Accessories for Upright Bass:  Mutes

Roth Sihon (Wire) Performance Mute for Upright Bass

Manufactured by: none

This unusual mute slides onto the strings between the bridge and tailpiece. It's made of nickel-plated spring steel, with clear flexible tubing and brass spacers. The mute slides on a pair of strings to adjust the nature of the sound, and can even be (according to the manufacturer) effective in dampening wolf tones. It can be pushed closer to the tailpiece, remaining on your instrument, when not in use - and be slid up towards the bridge and on top of it for various tonal effects.

They have become popular with some players, particularly bluegrass, who feel it helps achieve their goal of more thump. This device is marketed as a mute but has a different effect than our other bridge mutes, which limit bridge vibrations.

In by humble opinion, calling it a mute may be a bit of a misnomer. I guess what I'm saying is that the effects are very subtle, so don't expect a huge difference in your sound. Trying it out on my Juzek bass with Corelli strings, I can detect some changes in the overtones, as well as some slight suppression of sustain, but it depends on location.

Yes, the mute does look a bit like one of those wire puzzles you buy in the magic store, but it actually mounts quite easily. Check out the short video showing how to put it on your bass:

Ray Brown's Bass Method - Instructional Exercises Book

An excellent, deep collection of technique studies from one of the most respected players and teachers of the upright bass...

Kolstein Fine Musical Instrument Cleaning and Polishing Kit

Total Cleaning and Polishing Care for your Upright Bass (and all fine musical instruments)...

Ebony Performance Mute for Upright Bass

A classic three-prong styled ebony performance mute. It dampens the instrument's vibrations and results in a "softer" sound.

Ultra Rubber Practice Mute for Upright Bass

The Ultra Practice Mute is molded from sound-deadening rubber, and for practice muting is superior to metal mutes.

Single Strings: Innovation SuperSilver - 140SS (Super Silver)

Innovation Super Silver Strings are often used for Rockabilly and Bluegrass - they're a synthetic alternative to true gut strings...

Wolf Tone Eliminator for Double Bass

The Wolf-Be-Gone can help eliminate the wolf sound produced on many instruments. Easy to install - simply fits on the string below the bridge...