Accessories Saxophone Mutes 101

[jrintaha]

The 3-part foam insert types (one insert goes into the mouthpiece, one in the neck, one in the bell) such as Magilanck Saxmute are pretty cheap, but do not reduce the volume all that much. They also make the highest notes on my tenor very difficult to play.

The e-Sax (original) and Vibes Sax Partner (copy) are saxophone cases which have sound-absorbing padding inside and your hands go inside the case through foam-padded holes. I have a Sax Partner, and while it's about as heavy as the instrument itself (and costs more than either of my horns), does funny things to the intonation of some notes, and destroys low C and below, it really dampens the sound enough to play at night in an apartment. It cuts down the loudness to around that of normal speech - and that's a big cut!

On the upside it makes switching between different harmonics easier, and somehow I feel that's helped me to jump between harmonics and opened up the altissimo register when playing without the mute as well.

It also has a built-in microphone, which you can use to record your playing or for listening through headphones, but I never use it as the electronics chew through batteries incredibly fast.

Cheers,
Jori


Addenum: To sum it up, I'm very happy with my purchase of the Sax Partner mute, but would be even happier if I never needed it...

 

[BrianJoeSandy]

How about drilling the reed?

 

[SimonB64]

I tried out the suggestion of "putting a sock in it" and it works surprisingly well. 🙂 The old ways are best. Thanks everyone, for your input.

 

[Colin the Bear]

You must have huge feet if a sock will fit snuggly in the bell.

 

[SimonB64]

A pair of winter socks goes nicely down an Alto bell..but you know what they say about men with big feet.......big shoes. 😉

 

[sushidushi]

If only all saxophone related problems could be resolved so easily and cheaply...

 

[Justin Chune]

Hi Compound. Have you checked out post 13? The details of how to do it are there and the idea looks promising.

Brian. I can remember a reed that did have drill hole in the vamp. It didn't go all the way through but it was quite large. I've forgotten what benefit that reed was supposed to give us.

Jim.

 

[sushidushi]

I know nothing of reeds, mouthpieces or physics, but I don't see that a hole in a reed would help. I think you'd still want the air getting in to the mouthpiece. But I suppose it might be worth experimenting with some old ones. This could finally be a sensible answer to the question I posed a while ago about what to do with old reeds... 🙂

I suspect that if someone can reach a sensible conclusion to this whole vexed decibel reduction question, they could probably make a fair amount of cash if they play their cards right. Perhaps hush money from the makers of the expensive practice bag, the name of which eludes me right now.

 

[Kingsleyhk]

"I can remember a reed that did have drill hole in the vamp. It didn't go all the way through but it was quite large. I've forgotten what benefit that reed was supposed to give us."



I remember those from when I first started in the 60s. I think it was a Rico? I never knew why the hole was there, but I used them a bit - probably if I couldn't get Vandorens, which was the only other brand available in Gloucester at the time.

 

[sushidushi]

Drilling the barrel, should anyone wonder, seems to have the opposite effect...

http://www.music123.com/woodwinds/the-doctors-products-power-barrels

 

[aldevis]

Drilling the barrel, should anyone wonder, seems to have the opposite effect...

http://www.music123.com/woodwinds/the-doctors-products-power-barrels

 

[sushidushi]

Sorry, that's the barrel on a clarinet. Mea culpa. But useful, I am sure, to the doublers out there.

 

[Eastman52st]

Ok does anybody have any recommendations for a good saxophone mute? Was looking for a circular diameter one to put into the bell of the horn. And also if you do have experience with a mute can you play with them on gigs if needed. Does the mute effect the quality of the tone or just reduce it to 50% ? Can you get all the notes and effects out ?

 

[Colin the Bear]

http://www.google.com/cse?cx=004942...ssories/page2#gsc.tab=0&gsc.q=mute&gsc.page=1

 

[jonf]

Mutes placed into the bell of the sax don't work very well. That's because, with the exception of low Bb, a good proportion of the sound comes out of the tone holes. If you want to mute a sax there are, realistically, two options. Firstly, play quietly (I have trouble with that one, personally) or buy one of the mute devices the whole sax goes into. This sort of thing.

http://www.thomann.de/gb/best_brass_e_sax_daempfer_alt_sax.htm

 

[daveysaxboy]

Play with intent,dont let others tell you to turn it down.Thats my way.

 

[Tommy Ng]

Hi Eastman

I had a e-sax for alto before and it worked quite well in controlling the noise. It increases the back pressure quite a bit and it helps to play low notes (this is actually a bad thing). The problem is that, once you are so used to the extra back pressure, you might find it difficult to play the sax without using a e-sax.

Anyway, i would say e-sax is the best mute for sax.

 

[Justin Chune]

In an old sax book I saw instructions on how to make a sax mute using a wooden drapers ring. The ring was bound with cloth until only a small aperture was left in the middle. Placed in the bell this device can be used fully open or closed. Buy yourself a large curtain ring and lap it with a crepe bandage. If it works let us know.

Jim.

 

[Justin Chune]

http://www.whisperroom.com/sound-booth-standard-pricing.php

This is what we all need for our home devotions.

Jim.

 

[jbtsax]

Ok does anybody have any recommendations for a good saxophone mute? Was looking for a circular diameter one to put into the bell of the horn. And also if you do have experience with a mute can you play with them on gigs if needed. Does the mute effect the quality of the tone or just reduce it to 50% ? Can you get all the notes and effects out ?

The "donut" mute introduced to the U.S. by the French classical saxophonist Marcel Mule is more effective in changing the "timbre" or color of the sound than the actual dynamics. I have made this type of mute using several long craft pipe cleaners twisted together to form the ring, and then wrapping that with a velvet ribbon that is sewn on the end to stay in place. The tone produced with the mute in the bell is a warmer and rounder sound because the mute effectively cuts many of the high frequency overtones that go past the open toneholes and straight out the bell.

Generally saxophone players who play "gigs" rather than "recitals" have little interest in taking the edge off of their tone with this type of device.