WTB: Large Bore Softone Mute

ttf_Hammer · Post by **ttf_Hammer** » Wed Aug 30, 2017 7:13 am

Hey all. I'm looking for an Ira Nepus' Softone Mute for large bore bones. I know multiple places where I can buy a brand new one, but I'm looking for a used one that somebody has laying around.

ttf_Hammer · Post by **ttf_Hammer** » Sun Sep 17, 2017 3:46 pm

Does anybody have one of these?

ttf_anonymous · Post by **ttf_anonymous** » Sun Sep 17, 2017 5:04 pm

Quote from: Hammer on Today at 03:46 PMDoes anybody have one of these?

I have a "Small Bass" Softone model 189S that I use with my 9 inch bell Holton.I believe this model is supposed to fit a traditional 9.5 inch Bass, but my feel is that it would be too snug. An Amazon listing for the Small Tenor model has some "Questions Answered" on it. One of the observations was that if your horn bell was just 8 inches, you needed the Large Tenor size. Thus I do not know what would be the correct size for a traditional 8.5 inch tenor.
You might touch base with a local Music store or call the manufacturer first to zero in on a correct size.
Wayne

ttf_BGuttman · Post by **ttf_BGuttman** » Sun Sep 17, 2017 5:41 pm

I have the same mute. It fits my King 7B a bit snug as a practice/warmup mute. I've used it as a bucket (drape over the top of the bell) on my King 7B, my Yamaha 682, my Bach 36C, and even my Martin Imperial. It will work as a warmup/practice on the Yamaha and the Bach, but it's a little too floppy on the Martin.

Sorry, I'm not selling mine. You may find a lot of us feel the same way.

ttf_Hammer · Post by **ttf_Hammer** » Sun Sep 17, 2017 6:45 pm

I have one of these mutes for my bass bone (don't know if it's the small or large bass version) and it fits great, and I love it. In my tenor world, I have that huge Jo-Ral bucket mute, which makes a great sound, but is so damn huge, heavy, and clunky. I would love to have the large tenor softone mute size so I could use it on my symphonic tenor, and my small bore jazz horns; I know it'll be big on my small horns, but I plan on using the mute for the bucket sound where I would drape over one side of the bell.

ttf_anonymous · Post by **ttf_anonymous** » Sun Sep 17, 2017 6:48 pm

Quote from: BGuttman on Sep 17, 2017, 05:41PMI have the same mute. It fits my King 7B a bit snug as a practice/warmup mute. I've used it as a bucket (drape over the top of the bell) on my King 7B, my Yamaha 682, my Bach 36C, and even my Martin Imperial. It will work as a warmup/practice on the Yamaha and the Bach, but it's a little too floppy on the Martin.

Sorry, I'm not selling mine. You may find a lot of us feel the same way.

I think the suggested manufacturing sizes are probably okay, i.e. small bore less than eight, large bore 8 and 8.5, small bass 9 and 9.5, and large bass full 10+. The small bass size chokes the Holton 10 inch bass...air flow backs up thru the nostrils.
I too am going to keep mine. This post made me take it out of the closet for a quick test. I use standard aluminum warm up mutes on stage, etc. However, as I kid around with my wife...if we get to an old folks home one day where any extended practice merits sound reduction, it will really come in handy.

ttf_BGuttman · Post by **ttf_BGuttman** » Sun Sep 17, 2017 8:38 pm

I think Exzaclee has mentioned that the high range gets "squirrely" using the Softone as a practice mute. I concur with this -- it's not a good practice mute at high ranges.

Incidentally, mine has a couple of vent holes and I have to make sure they are on the "business" side of the bell or the mute is VERY stuffy.

Again, the "small bass" (I think mine was specified as 9 1/2 inches) works as a bucket on all my bell sizes.

ttf_anonymous · Post by **ttf_anonymous** » Mon Sep 18, 2017 7:22 pm

Good point about the vent holes, Bruce. I did not note any significant problems playing the high range with the mute on the large tenor Holton using the small base version. I did check to see if that the vent holes were positioned in front of the bell. Also the small bass version fits a bit loose on the 9 inch bell, so there is some give there in not stiffling air flow,