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Bass Mute (with on off switch)

J.P. Heston

J.P. Heston

Sep 18, 2014
20
4
New Jersey
#1
Where can I purchase something like this. I play a pedulla pentabuzz and sometimes I want to have the option of getting that muted Jamerson tone but I want to be able to turn it on and off easily for both sounds. "The Bass Mute" is exactly what I want but the will NOT get back to me! Please Help!

Thanks
J.P. Heston
 
#6
I used to have the bass mute, cool device. Another bassist I work with at my sound gig has a bass mute on his fodera 6 string.

But, now I make this on all of my basses and it works well, costs about $15 at Lowe's for enough material to build about 5 or 6 of them. Weather stripping glued to a Velcro strap that I cut to fit. I leave less weather stripping for the outside strings so they don't get too muted.

The fump looks cool too, but I've been used to my own model now that I just stick with it. I also put a small piece of the Velcro by the output back so I can fold the mute out of the way when not in use. I play in a band that does a mix of soul covers, disco, and newer stuff and so I need to mute and unmute often, it works really well.
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#8
Here is a thread about the "Sean Hurley mute" if you want to see what it looks like. And here is another one with some details on how to install it. I'd be looking at putting one on a P/J and there might not be room for it. Since I already have one waiting to be installed on my Squier VI I guess I could check that out next time I am in the basement, eh?

Just for posterity's sake, I did try putting a Jaguar mute between the bridge and the Jazz pickup on my Reggie Hamilton P/J and on that one at least there is room for it. Only a few mm to spare but it will fit. But first I have to get one on my VI to see if it works well enough to justify drilling some holes in my Reggie....
 
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#9
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#12
two fingers said:
Oh I am so ordering the Gruv Gear. That seems like a really logical way to go OP! Just slip it on and off. Throw it on your amp or in a mic stand tray when not using it. Heck, clip it on your pocket like a pocket knife.
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I thought the same thing. It would work on every bass I have, whereas before I'd rely on my P-bass with the ashtray (shove foam under it!) for a muted sound. That's pretty cool!
 
#13
J.P. Heston said:
Yes. this is my dilemma. I would REALLY like to buy one but I cant get through to them at all! email phone everthannggg aint workin! :(
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I believe it's coming from and made in Italy, very possible that they are closed for holidays. I don't remember having an issue ordering one but that was a long time ago. I think I just ordered it from their website.

Edit: just looked it up, Netherlands, sorry. I also see that there's no way to order it directly. Oh well.

Try one of the other options on this page, it will all sound pretty much the same. The bass mute was cool but I've had good luck with my homemade one and the fump sounds cool in the clips I've heard.
 
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#15
khutch said:
Here is a thread about the "Sean Hurley mute" if you want to see what it looks like. And here is another one with some details on how to install it. I'd be looking at putting one on a P/J and there might not be room for it. Since I already have one waiting to be installed on my Squier VI I guess I could check that out next time I am in the basement, eh?

Just for posterity's sake, I did try putting a Jaguar mute between the bridge and the Jazz pickup on my Reggie Hamilton P/J and on that one at least there is room for it. Only a few mm to spare but it will fit. But first I have to get one on my VI to see if it works well enough to justify drilling some holes in my Reggie....
Click to expand...

I installed one of these on my p-bass a few months ago and wrote a blog post about the install: Installing a Jaguar Mute on a P-Bass. There are a bunch of pics step by step and a little video of how it sounds. I've liked having it, it kind f gives it a muted and almost fretless mwaaa sound. I think the bassmute looks like a better mechanical design, but the fender jaguar must is available and fairly cheap. It does require some hole drilling however.
 
#17
whitelines said:
I installed one of these on my p-bass a few months ago and wrote a blog post about the install: Installing a Jaguar Mute on a P-Bass.
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Nicely done and a great resource for anyone contemplating this installation! Fender may not have made the plunger screw adjustable (an excellent suggestion on your part!) but this is something a user could do on their own. Tape (or if you are very careful, glue) the nut on the bottom of the plate just to keep it from rotating and then put a second nut on the top of the plate. When you have the screw set for the proper action you can then lock it in place with the top nut and maybe some blue Loctite. Maybe you will need to buy a longer screw to have enough room for the top nut.

I actually made my own plunger from aluminum and I am "powering" it with three ballpoint pen springs, which now seems appropriate given your comparison of the mechanism to that of a ballpoint pen's! Haven't installed it yet but like you I am testing it on a scrap piece of wood and it seems to work securely without fear of pulling screws out of soft woods or breaking out of the back of the bass, Alien-style! Maybe I am going to find out the hard way why Leo used such a strong spring but if it proves out then it should be possible for others to replace the Armstrong spring with a weaker one from the local hardware store. My drill press does not have a deep enough throat to drill these holes in my bass. We are not building a rocket engine here but like you I don't think this is a job for a hand drill so I am making a new drill press column from a piece of pipe and a floor flange. I will mount the column to a piece of 2x12 and then put "legs" on the 2x12 with short pieces of the same material to hold it up above the (towel covered!) floor. The bass can then slide in underneath and I should be able to drill holes in it anywhere they need to go.
 
#18
J.P. Heston said:
"The Bass Mute" is exactly what I want but the will NOT get back to me! Please Help!
Click to expand...

FYI, I had also been trying to contact them for the past year to order a Bass Mute. However, during the process, I learned that the gentleman making the device had some health issues. Just last week I followed-up with him again, I'm happy to inform you all that he is responding and the Bass Mute is back in production, as well, he was also making his own parts and it took longer to setup his machine than he expected. Anyway, I thought I would share I've placed an order and paid for (2) of these today. Good luck!
 

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