Magnetic clip on DIY mute

[Patrick Lind]

Hello. I came up with this quick DIY mute concept and wanted to share for others to enjoy, improve, etc. Maybe this has been done, but I couldn't find it. Please ignore playing just a sound sample.
Criteria:
Quick on and off
Consistent tone
Adjustable level of muting
Subtle if desired
No effect on tuning/intonation

 

[BLDavis]

Awesome idea and looks like it works well.
But one suggestion. If those are really strong magnets, like the "rare earth" type, keep them far-far away from your pickups. There's a possibility that they can permanently damage the magnetic pole pieces.

B.

 

[Danny C]

Very cool!

 

[Patrick Lind]

Finally got to try it at a gig. I thought I’d take it on and off for specific songs but mostly I left it on. I used a light amount of clamping for a subtle effect that is more about how it feels to play and might not be heard or noticed that much. I really enjoyed not having to aggressively mute every note with both hands.

 

[Danny C]

Did you check out that comment about the magnets? Are they any issue?

 

[Patrick Lind]

Well I appreciated that reminder! It made me be careful to not let the magnets interact with the pickup at all. When installed it’s far away enough I think. I was also don’t leave the mute on when not playing so the foam lasts longer before getting compressed. I’ll watch it tho