practice mute and silent practice

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Bryan Leinwand

I have that exact mute. I bought it from Fantoni in N.Y. in the late 70's.
I'll dig it out and post a picture when I get a chance.

Fantoni was my Mentor. I think I have one of them too. It's circular, black coloured steel with a round headed screw with a white plastic tip that touches the bridge on one side and the steel of the open jaw on the other. Weighs close to a pound by feel as I've never really weighed it. Maybe I will.

That practice mute cuts at least half the volume off of the bass. One of my basses though was so powerful that from the basement where I practice (when I have a bass at home) woke up my wife two floors up in the bedroom on the other side of the house. Still, the other basses I have had home were on the dead-silent side with this mute on.

So did you go to Fantoni's at 130 w.42nd or his last address at 140 w. 42nd, the next building over where Biase is now?