Re: Salt shaker mute
Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2025 5:41 pm
Salt Shaker mutes make great Fathers Day gifts! 
Doubles as an attractive vase?
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Re: Salt shaker mute
Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2025 10:13 pm
Re: Salt shaker mute
Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2025 6:13 pm
Very true, they are attractive mutes! The matte black finish has a grippy texture, and the mutes in red, copper, and blue have a nice gloss finish.
Re: Salt shaker mute
Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2025 12:39 pm
A selection of comments about the Salt Shaker mute:
“Same warmth as the original bucket… with ease of getting it in and out of the horn.” — Terry Baber
“Warm bucket sound from such a tiny package!” — Alex Iles
“No more lugging around an oversized mute — this is the size of a compact practice mute.” — Phil Keen
“Perfect for pit work — quick to change, sturdy, and road-ready.” — Wendell Kelly
“Built well, light, and versatile for all musical settings.” — Jacob Herring
“I may never use one of my normal bucket mutes again.” — Dr. Michael Wilkinson
“Great idea — changeable corks make it fit perfectly.” — Linda Landis
“One beat to remove a bucket mute? This is the answer.” — Dr. Donn Schaefer
“Same warmth as the original bucket… with ease of getting it in and out of the horn.” — Terry Baber
“Warm bucket sound from such a tiny package!” — Alex Iles
“No more lugging around an oversized mute — this is the size of a compact practice mute.” — Phil Keen
“Perfect for pit work — quick to change, sturdy, and road-ready.” — Wendell Kelly
“Built well, light, and versatile for all musical settings.” — Jacob Herring
“I may never use one of my normal bucket mutes again.” — Dr. Michael Wilkinson
“Great idea — changeable corks make it fit perfectly.” — Linda Landis
“One beat to remove a bucket mute? This is the answer.” — Dr. Donn Schaefer
Re: Salt shaker mute
Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2025 9:12 am
Getting ahead of the holiday rush!
Re: Salt shaker mute
Posted: Sat Oct 18, 2025 3:52 pm
Dr. Brad Edwards, Professor of Trombone at Arizona State University, has this to say about the Salt Shaker mute:
https://s-mute.com/collections/trombone-mutes
..quite a bit smaller, quite a bit lighter, similar sound (to a bucket).....something you might want to take a look at.
https://s-mute.com/collections/trombone-mutes
..quite a bit smaller, quite a bit lighter, similar sound (to a bucket).....something you might want to take a look at.
Re: Salt shaker mute
Posted: Sun Nov 09, 2025 4:00 pm
Re: Salt shaker mute
Posted: Sat Nov 29, 2025 10:38 am
Another nice comment recently came in on the Salt Shaker mute:
J. J. Gunning, Maryland Trombonist and former member of Crack Pack Horns
Kudos on the Salt Shaker Mute - brilliant! It sounds great and is SOOO much easier to transport/employ than a traditional bucket or cup mute. Well done!
J. J. Gunning, Maryland Trombonist and former member of Crack Pack Horns
Kudos on the Salt Shaker Mute - brilliant! It sounds great and is SOOO much easier to transport/employ than a traditional bucket or cup mute. Well done!
Re: Salt shaker mute
Posted: Sun Dec 14, 2025 7:19 pm
The last day to order for delivery before Christmas is Wednesday 12/17! Just around the corner! Plenty of Salt Shaker mutes in stock:
https://s-mute.com/collections/trombone-mutes
Note: The cup mute in this pic is a trumpet mute! Trombone cup mutes are in development.
https://s-mute.com/collections/trombone-mutes
Note: The cup mute in this pic is a trumpet mute! Trombone cup mutes are in development.
Re: Salt shaker mute
Posted: Sun Jan 04, 2026 2:00 pm
2025 was an amazing year at S-Mute, marked by many equipment upgrades and expansion. Here's hoping 2026 is equally awesome!
Re: Salt shaker mute
Posted: Mon Jan 05, 2026 3:30 am
FWIW our entire big band trombone section purchased a set of Pixie mutes from Nathan. They arrived in the UK a few days ago. Not had the opportunity to use them yet, but the communication from Nathan throughout was quick and clear. The mutes were each individually very securely packed in a solid carton with foam to prevent movement. The cartons were in a well packed box that was secure and prevented movement. The mutes look great and feel solid. Updates to follow, in the pixie mute thread, when we have used them.
Re: Salt shaker mute
Posted: Mon Jan 05, 2026 10:08 pm
Very happy these made the journey safe and sound! Also, thank you for the nice comment on our packaging methods, I believe you are the first to notice and comment on them!Geordie wrote: Mon Jan 05, 2026 3:30 am FWIW our entire big band trombone section purchased a set of Pixie mutes from Nathan. They arrived in the UK a few days ago. Not had the opportunity to use them yet, but the communication from Nathan throughout was quick and clear. The mutes were each individually very securely packed in a solid carton with foam to prevent movement. The cartons were in a well packed box that was secure and prevented movement. The mutes look great and feel solid. Updates to follow, in the pixie mute thread, when we have used them.
We intend for the cylindrical packaging to be reusable for storage, safekeeping, moving, etc. (and the tube is made from recycled materials to boot!)
Re: Salt shaker mute
Posted: Sat Feb 14, 2026 11:19 am
A pile of Salt Shaker mutes! All of our products and their packaging are made in the USA!
Re: Salt shaker mute
Posted: Sat Mar 07, 2026 8:05 am
New Zealand trombonist Jeremy Trenwith has this to say about the Salt Shaker mute:
The Salt Shaker has been a great alternative to my much larger bucket mute, and retains the characteristics we need. It is easily adjustable and I also use it as a practice mute when warming up before the gig as it is small and light, and still retains enough sound for backstage warmups.
He has more to say, check out the website for the rest of his comments and reviews by many others!
https://s-mute.com/collections/trombone-mutes
The Salt Shaker has been a great alternative to my much larger bucket mute, and retains the characteristics we need. It is easily adjustable and I also use it as a practice mute when warming up before the gig as it is small and light, and still retains enough sound for backstage warmups.
He has more to say, check out the website for the rest of his comments and reviews by many others!
https://s-mute.com/collections/trombone-mutes
Re: Salt shaker mute
Posted: Sat Apr 11, 2026 9:50 am
Very excited to have the endorsement of Dr. Cole Bartels, Trombone Professor at Central Michigan University! Here is what Dr. Bartels has to say about the Salt Shaker mute:
"The Salt Shaker is an amazingly versatile piece of equipment everyone should have in their arsenal of mutes. The engineering is fantastic, allowing for modularity of different end caps, corks, and configurations of felt pads that allow the player tons of control over the color palette produced by the mute."
More from Dr. Bartels on the S-Mute website: https://s-mute.com/products/trombone-salt-shaker
"The Salt Shaker is an amazingly versatile piece of equipment everyone should have in their arsenal of mutes. The engineering is fantastic, allowing for modularity of different end caps, corks, and configurations of felt pads that allow the player tons of control over the color palette produced by the mute."
More from Dr. Bartels on the S-Mute website: https://s-mute.com/products/trombone-salt-shaker
Re: Salt shaker mute
Posted: Sat Apr 25, 2026 8:33 am
Re: Salt shaker mute
Posted: Fri May 08, 2026 5:55 pm
Tenor and Bass Salt Shaker mutes in purple I did on request a while back. I think they turned out great!
Re: Salt shaker mute
Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2026 9:32 am
If only the Salt Shaker had been around when this radio was made! 
https://s-mute.com/collections/trombone-mutes
https://s-mute.com/collections/trombone-mutes
Re: Salt shaker mute
Posted: Sat Jun 27, 2026 8:22 am
Donn Schaefer sent this nice real-world example of how the Salt Shaker mute can save the day!
https://s-mute.com/collections/trombone-mutes
The latest tour I'm playing has a perfect Salt Shaker moment. 3 beats to go open from a bucket passage, and then almost no time later to put in a bucket between movements before an exposed solo. This is one of those spots where the musical director spends time at rehearsal warning about how important it is to be ready for the solo and talking about how many of the players have had difficulty making the entrance. (You can see all the arrows and markings in the music. The only thing missing is a skull and crossbones!) The Salt Shaker mute makes it easy to pop in the mute and make the entrance with seconds to spare. No worries about squirrely response or weird intonation quirks either!
https://s-mute.com/collections/trombone-mutes
The latest tour I'm playing has a perfect Salt Shaker moment. 3 beats to go open from a bucket passage, and then almost no time later to put in a bucket between movements before an exposed solo. This is one of those spots where the musical director spends time at rehearsal warning about how important it is to be ready for the solo and talking about how many of the players have had difficulty making the entrance. (You can see all the arrows and markings in the music. The only thing missing is a skull and crossbones!) The Salt Shaker mute makes it easy to pop in the mute and make the entrance with seconds to spare. No worries about squirrely response or weird intonation quirks either!