Faxx : Mute Review

October 14, 2021October 6, 2021 Leslie SaidakLeave a comment

The Faxx brand may already be known to many of you. It has a reputation for reliable accessories at a reasonable price. I have recommended the Faxx mouthpieces to young students for many years as they offer comfort and quality at a price point that is appealing to parents! However I was yet to try any of their mutes until I was sent a box by American Way Marketing who own the Faxx brand.

Here is a run down on the box’s contents!…

Compact Aluminium Practice Mute

I own quite a few practice mutes and must have tried dozens of them over the years. Each one requires you to make a compromise in some way. I have a favourite mute for playing as softly as possible so that it is barely audible – it is super quiet but the intonation is tough down low. I have another for general practice where I want good tuning and response – it is however too loud for some sneaky blowing at the side of the stage where you don’t want to be heard. This Compact Aluminium Practice Mute from Faxx is brilliant for travelling. It is small enough to store in the bell of the horn without taking up additional space in the case, but it also blows surprisingly well.

The intonation is even across the range and although quite a resistant mute, still allows you to blow in an honest way rather than constantly over-blowing. I like this mute. It is reassuringly robust, clearly well-designed and made and retailing at around $45, gives you the value that you would expect from Faxx.

Aluminium Straight Mute

This is a well-made, sturdy all aluminium mute with great corks. We often underestimate the importance of good corks to the fit in the bell as well as the overall sound. This model is also available with a copper bottom as well as in all copper.

The blow is responsive at quiet dynamics as well as having a lots of lovely bright overtones when playing forte. There is also a really satisfying ‘bite’ to the attack at stronger dynamics, while still keeping the core of the sound. These make a really great addition to any pro orchestral section, but at a price point to suit students and pros alike – around $40!

Aluminium Harmon Mute

There are a number of Harmon style mutes in the Faxx range. This traditional long body mute, a short bodied harmon, and also the bubble style harmon that is reviewed below. All of these are available in both aluminium and copper, and you will now not be surprised to learn that they sell at a fraction of the cost of many of the other brands!

This traditional harmon mute, like the straight and practice mutes above, is well-made, sturdy and fits a variety of bell flares very well. With tube out, it is easy to achieve that smoke jazz club sound and responds particularly well with close miking. With tube in it is a completely different beast! The volume and projection are exceptional and makes a great wah-wah!

Aluminium Bubble Harmon Mute

Until now, I had never really given much thought to how the body shape affects the sound. The difference between this and the model above is huge. Even with tube out, this is an incredible resonant mute, so much so that you can feel the vibrations coming back through your hands while playing. Projection is great and it compares really favourably with my normal aluminium bubble mute from another more expensive brand!

These great value and great performing mutes are now commonly available across the UK, the USA and farther afield in most good music stores. I strongly recommend that you give them a try – these are far more than just student mutes!

To find more information on the full Faxx range and also where you can find a dealer near you, please visit American Way Marketing.

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Design Innovations : Tom Clary

December 13, 2020January 7, 2021 Leslie SaidakLeave a comment

In May 2018 in San Antonio (TX) I had the great pleasure of meeting Tom Clary at the annual ITG conference. Tom is the founder / designer / master craftsman behind Clary Woodmutes, and was there to display his range of beautifully-crafted wooden trumpet mutes.

Two years on, Clary Woodmutes continue to go from strength to strength with a broad range of exquisite looking (and sounding!) mutes – I was delighted to sit down and spend some time with him (socially-distanced over Zoom of course) to chat about this great progress:

So tell us how you got started with the trumpet and making mutes.

After High School, I went to Henderson State University in Arkansas, where I was going to get a music education degree. Then I decided that I would transfer to the University of Memphis to pursue a jazz composition degree – a couple of years into that I started playing around town quite a bit. I dropped out of school to play the trumpet full-time. At that time I was playing at BB King’s blues club in the house band – for a 23 year-old that was pretty cool!
As the years went by, I met my now wife, we had a couple of children, and I decided to ‘get serious’! I went back to finish my music degree and also got a law degree. It was time for me to start thinking about other people! I practiced law for 15 years – I was still playing the trumpet at this time – at the weekends I would look for diversions or hobbies to take my mind off the work. I had always enjoyed carpentry and my dad was into construction – I started wood-working in my garage.
One day I decided to try to make a mute for my own fun, and that is how all of this started! It was just a simple wooden cone, I put corks on it and it kind of worked!

At what point did it move from just being a weekend thing?

