Tenor Harmon Mutes

[dukesboneman]

I`m playing an extended run of a Re-Orchestrated "Crazy For You" with lots and lots of mute changes.
There is also a fair amount of Harmon Mute playing. I`m not crazy about the mutes
I have a JoRal Bubble mute and an actual Harmon . Pitch is weird
Seems like a lot of R&D went into Trumpet harmons but The trombone versions were forgotten about
Now I use the mute for soloing outside of the Pit so it`s not like I haven`t spent time with it.
I bought a Trapani for my Bass Trombone and it works pretty good . For Tenor there`s something about it not being made of metal that changes the sound
Any thoughts?

[harrisonreed]

I agree that the mute needs to be made of metal. The 3D printed ones don't sound quite right.

Ullvén mutes are what I use. The Harmon style mutes are great. They come with an excessive amount of cork that you need to shave down (I think it is so they can work with any bell throat), but once you get it dialed in it's great. Bob Reeves carries them, but they are currently out of stock:

https://trumpetmouthpiece.com/collectio ... 8744895582

https://trumpetmouthpiece.com/collectio ... 6042559582

The other mute are also very good, but you were just asking about harmons. The best part about them is that they come with a variety of tubes to use instead of the cup stem, so you have a TON of sounds you can get.

They stay in the bell, are in tune. Basically blow all the other harmons out of the water.

[EriKon]

+1 for Ullven. Best Harmon without any doubt.

[OneTon]

I have a Thomas Crown. I like it better than another Harmon I have. It has been so long since I played the Harman I don’t know where it is. TC gets the job done.

[bassclef]

I bought a Trapani for my Bass Trombone and it works pretty good . For Tenor there`s something about it not being made of metal that changes the sound

I tend to agree with this statement. I got Trapani harmons for tenor & bass right when they came out. After years of use, I still think that Trapani bass version is the best option out there. The tenor version certainly works fine, but you're right - there's something missing. Looking back that was obvious from the start I suppose, but I was so elated to not have to deal with the weight and likelihood of falling out of the bell from any of the metal version available at the time that I didn't really care. You may have already tried this, but I found that you can get more of the sound quality you're probably looking for from the Trapani by pulling the stem out an inch or so.

Looks like Best Brass makes harmons for tenor & bass. Has anyone tried those?

[bassclef]

I agree that the mute needs to be made of metal. The 3D printed ones don't sound quite right.

Ullvén mutes are what I use. The Harmon style mutes are great. They come with an excessive amount of cork that you need to shave down (I think it is so they can work with any bell throat), but once you get it dialed in it's great. Bob Reeves carries them, but they are currently out of stock:

https://trumpetmouthpiece.com/collectio ... 8744895582

https://trumpetmouthpiece.com/collectio ... 6042559582

The other mute are also very good, but you were just asking about harmons. The best part about them is that they come with a variety of tubes to use instead of the cup stem, so you have a TON of sounds you can get.

They stay in the bell, are in tune. Basically blow all the other harmons out of the water.

Have you tried both of those? If so, at a high level, what do you feel like the differences are between the two?

[harrisonreed]

These are nearly the same mute , the red one just has a thicker lacquer and a shorter stem on the cup.

[bassclef]

These are nearly the same mute , the red one just has a thicker lacquer and a shorter stem on the cup.

Oops, yeah I see that now.

I neglected to consider that I was browsing around on that site before I posted my question, which was actually an inquiry on the comparison of the one you posted and this one:
https://trumpetmouthpiece.com/collectio ... p-cup-mute

[harrisonreed]

These are nearly the same mute , the red one just has a thicker lacquer and a shorter stem on the cup.

Oops, yeah I see that now.

I neglected to consider that I was browsing around on that site before I posted my question, which was actually an inquiry on the comparison of the one you posted and this one:
https://trumpetmouthpiece.com/collectio ... p-cup-mute

That's the one that doesn't come with a cup or stem

[ssking2b]

I’ve been using the Denis WIck Harmon style mute for my tenor bone for 4 years now. It works great.

[johntarr]

Ian Bousfield talks about the Ulvén Mutes here: