see using it on occasion. A chunk of old foam serves just as well if not better.

[Munjibunga]

Hmmm ... listing removed, YouTube video removed.

[warnergt]

I picked up a Mufler some time back. It looks like a good idea
but it screwed up the intonation on my P bass. It apparently
was putting too much pressure under my strings.

There may a way compress it and fiddle around with it to
reduce that pressure enough that it's not a problem but I never
bothered.