Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I like using the mute, gives me that Macca sound with my roundwounds in conjunction with the tone pots. I have noticed that I have to tune down a little when I use it because it makes all the notes a little sharp. Anybody else use it?

I do occasionaly in the studio. There are times when only that sound will do the job & I love having the option. I agree about the sharpness thing!

Given that the mute is quite a bit forward of the saddles, I would think that the intonation would also be off, with all notes going sharp even with retuning down to pitch.

tried it once back in the 70's ... I did not like it ... to restricting ... too one dimensional ... it takes too long to put in place and too long to disengage ... and it changes intonation ... and it gets in the way of palm muting ... I can get the McCartney sound with round wound strings and a pick and plam muting ...

I think you can get a nice upright-like decay with it and just snug it up to the strings until they don't buzz on open strings and it'll be less likely to go sharp on you. You'd be surprised at how well it can cut through the mix with that sound.

I use my mute, but very lightly, I've also put a piece of very soft felt over the foam which give me more control over the level.

Last touch, a little plastic washer over the end of the screw after it goues through the mute bar. Stops me from over loosening anddropping the mute bar !!! .

Bob, like you I'm in a Blues outfit, and for some of the older songs the muted sound works great. I'm going to look at learning to play an Upright later this year, and hopefully I'll not kill myself with it. !!!

Uprights are great, you'll love it, they are like weight lifting for your arms and fingers. The hardest part for me has been trying to learn the rock a billy slapping technique. They are also a pain to amplify, I've got 4 different pickups right now. I'm waiting for a report on a variation of the horseshoe from Sérgio right now like the old Ric upright horseshoe pickups. sérgio?

Ya sure, I use the mute all of the time....to hold it's adjusting screws in place!

Another hidden benefit of the mute bar !!!

Hey Bob,
I'm yet to come up with a working upright p.u. design. Most likely it will resemble a P-Bass pickup, with two series-linked halves. Just give me some time. (Sorry for bringing up an unrelated subject, fellows.)

oh ya ... another thing I don't like about the mute ... the screws fall out and you have to go searching the dirty floor of a grungy bar to find them things ...

You're jinxed Jeff ... the mute knows you don't like it so it acts up at every opportunity !!!!

I've never used the mute. That's what hands are for.

Jeff, are you saying the screws fall out when it's down and not in use? I've never had that happen. But then again, when I use a pick my palm is on the neck side of the bridge pickup.

I have a habit of whacking the the tailpiece of a Ric bass against an amp cabinet or putting it there so sustain and feedback go crazy ... under those circumstances almost any screw in the bass can come loose and fall out ... but the mute screws even more so ...

I've had to pick up the screws also. My picking hand tends to rotate the screw until it eventually falls out.