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Double Bass Cracked ebony mute - what to do???

J

James VW

Feb 6, 2011
5
0
Seattle
#1
I already knew there was a small hairline crack developed on one side of my ebony mute (and I hadn't used it in a long time), but as I began practicing on it again, another one appeared on the other side. It might've been growing, too. I didn't want to experiment too much. Do I need a new mute? What is your experience with a broken/breaking ebony mute?

Here's mine:
A little while into having the mute on, every loud note (particularly around low A) causes the mute to slide slowly to one side and get closer to coming off. (an interesting fact is that it always moves the same direction as the bow) As this happens, the tone will have moments where it sounds less muted than before, going back and forth. Does this happen with a new mute?

My thoughts are that I will continue to use the ebony mute but only when absolutely necessary, hopefully not enough to damage it more, and hopefully not enough for it to fall off during playing, due to being less solid. Usually muted passages aren't tremendously long or loud. I do have a rubber mute, but the ebony ones are so different that I'd like to have the benefits of one to meet the detriments of the other in any situation. Also, if I decrease usage, I don't want to perform with it while having practiced only a few times with the muted tone.
 
#6
Ah, Francis... excellent! :)

To the OP, I'd like to offer a radical suggestion. Buy a new ebony mute. It sounds like you really need one, the one you have is cracked, and it's causing you trouble. Perhaps I'm missing something but what's to discuss?
 
#7
Give the mute to a luthier who can use it for a violin nut or saddle. Maybe they'll give you a few dollars off a bow rehair for it. Then get a new mute.

I have found the ebony ones to be very noisy when putting them on or off the bridge and the Tourte models don't change the sound at all.

What I use is an Ultra practice mute with the ends sawn off so there is just the three prong part left in the middle.

It is used just like an ebony model but it is silent when putting it on or off and doesn't sound like a gunshot if you drop it.

Also, the further you push it on, the more it mutes the sound. All the way down, you can still use it as a practice mute, on half way it gives the bass a nice shadowy sound.

The friction of the rubber also allows you to put it on the edge of the music stand for quick put on's and off's.
 

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