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Bass Muting Ideas.

mickeyj4j

mickeyj4j

Dec 5, 2006
256
43
#1
Hi all I am trying out bass muting. I have tried palm muting, note hand muting (muting with fingers on neck, common to slap bass), thick stretchy hair ties (within the first 4 frets)
550481897_o.jpg

& foam or cloth under the bridge. These all have good and bad points. I am in no way advanced in muting techniques.
I was looking on-line and found The Bass-Mute which looks interesting.



I have just got My New 5 string bass. And noticed the low B tends to rattle/ring/sound when playing. The Bass-Mute mentioned above can be set up to mute the Low B to stop this.

Have you tried The Bass-Mute or any other products, ideas & techniques to mute extra string noise and accent your playing.
 
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#3
I just mute with both my hands as needed. Occasionally I'll do the sponge or hair tie trick if recording.

About the only oddball thing I've ever done related to muting was to drape a thin flannel cloth (like you'd use for a polishing cloth) over my fretting hand and then play through that. The rest of the dangling cloth made contact with the strings and provided a very light muting. It happened one very cold night when two of my fingers split and started bleeding ten minutes into a set because they got chapped changing a tire on the way over to the gig. I was mostly trying not to bleed all over the neck of my bass. That, and spare my fingers as much additional pain as possible. The muting effect was purely a byproduct.
 
#4
I've seen/heard that mute. A good design based around a bicycle wheel quick-release skewer. Much improved from some past attempts over the years. (the "not quick" Ric and MM Stingray come to mind…) The more simple basic design is the Fender flip-plate (used on 60's Jaguar guitar) but it only offers on-off. Each type of mute as you say will offer differences - but I think palm muting gives the most control for nuance.
 
#5
JIO said:
I've seen/heard that mute. A good design based around a bicycle wheel quick-release skewer. Much improved from some past attempts over the years. (the "not quick" Ric and MM Stingray come to mind…) The more simple basic design is the Fender flip-plate (used on 60's Jaguar guitar) but it only offers on-off. Each type of mute as you say will offer differences - but I think palm muting gives the most control for nuance.
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I've seen that mute too, and it looks OK, if a little on the complex side. The Music Man bridge mute (which I also like) seems to be more of a tone shaping tool than a way to get rid of unwanted string resonance. For that, I use my right hand.
 
#6
I'm probably in the minority on this subject.....but I find that muting down near the bridge can really effect the richness and harmonic content of the attack. I prefer to mute with my fretting hand.This does come with limitations as I'm fretting most of the notes with my forefinger and using the meaty undersides of the other fingers to dampen the sustain. Typically when I'm needing to mute the basslines are not technically challenging so the limitations work well within the context of the music. Havingv really fat, meaty paws is also a big plus.
 
#7
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#8
Being primarily a finger player, I pluck with my first and second fingers and use the third and fourth for muting the E and A strings. The D and G strings are mostly muted by my left hand. It kinda works on a 5 string, but I don't play one much any more. It's a little tricker playing with a pick, so I have to use more of my left hand then.

Bassically, Michael
 
#9
BazzTard said:
this is cheaper

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mufler-The-Bass-Guitar-Mute-for-that-Jazz-Sound-/131412358133?nma=true&si=R8ZarCGi6qx1Dt6EPaCPYCbztiw%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

But I realised my right hand muting is very good and I don't need the mufler.

I even mute with my right hand fingers when using a pick. Didn't even realise I did it til the other day lol
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Yes it is I saw a video of that mute on youtube.

The bass is a bit sharp with the mute in. People in comets also noted that.
 
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#10
Yet one more technique that I don't seem to have a use for!

I used to think there was something wrong with me, but then I don't know any of the players making music I like who use tapping, chords, harmonics or palm or foam muting, and hardly any of them slap either.

I guess there's still room for us old fashioned players.

edit: spelling!
 
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#11
Gruv gear just came out with the "fump" which will do what you want. The bassmute is cool but super expensive and also makes the strings go sharp a bit ( I had one at one time).

Here's my solution, also can go a little sharp but it works for me.
image.jpg
image.jpg
 
#12
mrufino1 said:
Gruv gear just came out with the "fump" which will do what you want. The bassmute is cool but super expensive and also makes the strings go sharp a bit ( I had one at one time).

Here's my solution, also can go a little sharp but it works for me.
View attachment 653102 View attachment 653103
Click to expand...
Ah is that a Ubass the strings look like one, they have that plasticy/nylon/nylegut shine and look. If so what brand.
 
#13
mickeyj4j said:
Ah is that a Ubass the strings look like one, they have that plasticy/nylon/nylegut shine and look. If so what brand.
Click to expand...

It's the rondo ubass copy. There's a bunch of info on it (I mean on mine specifically) in the thread "hadean omega bass uke." It's good for the price, I needed to do some things to it and then I broke the pickup so I changed the electronics to the LR baggs that kala sells- that made a huge difference. I've been recording all week in Maine and the uke bass made it on 2 tracks, as well as the acoustic one I made from my kids' half sized acoustic guitar making it onto one track.

The strings are pahoehoe. Rondo bass comes with nylgut (or thundergut) strings, but I didn't like them on the solidbody.
 

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