Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

While risking the wrath and ire of some - what are the pros/cons of the string mute? I recently tried them out and found that I loved the sound. But I there are several other disenting opinions on this matter. Can I leave the mute up against the strings all the time? Lower them when I'm not playing? Do the mutes ever need to be replaced? Thanks for all replies.

1.Search the archives.
2.Yes.
3.Yes.
4.Yes.

My 2cents: Do what sounds/feels good to you and don't worry if some people on a forum, who you'll probably never meet, feel the same. It's your bass, it's your music, it's your choice.

I won't say a thing ... er ... uh ... I will be mute on this topic ...

lol...no, I'd appreciate your comments. I understand you think they are an outdated relic that serves no purpose? Am I close? Just wondering what made you think that - is the style of music you play? A certain sound you are going for?

I, on the other hand(no pun intended), use the mute for several songs every show. It's a must for what I do.

Actually, we live in the same city, so who knows, we might have already met. Mute wise, I don't use it and since I play with a pick between the two pick ups it does not interfere with anything, but, like the Ric-O-Sound, it doesn't add anything either, to me at least. I guess it just depends on the sound you're after. But, as we discussed in the last mute topic, IMO it is a PITA if you lose one of the adjusting screws, so for me it falls in the liability column.

Jason, the mute topic is one that some people love and some people don't like a lot at all. Some are players who like the sound it gives them, some are players who never use it and wouldn't miss it if it was gone. I would follow Ronn's advice, if you like it, use it!

I guess I am falling in the in-between camp. It was something that I had read about here - so I decided to try it out. Overall, I really enjoy the sound that I get using the mutes. But I did miss the ringing sustain on certain notes that I use in certain songs. I'm just a newbie, so I guess I don't have to make up my mind yet BTW, I put my pickup cover back on the other night ....but we don't need to start that discussion now

Lindsay - so you are in Springfield? I might have seen you around - where do you normally play?

this like many topics has no absolute answer ...

pick vs fingers ... mute or no mute ... cover or no cover ... mono or stereo ... flat or round wound strings ...

the reason I don't like it is it gets in the way of palm muting ... also it takes a long time to engage or disengage ... also as you go up and down the neck the amount of muting changes ... also the screws fall out ... also the rubber pad dry rots ... also it changes intonation ...

oops I was going to be mute on this ... ahhh ... sometimes an opinion wells up inside me and has to come out ...

Thank you for sharing - I realize for some of the senior members these topics can seem (and actually are) repititious (sp?) - but I as a new member do appreciate each and every one of you taking the time to answer. I have learned so much - it's unreal - thank you again.

I don't mind talking about it at all ... but there may be a few members who are tired of my non-retro opinions ... so I usually softpedal so of my posts ... I play modern music with a little old stuff thrown in ... I have developed an approach to playing whereby I can reproduce pretty much any other bass players style and sound as needed ... and for what I do some of the obsolete features on the ric bass actually get in my way of playing ... so they are removed ... for me it is more the superstructure than the mute itself that is the problem ... for instance the 4003s5 has some of the superstructure removed making palm muting easier ...



and now I usually mill the tailpiece down like this one and I either put a jazz bass pickup in the hole or friction fit a mute pad ...

I see - thank you for the pictures. Even though I've had my 4003JG for the better part of 6 months now, I feel like I'm constantly "discovering" stuff with it - how to get a different sound, what works for me, etc.. Stuff that others have had the experience before.

Hi Jason,

Um, I'm in what you might call a Clapton/Squire "locked in the apartment" phase, so I don't currently treat the public to any personal appearances. Yeah, that's it...

How about you?

A Jazz bass p/up in the mute hole.....genius. This trip to the States is looking more & more on!

For my two penneth, I never use the mute (once in the studio), because it is a pain to raise & doesn't seem to mute the strings evenly. I'd much rather have a Jazz p/up instead.