TromboneChat

Question - I have one of the crappy Denis Wick practice Mutes. Has anyone modified one of these into a cool sounding useful mute. I hate to throw it out , so why not alter it some way. Thanks

The absolutely perfect (not crappy) Denis Wick practice mute, the black painted metal one, is a clone of the same non-crappy Wick straight mute.
Same mute-- different cork.

Cover the two holes with black duct tape or electrical tape to camoflage the holes.
Cut off the cork ring, and add three strips of straight mute cork available from www.Hickeys.com for about $4.


If you don't like the effect, just pull off the electrical tape to expose the holes again, stick some foam with double sided tape into the space between the three cork straight mute corks-- and it is the same crappy practice mute again.

You're welcome.

Don't bother unless you haven't got a straight mute. If you want a good practice mute, Yamaha's silent Brass (the new model) works well, as does the BestBrass one. The latter silences the most and affects tuning the least.

Well, I just converted my crappy Wick practice mute into a regular Wick staight mute.  Worked like a charm.  And I agree with 'Dukes' above - it is not a vary good practice mute.  I have tried several others; all worked better than this one. 

So I peeled off the ring of cork (with fingers - no tools needed), cleaned up some residual glue with some Goo-Gone, and glued on three new corks.  I now have a Wick straight mute that plays just like the regular aluminum version except it is in stylish black! 

Just so ya know...

It works perfectly as a straight mute with altered corks as described above. And you don't need to cover the holes - the holes make the lower valve register and the pedals speak better. I can't really notice any difference in sound  with or without holes in the higher register.

With bigger corks would it work as a Bass Straight mute?

Not likely.

Bass straight is about 5" longer and likely twice the internal volume. I have both in filing cabinet looking at them.

You won't be happy --or satisfied with the sound-- until you spend the money and do it right the first time. And then only have to do it once.

The Wick practice mute is very useful... as an air efficiency tool, not necessarily as a practice mute however.  They make a great buzz when you have a real resonant air stream.

Cheers,
Andy

Yes.
Wick himself calls the effects produced after repeated us of the black practice mute "Black magic".

Excellent bio-feedback tool to force the player to work efficiently.

Yes.
Wick himself calls the effects produced after repeated us of the black practice mute "Black magic".

Excellent bio-feedback tool to force the player to work efficiently.