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Is it me or is there a huge hole to be filled in the american market for tuba practice mutes? The only game in town is yamaha and they can't keep up with the demand

What about Trumcor? I have not tried their tuba "stealth" but the mutes I have tried have been excellent. Price is a bit steep, perhaps ...

The most satisfactory solution I've come up with has been to take a regular spun aluminum straight mute, pour some plastic tool handle dip down the hole to stop the top from resonating, then stuff about a quarter pound of quilt batting into it. It isn't absolutely silent, but close enough, and it messes with intonation less than the expensive practice mutes I've tried.

The Schlipf practice mutes are great. About as quiet as it gets and they don't mess with intonation much.

I'm aghast at the whole notion.

With a trumpet mute you get a cool tinny sound.

A trombone a nifty "wha-wha."

And for the tuba we are supposed to settle for silence??

F that!!

If you need to not be heard, take the opportunity to practice your soft playing.

For the record I'm only talking about practice mutes available in the US market. Practicing softly isn't an option when you live in an apartment building

tubaphillips wrote:For the record I'm only talking about practice mutes available in the US market. Practicing softly isn't an option when you live in an apartment building

The tuba practice mute market seems quite small, but there are several options readily available in the US...

Denis Wick
Schlipf (via Lee Stofer)
Humes and Berg

Trumcor is an option as well, but likely by special order these days.

Silent Brass for tuba is probably more rare and less generally available than all of those options. I wouldn't really call it a practice mute in the same sense the others are, but still...

With the internet and cheap global shipping, buying the rare European brands is pretty easy, too. If you want some European tuba gizmo that you can't get from Thomann, ask Tucci's shop about how to get one of whatever you're looking for. A lot of makers sell direct, too.

So, my opinion is tuba practice mutes available to (not just "in") the US is virtually a non-issue.

I ended up getting a Wick on Amazon and buying some weatherstripping foam tape at the local Home Depot to adapt it to my big ol' King. So far it's kept the neighbors from complaining to the landlord about some weirdo playing the tuba at 1am...

Schlipf SIR has unbeatable feel and intonation....
...Not really a practice mute, but with double foam it's pretty dead silent

My favorite trombone practice mute in terms of feel, sound, and intonation is the Bremner sshhmute. Just really well designed, and doesn't cause the same intonation issues as mutes like the best brass mutes.

Sadly it looks like they do not yet produce one for Tuba, possibly due to the size and myriad bell sizes and shapes out there.

The Schlipf tuba practice mutes are made in 17 different sizes to make possible the best possible fit for almost any tuba made. I import them from Vienna, and do the final assembly for the mutes I sell. They are size-specific, so you can't buy one to fit both your 4/4 F-tuba and a 6/4 CC - that requires two mutes. They are not cheap, but we strive to make performance, not price-point, the determining factor.
I have almost all sizes in stock, and have more on order, so you can consider this a solid option for those that need a truly good practice mute.

Schlipf!

I used it in my Manhattan apartment with great results... Until I realized that my neighbors didn't care if I played without a mute. Lee Stofer will get you all squared away, he is great!

Well, there are pre-made modular practice booths available. They are not cheap though, and I don't know if they are large enough to comfortably play a Tuba in. They definitely are NOT big enough for Trombone.

I do not like to stick "crap" into the bell of a tuba, either. But, that is the difference I find with the Schlipf mute, which is actually designed to specifically fit into the bell, and work as a part of the instrument.