Safely transporting aluminum cup mute?

[ghmerrill]

I'm entering a situation where I'll need to be lugging a bag of bass trombone mutes around at least on a weekly basis. The only issue I have with that is how to lug the Denis Wick bass trombone cup mute in a way that will minimize the likelihood of damage. I really like the mute, but it's pretty fragile in terms of being dented or crumpled. My approach is going to involve a large wheeled duffle for the mutes, stand, stand light, and other associated trombone junk. This will all be auto transportation. No planes or trains, dogsleds, etc.

What do people do to protect these large aluminum cup mutes from destruction? Breaking it into its two pieces seems like a good first step. And then what? Wrap in a towel before bagging it? Use soft foam in some creative way? Any insights (especially based on experience) will be appreciated.

[bitbckt]

I keep cups in Protec mute socks, and keep all my mutes and gear in a Bucket Boss Longboy. I don’t own the Wick specifically, but I don’t otherwise worry about damage going to and fro.

I suppose you could fashion some sort of conical foam insert to prevent crunching the cup. Is that what you have in mind?

[ghmerrill]

The Bucket Boss is similar (though heavier fabric) to what I'm planning on using. Socks provide protection against scratching, but not against deformation -- which is what I'm concerned about.

The straight mute will be pretty much okay (maybe wrapped in some thin-ish flexible foam. I've done that before when I was using a percussion equipment bag to carry mutes. The straight part of the cup mute (which is basically just a big straight mute) will similarly be okay. But the cup is just asking for it -- and much more than a tenor cup mute does.

Maybe, if I don't see a better idea, I'll make the cup it's own two-piece styrofoam protector and then not worry about it getting jostled/bumped/dinged in the bag.

[bitbckt]

The Bucket Boss is similar (though heavier fabric) to what I'm planning on using. Socks provide protection against scratching, but not against deformation -- which is what I'm concerned about.

Right. I mention the socks not as a suggestion for resolving the crunch risk, but that I don’t really find there to be any such risk inside the bag. The redeeming quality of the Longboy isn’t the fabric, it’s the structure. Short of something heavy - like a trombone case - actually landing on top of the bag, the structure keeps minor impacts from … well, impacting the gear inside. Outside the bag is the Wild West in the life of a delicate mute, of course.

All of which is to say, I think if whatever bag you choose to pack your mutes in has some structure to it, that’s what will best protect the mute. Mute-specific bags use this approach, too. Perhaps there’s a hole in the market for a product to address your concern, because I can’t say I’ve seen any particular solution to it.

ETA: I just re-read your last sentence… Jostling inside the bag seems like a packing problem.

[Burgerbob]

Honestly, they just get dinged up. Every once in a while I fix the stem and call it a day.

[ghmerrill]

Dings I'm okay with. But that big dinner plate at the end of the cup mute I don't want to see bent or deformed too much. Part of this problem I'm causing myself, I know: This "one bag of trombone stuff" approach means that it's not just a mute bag but will contain at least my (fairly large/heavy) K&M trombone stand and some mute stands I've made out of PVC so I can more easily handle the mutes on and off the floor. And some other stuff too.

The comment about "structure" in the bag got me thinking ... Why not add more structure? So after a bit of experimentation this morning, I'm moving in the direction of a box-in-a-bag approach. I've got a rigid plastic "storage box" (think Dollar General) that nicely holds the 8"x4" cup and also holds my Wick straight mute -- separated by my Softone mute that I pretend is a bucket mute (modified suitably thanks to some other threads here). If I can find a big enough box like that to hold the straight part of the cup mute as well, that will be great -- but otherwise, I'll just wrap some foam around that and call it a day. So that looks like it will solve the mute protection problem and I can throw other stuff into the bag with abandon. In the (unlikely?) event that I should need a Harmon mute, I'll just throw that in the bag as well -- since its one of Trapani's, and I think you could drop a concrete block on it and maybe scratch it a little.

[bitbckt]

Yup, that sounds like the right direction to me!

[ghmerrill]

And as my French colleagues used to say, "Voila!"

Courtesy of Dollar General for $6.75 (+tax of course). The cup is under the Softone. Plenty of room for the stand and other stuff without threatening the mutes (well, once I snap the top on the box ). And there is room in the box for smaller and non-threatening items.

Mute box.jpg

[Dennis]

I take the cup apart and drop it (inverted) over the straight mute (I use either a Crown or a Wick aluminum straight). Then I drop them in the Protec mute bag. When I get to the rehearsal or performance, I assemble the mute.

Easy peasy, lemon squeezee.

[harrisonreed]

I use the larger bucket boss bag, AKA the mute bag from hell, and I have a towel that I snake around the mutes so they don't move or touch each other.

If I don't need all the mutes, I use the smaller bucket boss for just my plunger and the two Ullvén mutes, which covers me for 99% of any call for any mute. I have soft bags for each of those and also wrap them in onsen towels that I got for free.

[OneTon]

I have two 23”x15”x11” aluminum camera equipment cases, one for bass and one for tenor. I put the glasses case, water spray, slide oil, valve oil, and mouth piece in a Stanley (TM) plastic compartmented case in one end. I loose load the cup mute, straight mute, and plunger in the bay. I have room for a pixie or Harmon if required. If there is room and if is permitted, I use the case on stage to aid with fast mute changes. There are some bb shot dents and shallow dents in some of the mutes after 20 years, that probably occurred out of the case. The cups stay pretty round. The cases that B & H Photo are a bit pricey right now. Gator may have suitable abs cases at reasonable prices.

[ghmerrill]

Here are my hand-crafted custom mute stands that (as illustrated) break down for easy transport. They allow me to pick up the mute by the end and stuff it in the bell without additional juggling. These now go in that big duffle along with the box-o-mutes, trombone stand, music, and other trombone support stuff that's needed. My bass trombone case (Schiller/Chinese) is actually quite effective and very protective, and has great backpack straps. So I can put the horn on my back and then just wheel the duffel in, and that's it -- unless I also have to schlepp a Manhasset stand, in which case I still end up with one free hand. Should I also need a chair (rare occasions) I can always bungie it to the rolling duffle. All this is sort of a trombone-oriented modification to how I transport tuba and associated stuff in adverse conditions. Luckily I don't have the issue of using a tuba mute.

Mute stands.jpg