practice mute and silent practice

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Bryan Leinwand

Biase is still around? so long ago I cant remember the address.

You forgot the cork on the other side. great mute.
Btw, I used to live a block away from you. 7 east 14th street.

Yes, Paul Biase is still around. We call each other on occasion when basses come up and we have questions for each other about them. The address is (message me if you need it) the same building he has always been in. He changed rooms in the building some 20ish years ago but he's still there.

On the Mute, yes, that thin cork padding on the lower mouth of the mute. I was just practising and went from no mute to my rubber Torte mute to the old Steel disc practice mute. The practice mute cut all the lows out of the bass whereas the Tourte just thinned it a bit using the Marconcini bass (aka Scallopini) that I am practising on in the evenings at home to break it back in. The restoration was completed a bit more than a year ago and it's hardly been played on since. With the Tourte mute on it, I think I hear the sound getting pushed back into the bass rather than projecting outwards. That's probably not what's happening but when I use a mute on a bass, it seems smoother and deeper or rather, less highs/treble. The Steel mute takes the bass frequencies away. Just the opposite.

[Eric Hochberg]

As I'm getting ready to move into a condo, this discussion is timely for me. Please let us know if you find an available similar mute to the steel one you use, Ken.

Also, if anyone has suggestions for other remedies to keep peace with neighbors, such as decoupling the endpin from the floor, etc. Wondering if a small platform raised with 4 small spikes might help (or will the same energy just go into the floor through the spikes)?

Thanks!

EDIT found some interesting ideas on decoupling here and here.

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Eric Hochberg

As I'm getting ready to move into a condo, this discussion is timely for me. Please let us know if you find an available similar mute to the steel one you use, Ken.

Also, if anyone has suggestions for other remedies to keep peace with neighbors, such as decoupling the endpin from the floor, etc. Wondering if a small platform raised with 4 small spikes might help (or will the same energy just go into the floor through the spikes)?

Thanks!

EDIT found some interesting ideas on decoupling here and here.

The steel mute I have is basically a pretty looking C-clamp. Try a C-clamp on see what happens. The smaller/heavier the better.

[Eric Swanson]

Originally Posted by Ken Smith

The steel mute I have is basically a pretty looking C-clamp. Try a C-clamp on see what happens. The smaller/heavier the better.

As I wrote above, I used to have what sounds like one of those Fantoni mutes, back in the late '70's. Gave it to a friend, for reasons I can't recall, and haven't been able to find another one, since.

I have tried c-clamps, since, but none of the ones I have tried are both small enough and heavy enough. Sure wish I could get one of those again.

My "Ultra" practice mute is OK, but it is louder than the Fantoni was and if you really wail, after awhile, it does vibrate loose. Suddenly, you are playing at full throttle. Not so good...

[John Cubbage]

A practice mute can be made of any heavy metal and attached to the bridge usually between the strings. David Walter used to have a large practice mute made of solid brass. I once made a few from two 1/4 inch thick aluminum plates with a 1/4 inch thick brass plate in between. It worked O.K. for what it was. I used it for practicing while in motel rooms. One mute went to Dwyght Bryan, Assistant Principal Bass of the Mexico State Orchestra.

I knew Andre Fantoni from back in the late '60s and '70s when he was at #130 and then #140 W. 42 St. NYC. I was told Fantoni retired and moved back to Bologna, Italy. Mr. Fantoni did excellent repairs and re-haired bows very well. He knew a lot of bassists and helped me locate two of my basses, one from Sam Coscia, and one from Mario Polisi through John Schaeffer. Mr. Fantoni was a fine gentleman who enjoyed taking his wife to Metropolitan Opera performances.

Paul Biase joined with Fantoni (1974?) and later took over the shop when Fantoni retired. Paul had been a bassist with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra. When he took a leave of absence to work on basses, they got me to be a long term sub for his spot in the bass section (1974). In the late 1970s Paul did a fine repair and adjustments on my P. Pallotta 1790.

- Dr. C.