Jonesy Posted January 9, 2023 Share Posted January 9, 2023 Yup, it's another how is it best to mute thread.......but slightly different! I have a PBass with a bridge cover and have been messing around with how to best use a mute with it. I've found just cutting a few slits in a bit of sponge and placing them over the top of the strings works best for me. However, the best tone to my ears is when I shove the sponge right unde the bridge cover. This has just enough of a muting effect and also has the bonus of hiding a bit of sponge under the cover. Great! What's not so great is that if I wanted to remove the mute for a song it's a bit fiddly to get the sponge out inbetween songs. Does anyone know of any device that is essentially a mute that fits under a PBass cover and has a quick release? As a bodge I could attach some string to the sponge so that I can easily pull it out, but I was wondering if there was a proper way of doing things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lidl e Posted January 10, 2023 Share Posted January 10, 2023 There's that product bass mute but i dont think it will fit under cover. It is an elegant solution though. https://www.bassmute.eu/bm_mainframe.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jakester Posted January 10, 2023 Share Posted January 10, 2023 18 minutes ago, lidl e said: There's that product bass mute but i dont think it will fit under cover. It is an elegant solution though. https://www.bassmute.eu/bm_mainframe.html I have one - it definitely won't fit. Works really well though! I do remember someone installing some kind of sprung mute on a short-scale Fender - possibly a Mustang? - and it sort of 'popping' on and off with the heel of the hand to activate it. It might be possible to jury-rig something on the inside of the bridge cover like that, but no idea where you'd start! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ped Posted January 10, 2023 Share Posted January 10, 2023 I've modded pieces of foam with a lollypop stick glued to the top or bottom (depending on how you place it) with a bit extra at the edge to make removal easy. I reckon you could make a similar T shaped piece of wood to glue a chunk of foam to which would fit under the cover and leave a little tab to grab for removal. You could even use a tonewood lollypop stick and retire on the proceeds. I want 50%. 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reggaebass Posted January 10, 2023 Share Posted January 10, 2023 I’ve done untold experiments with various foam mutes, (hence why there’s no washing up sponges left in the house 😁) we had another thread on it, but I haven’t done one under the bridge cover, can’t you leave the foam longer so you can pull it out easy , or if that mutes too much cut the bit sticking out up at an angle so it’s not touching the strings, kinda like this 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mudpup Posted January 10, 2023 Share Posted January 10, 2023 Easy......buy another P bass and don't put foam in it You're welcome 😂😉 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonesy Posted January 10, 2023 Author Share Posted January 10, 2023 (edited) 4 hours ago, Jakester said: I do remember someone installing some kind of sprung mute on a short-scale Fender - possibly a Mustang? - and it sort of 'popping' on and off with the heel of the hand to activate it. It might be possible to jury-rig something on the inside of the bridge cover like that, but no idea where you'd start! Is it the Jaguar mute you're thinking of? It's spring loaded, but requires quite a sizeable hole in the middle for the spring and won't fit under the cover. Not sure I'm adventurous enough to drill a hole that big in my bass! I was supposed to chuck the pic of it here, but my phone put it at the end of the reply...... 4 hours ago, ped said: I've modded pieces of foam with a lollypop stick glued to the top or bottom (depending on how you place it) with a bit extra at the edge to make removal easy. I reckon you could make a similar T shaped piece of wood to glue a chunk of foam to which would fit under the cover and leave a little tab to grab for removal. You could even use a tonewood lollypop stick and retire on the proceeds. I want 50%. Ahhh, I suppose a bit of wood would look better than a bit of string. You could be on to something. Have you experimented with different lollies? Any idea if a Fab would sound different compared to a Twister or Feast? 2 hours ago, Mudpup said: Easy......buy another P bass and don't put foam in it You're welcome 😂😉 You joke, but this was considered so I could have a PBass with flats/foam and another with rounds 😂 Edited January 10, 2023 by Jonesy 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonesy Posted January 10, 2023 Author Share Posted January 10, 2023 3 hours ago, Reggaebass said: I’ve done untold experiments with various foam mutes, (hence why there’s no washing up sponges left in the house 😁) we had another thread on it, but I haven’t done one under the bridge cover, can’t you leave the foam longer so you can pull it out easy , or if that mutes too much cut the bit sticking out up at an angle so it’s not touching the strings, kinda like this I tried leaving it longer and having the foam outside from under the cover, but that mutes a little too much for my liking. Cutting a ramp in could work though. I'd be worried about my clumsy hands ripping it off, but will give it a whirl 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartinB Posted January 11, 2023 Share Posted January 11, 2023 I've always wondered whether the bridge cover could be attached with magnets instead of screws, which would enable you to pop it off easily - along with the mute, which could be stuck to it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jakester Posted January 11, 2023 Share Posted January 11, 2023 16 hours ago, Jonesy said: Is it the Jaguar mute you're thinking of? It's spring loaded, but requires quite a sizeable hole in the middle for the spring and won't fit under the cover. That’s the badger! Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonesy Posted January 11, 2023 Author Share Posted January 11, 2023 13 hours ago, MartinB said: I've always wondered whether the bridge cover could be attached with magnets instead of screws, which would enable you to pop it off easily - along with the mute, which could be stuck to it. That would be a great idea. If they could be placed under the body so they were invisible it'd be pretty cool! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassApprentice Posted January 12, 2023 Share Posted January 12, 2023 Paging @Andyjr1515 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted January 12, 2023 Share Posted January 12, 2023 3 hours ago, BassApprentice said: Paging @Andyjr1515 I'm flattered! ...but it's a bit out of my realm, to be honest That said, I'm sure I've come across something on an old bass in the distant past that had something similar. The video above about the (excellent) bassmute said that the original Fender covers used to have mutes in them - and maybe that's what I'm remembering - and those are, presumably, 'always on'? But I'm sure the thing I have in my mind was switchable. I'll have a dig around and try to remember what it was on/how it worked. Ref magnets, I think that might be problematic. I think such magnets would have to be pretty strong - and that seems to me to be something you would want to avoid so close to the pickups and strings (and you certainly wouldn't want your cover to become magnetised). I'll have a dig around in my memory banks for whatever it was I've seen in the past, but don't hold your breath...I generally can't even remember what I did an hour ago. What were we talking about? 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilson_51_ Posted January 12, 2023 Share Posted January 12, 2023 I would stick the foam to the bridge cover. And work out some sort of quick release for the entire bridge cover. I’m unsure on the specifics but should be doable 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted January 12, 2023 Share Posted January 12, 2023 Found it! It's the Gibson one - fitted to EB-0's and the like. Very simple mechanism - pull the tab and it applies the mute and push it back, the two springs return the mute back off the strings. I would have thought someone with a basic metal workshop could knock one up of a similar principle that would fit under your cover? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted January 12, 2023 Share Posted January 12, 2023 (edited) Here's a pic of the components: For your needs, then the main slider would want to be much shorter (on the Gibson, the pull tab is behind the raised bridge with the slide plate under the bridge - for a Fender, you would want it the other way round and in front of the bridge)...but the basic idea of the mechanism would be the same Edited January 12, 2023 by Andyjr1515 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonesy Posted January 12, 2023 Author Share Posted January 12, 2023 And who said Gibson don't know what they're doing when it comes to basses?!? That little gadget is exactly what I need and I'm surprised Fender don't make an equivalent, especially seeing as they removed the mute from under the bridge cover. I'll see if I can find someone who does metal work and see what they'll charge for knocking something like this up. It might be pretty expensive though and the lollipop route might come out the winner! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted January 12, 2023 Share Posted January 12, 2023 4 minutes ago, Jonesy said: And who said Gibson don't know what they're doing when it comes to basses?!? That little gadget is exactly what I need and I'm surprised Fender don't make an equivalent, especially seeing as they removed the mute from under the bridge cover. I'll see if I can find someone who does metal work and see what they'll charge for knocking something like this up. It might be pretty expensive though and the lollipop route might come out the winner! Worth dropping a note in the 'Repairs and Technical' section. There are probably metal hobbyists amongst us as there are wood hobbyists like me - and they may well be happy to knock one up for the cost of a pint! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted January 12, 2023 Share Posted January 12, 2023 With a bit of bodgework, this should fit ... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonesy Posted January 12, 2023 Author Share Posted January 12, 2023 56 minutes ago, Happy Jack said: With a bit of bodgework, this should fit ... Or I could change my playing technique to incorporate one of these..... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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