Muting

[The Golden Boy]

From the time I started playing to the present day, I've always appreciated a bright, "ring-y" sort of bass sound. I think kind of a cross between McCartney's White Album tone mixed with Geddy Lee's Moving Pictures tone. I've had a few basses with built in mutes- my old Rick, my old EB-2... but the entire concept of using those mutes was totally foreign to me- and of course they never saw any use with me...

I just recently started playing in a Stones "tribute" band. "My" bass sound just doesn't work for the Stones' stuff. I dusted off the trusty Thunderbird and have been using that- but there's still something missing- something like a mute.

Have any of you guys used a mute- and if so- what did you use and how did you use it?

I'm trying to remember- the EB-2 mute was felt, the Rick mute was kind of like mousepad foam, and I have a wrist rest that I'd imagine I can chop down some- but there's the whole issue of not being able to disengage the mute if I just shove it under the strings and have to affix it (somehow- tape to the bridge?).

[Jake]

I've never used the actual mutes on a bass, but I have adapted my technique so that I can get the sound you're probably looking for. Playing a Jazz Bass I roll the tone back about 1/2 way, lay my palm on the strings and play with my thumb or even with a felt pick if more speed is needed than I can get from the thumb alone. This works with even with roundwound strings, though a switch to flats may be a step you want to try before doing the mute thing.

[The Golden Boy]

I've been doing the "pick, and palm rest" thing which is giving me great control of the muted effect, but not as good control over the overall technique. I'd also not really used my tone control much at all- especially on the T-Bird, now I use it a lot.

I've got a feeling you're right about the flats...

[walterw]

i've heard that there's an issue where foam mutes tend to push the strings slightly sharp. also, i think bill wyman tended to use short scale basses, which would naturally be a bit "thumpy".

[Ishouldbeking]

With my jazz bass I'll find myself just palm muting (just like guitar), and yes, mine is strung with flatwounds. Part of it too might be choosing the right flatwounds. Thomastik Infelds, which are very popular, are known for being pretty bright amongst the flats. Right now I'm using webstrings flats, which are pretty dead from the start (meaning old-school sounding) and they are cheap as heck compared to their name brand brethren. Not sure if that will get you exactly where you want to be, but it might work.

Not sure about the stones (have yet to do the proper research) but i know for a lot of those classic "thumpy" bass sounds the trick is to use a precision strung with flats. I don't have one, nor have i tried one, but that seems to be a common reply around bass forums when people ask about "thump".

EDIT: having just read a couple of your other posts, I'm sure you already know everything I just said... oh well, just trying to contribute.

[dk006]

I also use technique like Jake. on Marcus Miller 4 or 5 Jazz. Roll
treble Up about 3 db & turn volume up another notch because my thumb is thudd...sy and when you playing with band -it can get lost.

Point of interest: I read Bill Wyman's bio and for in 60's awhile he was using
a Framus fretless bass. Short scale.

[Luke]

http://www.bassmute.com/

[staplek]

i have 2 examples here (http://www.thefeveronline.com/allplayer/all_songs_players.php)

tracks 1 & 2 under "red bedroom"

"cold blooded"- piece of foam used as mute on an ovation magnum

"gray ghost" verses- rickenbacker 4001 built in mute

[The Golden Boy]

Thanks everybody for the replies, suggestions and examples!!

walterw and dk006, I think a lot of what I'm dealing with (aside from Wyman's technique) is short scale and (probably) flats.

Ishouldbeking, even throwing out stuff that's been previously mentioned (or what you've seen a poster post, or even what you would view as simple common sense) is a good thing. I think I've got a pretty good handle on how to get what "my sound"- but how to achieve something other than a variation on "my sound" is something a bit out of the ordinary for me. If you're into playing bass, really listening to (and learning some of) the Stones' stuff is pretty revealing. There's so much open space in Stones' songs, and you have to fight the urges to play like you normally would- it's been an education for me.

Luke, that's a pretty nifty solution, and it would be tempting if I were to use it on something other than a nearly 30 year old instrument with no breaks (it looks like it mounts with either adhesive or 2 screws into the body.

staplek, what kind of foam did you use and how did you mount it? (BTW cool overall sound- kind of Killers/OK GO like)


BTW- I'm not trying to "nail" Wyman's sound (or exactly technique), just get somewhere in the neighborhood of it-

[Luke]

Luke, that's a pretty nifty solution, and it would be tempting if I were to use it on something other than a nearly 30 year old instrument with no breaks (it looks like it mounts with either adhesive or 2 screws into the body.


They told me most people use double sided foam Scotch Tape to anchor it in place, which is 100% reversible if you use lighter fluid to loosen the adhesion.

[The Golden Boy]

Have you, or anyone you know used one of these?

[sethmeister]

I've stuck chunks of foam rubber between the body and strings at the bridge to get a muted sound (this gets a great sound) for some recording but haven't actually used a mute.

[The Golden Boy]

Although I can't find pics right now- there's the "Revolution" performance film clip that the Beatles did. In that, McCartney has his first Hofner bass with a HUGE chunk of yellow foam in front of the bridge. I realize they were just miming to the track and adding vocals- but listening to the song, even though I know McCartney pretty much only used the Jazz bass and his Rick around that time- the sound could be Hofner #1 with a foam mute- especially since he'd had it re-furbished around that time. It's a very dull, yet percussive sound... who knows...

Here's a picture with a much smaller chunk of foam...

http://www.thecanteen.com/61hof.jpg

[The Golden Boy]

I don't have pics right now- but I took a piece of mousepad foam cut a 1/2 inch piece the width of the bridge and placed it between the bridge and the strings, just forward of the saddles. It fits great with nothing holding it in, but I'm going to have to do a bit of adjustment for each string. I'm really happy with the overall sound- I think once it gets trimmed for each individual string it'll rule.

[Pearly Gator]

FWIW - Here's a Beatles video with a couple of good views of Paul's mute on his Hofner.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gf-Q2rDd6Tw

PG

[PB+J]

You can just go to home depot and buy some foam weather stripping--it comes in rolls: it's about an inch wide. It's adhesive on one side. Works perfectly

This thing


<http://www.bassmute.com/>

Looks pretty cool to me, although it's maybe overkill

[The Golden Boy]

This thing


<http://www.bassmute.com/>

Looks pretty cool to me, although it's maybe overkill

What looks really cool about this is being able to engage/disengage it with the flip of a switch

[The Golden Boy]

Here's some pics of the mute I put on the T-Bird...

http://images.lilypix.com/albums/userpics/10038/normal_T-BirdMute1.JPG

http://images.lilypix.com/albums/userpics/10038/normal_T-BirdMute2.JPG

http://images.lilypix.com/albums/userpics/10038/normal_T-BirdMute3.JPG

[The Golden Boy]

FWIW - Here's a Beatles video with a couple of good views of Paul's mute on his Hofner.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gf-Q2rDd6Tw

PG

Great shot of it at 1:50