Silent Brass

[Farmer Giles]

Hi all
i am looking to buy myself a new silent brass system.

does anyone know of a good (and preferrably cheap ) place i can get it from ??

i have done a search on google, but there doesn't appear to be many "hits" for it.

Many thnaks

FG

 

[lynchie]

www.thomann.de do them for less than anywhere in this country. I got mine from there and even with the £15 delivery charge I was still saving about £20!! Depends on your instrument though, as there's probably less of a saving on the smaller mutes.

 

[blue_smarties]

I got mine from band supplies in Leeds for xmas, so not sure how much it cost (my mum and dad bought it for me, they shopped around a bit before hand and found that band supplies sold it cheaper than anywhere else!)

 

[Gorgie boy]

I got a good deal from Rosehill for mine. They also let me have it on trial for a few days so I (and my neighbours :lol: ) could see if it worked.

Paul Drury
Eb Bass
Edinburgh Gorgie SA Band

 

[Scotty]

I got mine for christmas but my mum says she got a good deal from Band supplies but i don't know how much it was!

 

[rickshaw]

I bought mine from the The Muisc Cellar in Preston Lancs http://www.themusiccellar.co.uk and got a very good deal (I also bought a Tenor Horn and leather gig bag at the same time though)

But be warned I damaged the cable from the pick up mute to box and have been quoted Septmeber until Yamaha can supply a replacement. :cry: (I must stress this is not Music Cellars fault)

 

[bertramtrumpet]

Normans is quite cheap aswell!
last time i checked!

 

[Razor]

Quite often see them for sale on ebay being sold by music retailers but at discounted prices. I picked mine up at a trade stand at the nationals, just haggled a bit to get a good deal.

 

[Di]

We're looking for a silent brass for a tenor horn. We've been told there are two options: Flugel/alto trom system or tenor trom (with the end needing to be adjusted to fit). Which systems do you horn players have, and are you happy with your choice?

 

[alanl58]

I use a tenor trombone Silent Brass in a baritone, and it is not a particularly good fit. I did ask various suppliers, before buying it, what the best remedy would be, and they were not all that helpful.

Advice ranged from additional foam rubber padding to extra cork rescued from a conventional mute! So I ended up with a cheap duster wrapped around the narrow end, but the sound leaks out enough for my dog to howl if she hears me......

See if you can persuade a music shop to try the different size options and fit one - and if anyone knows a good practical method, - other than a duster wrapped around the end - of adapting them, perhaps they could post it here?

Alan Lafferty
1st Baritone, Bude Metric Brass
2nd Baritone St Gennys Silver Band

 

[Blagger]

Have you tried Ebay?
I remember some being on their a while ago

 

[CaharleyFarley]

I have bought two - one from Band Supplies.
The other - well I thought I had a good deal, buying from USA, but had to pay customs duty, so the price ended up about the same.

 

[Bob Stevenson]

I've not used a 'silent brass'......does it make practice truly 'silent' or just like the Denis Wick practice mute?.....can you hear the quality of the sound you are making on the headset?....i would be very interested to know......Thanks to anyone who can answer.

 

[Darth_Tuba]

When I had one of these (I eventually sold it on in favour of one of those ones that fits in in a gig bag) I rarely used the mike and headphones set. Mainly because I was lazy and couldn't be bothered messing with wires! When using it however, beware the use of the settings on it. It's quite easy to put it on church mode with lots of reverb and think you sound great! I always used to use the rehearsal room setting if using it at all.

 

[Di B]

As I purchased a silent brass system this weekend I can guarantee my prices are up to date! :lol:

I didn't go for the cheapest, but the most local to me where I could try before buying so I ended up at Normans in Burton. The full silent brass system for euphonium cost £116 there (and my bank account is still crying out in shock!!)

First of all, you can hear a sound byh natural ear - the mute does not make it 100% silent. It does seriously dampen the sound though and is one of the best practice mutes I have tried (although I have only tried one other!!) I think a tv on a medium volume would make your neighbours find it difficult to detect you were playing if that gives you an idea?

Next, it costs around £20 extra for the gadgety thing in addition to the mute. I found this really freaky when I tried it out! It is just like a walkman, but attached to the mute and picks up the sound from inside the bell of the instrument. You can turn the volume up or down as required and it sounds to your ears as loud as you could play with the mute not in.

Although you do get some minor hissing through the headphones if you have it on full volume (I was playing around) but that isn't too important to me. What did shock me was how well you can hear your articulation..... every clip of a note resonates and I cringed when I first tried it out because of this. You can also listen out for intonation problems!

In summary, if you are serious about playing and want something that will assist your playing yet keep you quiet at the same time then IMO they are a good buy. Now I just need to rehearse enough to make it worth all that money! :wink: