Why did basses stop coming with mutes?

[Ironfingers]

I am doing a show right now where the bassist is using foam under the strings of his jazz. It sounds great. And yes it's a 60's period show. Palm mute or mechanical mute (or both) as you will. Both have their uses depending on what you are doing. Carry on...

 

[SirMjac28]

Why can't you say "Hey that's a nice looking group of Music Men basses over there"

 

[Clef_de_fa]

Well if you want to keep the strings quiet ... mute are kind of useless and seriously just show a lack of woodsheding...

If you want mute because you like the thump from the old 60 days ... then yeah I can understand that but still ... a modern P bass, with flats and some foam at the bridge could get you there without paying extra money for a fancy bridge

 

[maturanesa]

They really do open up a lot of more options technique wise. I know they were standard on old Fenders, and I think maybe some Music Men. Is there any reason they stopped? I mean, what's the downside of making an instrument better to play?

Because it requires a machinery in the bridge that basically consist in a foam on it´s top...really easy to achieve with just a foam. A very few bassists use mute all the time so using a foam is even easier to switch than the mute system....

 

[PaulieBe]

I have always used mutes with my basses. I have foam hand-stuffed under some; I used a palm/plectrum combo on others and most recently started using those dutch bassmutes on a couple of basses. All very different tones really.

The bassmute is pretty cool and very versatile: It comes with 2 (3 really) adjustable positions and is really convenient.

If you combine that (esp on a Jazz bass or Jaguar) with the PU and tone controls in radical positions you really can get some interesting sounds that pop- and not just classic 60's/70's sounds either. Very useful invention.

 

[abemo]

I've never used a mute (just palm), but I've always liked the idea. If I were doing any sort of beatles/motown style project, it would almost be a must. That said, for occasional muting, I don't think it makes sense, they can take a while to set up, thus the decline in their stock availability.

That said, I played about 10-15 musicmans a month or so ago at gc and a few local shops around here, and I thought they all had the built in mute bridge, or at least a couple of them did. One shop I visited had a vintage (late 70's if I recall) sting ray, and yes, the foam was pretty badly degraded. Looked like an easy fix.

So if several sting rays are not music men, would several bass players using sting rays be music men?