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Bucket mute for tuba - an inspiration?
Posted: Sat Apr 30, 2011 8:15 am
by imperialbari
Specialty mutes for tubas or sousaphones have one or rather two shared problems: price and bulkiness.
I have seen a few funny contraptions, but just came by a sample of a trombone bucket mute that better might be scaled for large bells than either the Stonelined H&B or the Alessi concepts. It is by EZ, and the potential standard part that might be useable for the main shape could be the lid of one of black fibre cases for bass drums.
Klaus
Re: Bucket mute for tuba - an inspiration?
Posted: Sat Apr 30, 2011 10:36 am
by aqualung
I'm making a tuba wah-wah mute out of the footpedal-operated lid from a garbage can.
Re: Bucket mute for tuba - an inspiration?
Posted: Sat Apr 30, 2011 10:53 am
by Homerun
aqualung wrote:I'm making a tuba wah-wah mute out of the footpedal-operated lid from a garbage can.
That sounds like it is going to be awesome. I've been talking about using a garbage can lid as a wah-wah mute with my sousaphone for a while, but keeping it hand operated, and more for schtick during our show than actual usefullness.
Re: Bucket mute for tuba - an inspiration?
Posted: Sat Apr 30, 2011 1:04 pm
by Kevin Hendrick
Homerun wrote:aqualung wrote:I'm making a tuba wah-wah mute out of the footpedal-operated lid from a garbage can.
That sounds like it is going to be awesome. I've been talking about using a garbage can lid as a wah-wah mute with my sousaphone for a while, but keeping it hand operated, and more for schtick during our show than actual usefullness.
Saw a picture recently of toilet seats being used as wah-wah mutes ... seems like they might reinforce (or at least support) the bottom end ...
Re: Bucket mute for tuba - an inspiration?
Posted: Sun May 01, 2011 11:36 am
by jmerring
It's a very good idea; but how do you get it on the horn and back off again, without severely scratching the bell rim?
Re: Bucket mute for tuba - an inspiration?
Posted: Sun May 01, 2011 1:02 pm
by imperialbari
The grips with the slots for the rim could be made out of wood. The slots could be lined with soft fabric.
The wider the slots, the easier the mounting (which will take more than a few bars anyway). I have experimented with tuba mutes not fastened by friction or tension, but only sitting on cork spacers on the bell flare, basically held in place by gravity alone. Works very well until you hit the odd pitches, where resonance causes wild buzzing.
I have not tried this idea myself yet (for lack or the cardboard lid), so questions and ideas are welcome, as they further the developing of the concept.
Klaus