- May 16, 2012
- 2,444
- 4,402
- Disclosures
- Owner, Tritone Jazz Fantasy Camps
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Double Bass Anyone using Nordstrand's Ninomute?
- Thread starter BobDeRosa
- Start date
I'm using it. (although not much right now) I freakin love it. My bass can be set up for a lower Jazz setup, and in a moment have that same bass sounding more old school and thumpy with a shorter note. I find it to be much more usable than I expected.
- May 16, 2012
- 2,444
- 4,402
- Disclosures
- Owner, Tritone Jazz Fantasy Camps
My Ninomute arrived in the mail last week, and I tried it on my NS Design Wav 4 yesterday while playing standards with a piano player. (For reference, I'm using new D'Addario NS Design traditional strings.) The Ninomute did make the Wav 4 sound slightly more like a regular upright, but the difference I heard wasn't dramatic. It lessened the growl and gave it more thump, which was nice. The piano player and I both agreed that walking bass lines sound better using the Ninomute, but I took it off when I played Bossa songs.
As far as the device is constructed, I think it should be made more curved so it fits the instrument better. The two center foam pieces could be trimmed so that the end pieces get a closer grip. (The fit is the same on the Englehardt. The Ninomute is almost straight across.)
Next week, I'll see how it sounds on my Engelhardt.
As far as the device is constructed, I think it should be made more curved so it fits the instrument better. The two center foam pieces could be trimmed so that the end pieces get a closer grip. (The fit is the same on the Englehardt. The Ninomute is almost straight across.)
Next week, I'll see how it sounds on my Engelhardt.
- May 16, 2012
- 2,444
- 4,402
- Disclosures
- Owner, Tritone Jazz Fantasy Camps
Honestly $50.00 !?
C’mon.
C’mon.
Last edited:
In this picture it looks like you don't have the leather top piece on. Just the rubber or foam or whatever it is. It doesn't look like mine. Is this a real Ninomute? For me it's worth the money because it works better than anything I've ever found to give me an "old school" sound on my "modern" sounding bass.
Just a thought. Give them a call or email and ask if you can get a refund if you don't like it. The item you made looks really good and well thought out. The issue might be the material used and construction. Could you show a side or bottom view of what you made? With the Ninomute I can vary the effect by angling the mute a bit or not pushing it down all the way.
After I posted my earlier note about the Ninomute, Nino O'Campo, the inventor of the mute contacted me via Talkbass message, and offered to replace my first generation device with his latest Ninomutes. It turned out that he lives about 10 miles from me, so I drove over to his house and tried out the new ones.
(PS, the foam mute pictured at the start of this TB string is not a Ninomute. His mutes have backs on them.)
He now has a standard model and an extra thump model. Both are more curved and fit my NS Design Wav 4 and Englehardt much better than the previous model.
On the Wav 4 using the NS Design D'Addario traditional strings, the standard mute makes walking bass lines sound much more like an upright. And the extra thump model makes it even more percussive when walking. I prefer the standard mute, myself, especially with Bossa songs.
And bowing on the wav 4 with the standard mute, smooths out the harsh screeches that I sometimes had when bowing.
I was really surprised at how much I liked using the mute when bowing with my Englehardt on the Spiro strings. It sounds deeper and richer and gets rid of the trebly screeches I also had when I bowed with that instrument. I have only been serious about practicing with the bow for a year, so the screeches could be partly due to my skill level, but it was fantastic to get rid of the screeches and play something that sounded rich, full and musical.
Nino was a really nice guy, and he swapped out my first gen Ninomute for a new standard and extra thump model.
Here are photos of Nino playing my bass, and the mutes. The brown one is the extra thump model.
(PS, the foam mute pictured at the start of this TB string is not a Ninomute. His mutes have backs on them.)
He now has a standard model and an extra thump model. Both are more curved and fit my NS Design Wav 4 and Englehardt much better than the previous model.
On the Wav 4 using the NS Design D'Addario traditional strings, the standard mute makes walking bass lines sound much more like an upright. And the extra thump model makes it even more percussive when walking. I prefer the standard mute, myself, especially with Bossa songs.
And bowing on the wav 4 with the standard mute, smooths out the harsh screeches that I sometimes had when bowing.
I was really surprised at how much I liked using the mute when bowing with my Englehardt on the Spiro strings. It sounds deeper and richer and gets rid of the trebly screeches I also had when I bowed with that instrument. I have only been serious about practicing with the bow for a year, so the screeches could be partly due to my skill level, but it was fantastic to get rid of the screeches and play something that sounded rich, full and musical.
Nino was a really nice guy, and he swapped out my first gen Ninomute for a new standard and extra thump model.
Here are photos of Nino playing my bass, and the mutes. The brown one is the extra thump model.
Last edited:
- May 16, 2012
- 2,444
- 4,402
- Disclosures
- Owner, Tritone Jazz Fantasy Camps
You teased us with the photos. It would have been great if you captured a little audio or video of the bass with and without the mute. But thanks.
Hi Bob: I am not the fastest with this technology, but I will try to record some video and post it soon.
Hi Johnny Bender
Thank you for your kind words about the NinoMute. It was nice meeting you. I was very impressed with the sound or your NS Design WAV 4 with the NS Design D'addario Traditional Strings and the NinoMute. I will be upgrading my NS Design WAV 5 with the NS Design Traditional strings. I would also like to hear the bowed sound with and without the NinoMute.
Please, keep in touch.
Nino
Thank you for your kind words about the NinoMute. It was nice meeting you. I was very impressed with the sound or your NS Design WAV 4 with the NS Design D'addario Traditional Strings and the NinoMute. I will be upgrading my NS Design WAV 5 with the NS Design Traditional strings. I would also like to hear the bowed sound with and without the NinoMute.
Please, keep in touch.
Nino
