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 ARCHIVED TOPIC: Mute for compensated bridge


Please note this is an archived topic, so it is locked and unable to be replied to. You may, however, start a new topic and refer to this topic with a link: http://www.banjohangout.org/archive/398058

reubenstump - Posted - 06/26/2024:  13:42:52


I have a LeVan banjo, and the bridge has both the Deering smile, which I like, and a curved compensation, as shown at the bottom of this page.



LeVan bridge



Looking for mute suggestions.

blazo - Posted - 06/26/2024:  14:11:10


There was a guy on here selling a damper he developed. He sold his design to Gold Tone. It works pretty well as a mute if you put it under the bridge. You can find it here -- goldtonemusicgroup.com/goldton...es/damper

deestexas - Posted - 06/26/2024:  14:21:21


You might try Mikes Mute, it fits on two Moon bridges I have.

tdennis - Posted - 06/26/2024:  16:07:41


You might try the touch required of playing ppp pianissimo.

reubenstump - Posted - 06/26/2024:  16:13:08


quote:

Originally posted by tdennis

You might try the touch required of playing ppp pianissimo.






I've actually done that, and when I go back to normal playing my fingers go wonky for a while.

davidppp - Posted - 06/26/2024:  16:24:58


The mutes suggested so far restrict bridge motion -- either by adding mass or increasing the force required to move the bridge. The result is a quieter sound for the same strength of pluck. However, the sustain is necessarily increased. (I find it dramatically so.) Also the timbre or tone is altered, either like a low-pass or high-pass filter -- depending on which aspect you're increasing.

The thing that many folks do that feels and sounds like what you're used to but is much quieter is to damp the strings on the playing side of the bridge. When I first read about it, I copied what I saw: a little block of foam rubber, snug up against the bridge on the playing side, that was high enough for the strings to dig in. BHO members pointed out that a roll of paper towel, sized similarly, will do the same thing.

Culloden - Posted - 06/26/2024:  16:37:07


Two small alligator clips, one on each end of the bridge, tend to work pretty well. Clip them parallel to the head.

Lew H - Posted - 06/26/2024:  18:08:00


Elton co. made an adjustable sort of mute. It consisted of 1. a collapsed metal tube to be almost flat, slightly longer than the string spacing at the bridge, 2, a thumb screw (bolt actually), and 3. a thicker sheet metal bar the same length as the tube with a threaded hole to accept the thumb screw. The metal bar could rotate to stick under the strings with the tube on top. This could be slid back and forth between the tailpiece and the bridge to give different degrees of muting. Bridge shape is irrelevant for it. I like this mute, but I've misplaced mine.

reubenstump - Posted - 06/27/2024:  03:21:35


Well, I found my Deering straight mute, put it on the bridge halfway, and it seems to do the trick, so maybe that'll work in the long run.

steve davis - Posted - 06/30/2024:  06:37:02


I've attached spring clothespins to bridge ends for a mute.
Some have told me that they have used a Mike's Mute on my comp bridges.

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