HOW MANY RRF BASS PLAYERS USE THE MUTE?

coolingitdown · Post by **coolingitdown** » Wed Jul 20, 2011 7:26 pm

I certainly do use it! I've gotten some great tones with the mute's assisstance.

antipodean · Post by **antipodean** » Wed Jul 20, 2011 8:21 pm

I use the mute, accompanied by rolling off the tone knob, to get an "uprightesque" tone on my 4000 and non-capped 4001s (bridge pickup only).

bigbajo60 · Post by **bigbajo60** » Thu Jul 21, 2011 12:59 am

Rarely used, but it's a sort of 'song-dependent' tool, in my opinion. Never had a problem dialing it up when needed, and dialing it back down when done. I think it's just a matter of keeping it within a few turns of the thumbscrews away from contact with the strings.

songdog · Post by **songdog** » Thu Jul 21, 2011 1:05 am

It was Chris Squire's sound that made me buy my 4001... so no, I don't use the mute. Took it off completely to get those #!&^ screws out of the way of my picking hand

That was over three decades ago, and I have never once missed it. If I want an upright bass sound, I have a Frankenfender fretless for that.

weemac · Post by **weemac** » Thu Jul 21, 2011 1:51 am

songdog wrote:It was Chris Squire's sound that made me buy my 4001... so no, I don't use the mute. Took it off completely to get those #!&^ screws out of the way of my picking hand That was over three decades ago, and I have never once missed it. If I want an upright bass sound, I have a Frankenfender fretless for that.

Chris used the mutes on "Yours is no discrace".... (in the middle bit)

emac.

antonius · Post by **antonius** » Thu Jul 21, 2011 7:26 am

I would probably experiment with it if I could be bothered to take it out and re-shape it so it made even contact with each string. But after 21 years of owning this bass I still haven't got around to doing it. I forget it is there most of the time. So I guess that is leaning towards a NO....

berth · Post by **berth** » Thu Jul 21, 2011 8:49 am

I use it sometimes, but find it cumbersome to do so. I could live with a tailpiece without the mute and just a piece of foam.

songdog · Post by **songdog** » Thu Jul 21, 2011 8:54 am

weemac wrote:Chris used the mutes on "Yours is no discrace".... (in the middle bit)

Well, yes, it certainly sounds that way on The Yes Album. That's the joy of recording in the studio, you can stop, fiddle with the mute, and punch in a part with a different tone.

I was watching the Live at the House of Blues DVD, and it looked like what he did for that part was switch to just the neck pickup and pick down by the bridge, and he copped that same sound quite nicely. He certainly didn't fiddle with the mute screws! I figured he was using a combination of the pickup tone, Rick-O-Sound, amp EQ, and left hand technique.

paologregorio · Post by **paologregorio** » Thu Jul 21, 2011 9:00 am

ROCKETBRO2 wrote:
cjj wrote:I tried it once, sometime around 1978, didn't like the sound and haven't used it since...
Same with me, in 78 I wondered what those screws did.

I wondered what those screws did as well, and I didn't even discover they were for a mute until after I sold the bass. I learned about the mute on this forum.

I wish I'd known about it; it would have been cool to try out on a few things.

iamthebassman · Post by **iamthebassman** » Thu Jul 21, 2011 10:02 am

I think everyone here knows my main gig, so obviously YES.

Fretjob · Post by **Fretjob** » Thu Jul 21, 2011 10:25 am

Never, removed the top screw on both my 4003's mute so the screw didn't saw off my picking hand.

Left the screw in on the 4001CS as the horseshoe pickup acts as a hand shield, but still never use the mute.

ilan · Post by **ilan** » Thu Jul 21, 2011 12:03 pm

I don't.

gearhed289 · Post by **gearhed289** » Thu Jul 21, 2011 2:53 pm

My 4001CS still has the mute, but I never use it. I removed it completely from my 4003S/8 (I love not having those height adjustment screws there). My 4003S has a Hipshot bridge. I use my palm to mute. To each his own!

CatHead · Post by **CatHead** » Thu Jul 21, 2011 5:35 pm

Ive been playing Rics for 11 years now and ive never used it, but I guess that's cos i bought one for the clank sound that I love that cuts through the mix.

weemac · Post by **weemac** » Thu Jul 21, 2011 6:44 pm

songdog wrote:
weemac wrote:Chris used the mutes on "Yours is no discrace".... (in the middle bit)
Well, yes, it certainly sounds that way on The Yes Album. That's the joy of recording in the studio, you can stop, fiddle with the mute, and punch in a part with a different tone.

I was watching the Live at the House of Blues DVD, and it looked like what he did for that part was switch to just the neck pickup and pick down by the bridge, and he copped that same sound quite nicely. He certainly didn't fiddle with the mute screws! I figured he was using a combination of the pickup tone, Rick-O-Sound, amp EQ, and left hand technique.

I'd say the mute died years ago on Chris's bass, but we can be fairly sure that he used it at least once!

emac.

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