It took a little while. I would gradually make more, and experiment along the way to get the sound right. I would take them to gigs and give some away to get feedback from different players. I learned a lot about the mutes, and then slowly I became more ambitious with it, and wanted to expand the range and figure out how to build a website!#00:10:37.18#
I wanted to make sure that they all looked pretty. Wood is beautiful, and I wanted these mutes to be as appealing to the eye as they are to the ear. It was probably 3-4 years from making my first mute to getting the website up and running. That was in February 2018.

When we met at ITG in May 2018, I got to see and try some of your straight mutes. Your range now looks huge! Has this expansion been part of a master plan, or is it more a case of making a custom order and then that making it into production?

Kind of a mixture of both. I’m the kind of person who is interested in lots of different things – I have been a trumpeter, an arranger, a sound engineer, a lawyer… I have changed careers frequently! The fact that I am 7-8 years into this mute adventure, and it still holds my interest is remarkable!! Part of that is coming up with new stuff. If I just confined myself to making straight mutes all of the time I would get super bored. My natural curiosity and need for variety drives me to always look at new things.

That must be an interesting and challenging design process with there not being many wooden mute ranges of this quality and aesthetic on the market? And not many alternatives to compare them with?

I was no acoustician or designer so everything I did was trial and error. I learnt how to work the shapes out of wood on Youtube! The design process was not exactly deliberate, ad some of it was taking an aluminium mute and analysing it, and seeing what I could apply to making a wooden mute. I just went day-by-day figuring it out.

Was there a lot of trial-and-error on the different types of wood?

Yes, that’s what made it really interesting. Learning what subtle differences the different materials make. Last week I made a comparison video of the 4 straight mutes that I make and you can really hear the subtle differences in the wood.

Were there any surprises that you encountered along the way? Any that you hoped would work but ended up in the scrap pile?!

My scrap pile is big! A lot of mutes made it in there, especially when I first started. I found it frustrating when things didn’t turn out as I intended. Along the way I have learned that it is just part of the process. I have learnt from my mistakes and bad choices!

You could say that there is no such thing as a mistake if you have ended up learning from it?

Very true! I think that I have also learned a lot about myself through this whole process – not thinking that you always have to be right or have immediate success. Life is a process!

How have you found building relationships with trumpeters through all of this?

It has been great. I have met a lot of really wonderful people, at shows like ITG and NTC, and also folks reaching out to me on the internet. It is wonderful, I feel extremely lucky to meet all these people and communicate with them. That has been one of the biggest positives – people all the time will suggest things and want to participate in the process. This is great for me, and I also want to get as much feedback on every mute as possible so that they can keep getting better.

As things get busier, how do you juggle everything now?

When I was still trying to practice law, and write music, and play the trumpet… that was challenging. Law school was the point where I really learnt how to manage my time. Ever since this pandemic hit, it has been easier to focus more on what is important. The trumpet playing and music writing has obviously disappeared, and I have had the chance to focus just on the trumpet mutes during this period. It has been positive in this way.
I will get up and drink some coffee with my family, then go into my workshop and make mutes for the day. And about 5pm I will come out and cook some dinner. The pandemic has had a horrible and devastating effect on the world, so it is important to try to acknowledge some positives too.

So what’s next?!

I found this really cool plywood online – thin veneered layers that are sandwiched together – with each layer dyed a different colour. I ordered some of this, and made up some mutes that look really great. I am going to do some limited edition stuff.

Visit woodmutes.com to find out more and to see the full range of great mutes that are available.

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Gear Review

Vhizzper : Mute Review

October 16, 2019May 24, 2022 Leslie Saidak1 Comment

So, here is a really interesting new product that I have been sent through for review… The Vhizzper mute is the brainchild of Christoph Baerwind, trumpeter in ‘German Brass’ and ‘Der Orchester der Hamburgischen Staatsoper’. The essential concept is a practice mute that can also be used as a mouthpiece mute. This is not something that I have encountered before so was fascinated to give it a try.

This mute is adjustable so that you can alter the resistance level and volume. It also comes in 3 colours as pictured above! To start with I used it as a traditional mute. I spent a minute or so trying the different resistance/volume settings and found that I was most comfortable playing at the halfway point between closed and open. This seems to give the best balance for me, but even with the adjuster completely open, the volume is still nice and soft.

I have to confess that it took a little while to get to grips with this mute. Notes were not really where I was expecting them, and I did not really feel in control. However, what I found after a short while was that as soon as I backed off a bit and tried to imagine that there was no mute in, it became easy! I had been over-blowing, which I can only assume is the way that I have always subconsciously approached practice mutes in the past.

It is such a breath of fresh air, being able to blow naturally and keep the centre of the notes exactly where I want them. Once I got used to playing with less effort, even my low C was in tune – this has been sharp to varying degrees on every practice mute that I have ever played. Intonation and response across the range is also very even.

Not only is this a good tool for doing that essential practice when noisemaking is not convenient, I can also see it as a great training tool. Sometimes when faced with a student who just needs to get used to blowing more and keeping the throat open, I have prescribed short bursts of playing with a more traditional practice mute such as a Denis Wick, to add resistance to help with that. In contrast, I can see the Vhizzper being a really useful tool for helping students to develop their lower breathing muscles, and keeping really natural airflow and support.

Next I set the adjuster to the closed position which seems to give the best response for me when using just with the mouthpiece (as pictured above). I have always liked to incorporate lots of free and mouthpiece buzzing into my practice and teaching. It can be a great way of really forcing you to concentrate on the absolute basics of breathing, control and blowing, without getting hung up on the sound. I have tried lots of buzzing aids including the Berp and the Buzzard and found them to have a really positive impact. The Vhizzper is another good product to add to this category.

It adds a little more resistance to your natural mouthpiece buzz so that it comes slightly closer to the feeling that you get when playing the trumpet. It also adds a little more resonance, which is surprising seeing as it is also muting the sound! This helped my general range for buzzing (I have always struggled to get a good natural buzz when playing in both extremes of high and low) and also naturally encourages you to support the airflow in the same way that you would want to play the trumpet.

In summary, I am very impressed! The very nature of a practice mute is that there is a large element of compromise. You are going to lose a level of response, intonation and natural vibration in return for a quieter sound. However, the Vhizzper keeps these compromises to a minimum, stacks up well against the alternatives on the market, and also gives you a valuable mouthpiece buzzing tool. It is certainly worthy of place in any trumpeter’s mute armoury!

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Advice · Gear Review

Buying Guide : Practice Mutes

November 3, 2018July 15, 2022 Leslie SaidakLeave a comment

Practice Mutes have become accepted as a necessary evil for brass players. They are not an ideal way of preparing yourself, however there are times where we all accept that you just need to practice or warm-up quietly. Listed below are a number of mutes currently available that will all do the job. They will all have different strengths though, so I have tried to demystify them somewhat with this ‘Buying Guide’.

NB. The prices listed here are meant as a guide and are subject to change.

Vhizzper Practice Mute and Buzzing Aid

I have put this at the top because it is by far the best practice aid that I have come across. A great mute that does not allow you to overflow while practising, and also has a built-in mouthpiece buzzing aid. Around $80, worth every penny!

Sshhmute Practice Mute for Trumpet

A really great lightweight and responsive mute. The intonation is pretty good across the range. Low C and below tends to be slightly sharp as with pretty much all practice mutes, however this is better than most. Priced at just $50, this is a really good all-rounder.

Sshhmute Practice Mute for Piccolo Trumpet

Lightweight, robust and actually surprisingly free-blowing for a piccolo practice mute. A good buy at $50.

Sshhmute Whisper Mute for Trumpet

As with the other Sshhmutes, this has very low resistance and a nice quick response. The Whisper Mute has a lovely soft tone that can also be used in a section where a real muted pianissimo is required. Again, a good buy at $50.

Trumcor Trumpet Lyric Stealth Mute

This is not the quietest practice mute on the market, however it is one of the most even and allows you to blow pretty honestly. This is a great hotel room tool! $60 for this one.

Brass Spa Trumpet Practice Mute

This is extremely decent especially considering its modest price tag of $35. Back pressure is pretty low, cutting down on over-blowing, and intonation as also surprisingly good for the price point.

Best Brass Trumpet Practice Mute

This is an excellent compact mute that only just protrudes from the bell. You do not get a feeling of ‘battling’ this mute as it feels really natural. It is quieter than most and also has decent intonation. $94.99

Best Brass Jr. Trumpet Practice Mute Ebrass

This is a plastic (and therefore lighter) version of Best Brass’ practice mutes. There are some small compromises in resistance and tuning compared to its big brother, however this is reflected in the lower price of $54.99, and it is still a darn good mute!

Trumcor Trumpet Super Stealth Mute

Like the Lyric Stealth, this has a nice even response across all registers and dynamics. It is softer however, so inevitably has slightly more resistance. $45

Softone Mute for Brass – Trumpet

This lightweight neoprene will fit easily in any case and is great for travelling. There are a number of sponge ring inserts so that you can adjust the volume and resistance levels. It also doubles up as a very compact bucket mute by hanging it over the bell of your horn. Even if you already have a preferred general practice or warm-up mute, this is something a little different that will always have a use. $39.99

Trumcor Piccolo Trumpet Stealth Mute

This is very quiet and perfect for that ‘back of the church’ warm-up. $40

Denis Wick Trumpet Practice Mute

Let’s face it, all of us have probably had one of these classics at some point! A good solid all-rounder that allows for a quiet warm-up. The intonation is perhaps not quite as good as some of the newer designs on the market, however still a good mute for the price. $42.95

Jo-ral Trumpet Practice Mute

This is not the quietest mute on the market, however the intonation across the range is very good. $46.99

Yamaha SB7XC Silent Brass System for Trumpet

The Silent Brass system has been around for a while now, and the latest pickup mute is very good indeed. Now fitting completely into the bell for storage, the intonation, response and quiet volume are all very good. Even at the price of $189.99, the sharpness in the lower register has not been completely eliminated, however the digital technology that comes packed inside the Personal Studio, and the acoustic environment that it creates are exceptional.

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Gear · Playing techniques

Practice Mutes

November 23, 2016 Leslie SaidakLeave a comment

Choosing the right practice mute can be a tricky decision. Weighing up characteristics such as volume, resistance, sound and of course price, with so many mutes currently available is a minefield. I have done some side-by-side testing on 6 different models here. Practicing or warming up with a practice mute is always going to have a large element of compromise, and is not generally recommended as part of a long-term practice plan. However, most people in the real world find that they need to use one either occasionally or regularly – it is about deciding what you are going to compromise on!

Over the years, the Denis Wick practice mutes have been the most popular, offering great value for money, decent intonation and a high level of resistance, perfect for opening out the throat especially in the low register. There is a tendency for most practice mutes to blow sharp in the low register, and this one is not too bad. Response is a bit sluggish, but this is to be expected from such a high level of resistance.

VERDICT: Good value basic practice mute *** (out of 5)

The UK best-seller over the past 10 years has been the Don Maslet mute. It is a really good all-rounder providing an even response across the range and options to change the level of resistance and volume. I found this to be comfortable for practice however it does not get quite as quiet as some of the others on the market, so not really one for an on-stage discreet warm-up! You pay more for this model, but what you lose in your pocket, you gain in all-round usability! Not reviewed here, but very similar to the Don Maslet mute in style and price is the Wallace Collection practice mute.

VERDICT: Good all-rounder ****

Relatively new to the UK market are the Bremner sshh Mutes. They are incredibly lightweight and pretty much dentproof with their moulded plastic design. They give good intonation, medium resistance and are great for a pre-gig warm up. They priced about the same as the Don Maslet.

VERDICT: Durable, responsive and good value ****

Yamaha’s Silent Brass system has been around for over 20 years and has had numerous improvements and additions over the years. The mute itself is compact and can be stored easily in the bell. The high quality pickup, amp and effects give as close to a ‘natural’ sound as is possible. They are also great for playing along with CDs, mp3 players, iPods etc. I have spoken to people who love this and use the full system a lot. I have spoken to even more people who have bought the full system and only ever use the mute! The mute itself is OK, intonation is fine and it is certainly quiet. Perhaps a bit too resistant for my taste, and definitely too pricey for my budget!

VERDICT: Packed with features and great tech, a bit expensive though ***

The Vincent Bach 1857 Practice Mute is just horrible. It is inexpensive and compact, but I am struggling to find anything else positive to say! It is extremely resistant without being quiet enough, and intonation is a huge battle. If you are looking at the lower price range, then I would recommend the Denis Wick over this in every respect.

VERDICT: Erm, possibly consider not practising rather than use this! *

The ‘Warm-Up’ from Best Brass looks great. It is really compact and quiet too. The response and intonation were not quite as good on this model as some of the others; however it is excellent value for money and will find a place in many players’ cases for a quick pre-gig warm up.
VERDICT: Very portable and convenient for gigs ****

I have come across many others over the years including mutes from Jo-Ral, Wallace Collection, Humes & Berg, Tom Crown and the eBrass (from Best Brass). I did not have these available to me for a side-by-side testing but your comments on any of these or the ones that I have reviewed above are welcomed!

Links:

Front Page

http://www.masletmutes.com/

http://sshhmute.co.nz/

http://uk.yamaha.com/en/products/musical-instruments/winds/silentbrass/

https://www.bachbrass.com/bach/

http://www.bestbrass.com/