Customer Reviews

Glaesel Violin Ultra Practice Mute

5 star:		(51)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I am a beginner, and this mute seems to do a fine job in decreasing the volume of my mistakes :) It is very easy to use. The material is firm but very soft so I do not have to worry about damaging the bridge ( I was a bit apprehensive about using a nickel or gold plated mute). The mute fits very well on a 4/4 violin and does will not fall off even if you shake the instrument upside down (not sure why anyone would but isn't it nice to know?). Since it seems over-sized I am sure it would fit on any smaller violin as well.

I only wish it would mute to an even lower volume.

This mute works great! It cuts the loudness down by well over half. My husband said he could barely hear me in the next room. Perfect for practicing, late night playing, or people that live with room mates or in apartments. Easy to put on and take off. The rubber won't hurt your violin, bridge or strings. I love it!

This mute is great! It mutes a lot too! You can actually control how much the mute actually mutes your violin by raising it a little bit above the bridge. I usually put it a little over half way on when I am in a concert and it is Con Sordini because I prefer the tonal qualities of this rather than my "two holed mute". A lot better sound than those metal ones, put less stress on your bridge and are a lot cheaper too!

It makes everything you play much quieter, but not as much as a metal mute does. I have both this and a gold-plated mute, and the gold-plated mute creates a much quieter sound. The difference between the two, as far as I can tell ( and describe ), is the tone quality between the two.

This mute acts more like a traditional mute, but just to a greater extent ( to where everything you play sounds more in the style of dulcine. That is, very soft and sweet sounding, like a lullaby ).

The metal mute, however, makes the sound 'tinny'; or rather, it removes all the warmth from the sound. While this makes the the violin much quieter, I personally found it took a lot of getting used to.

I can't really conclusively say which one is better, as it's a matter of how much quality of sound you're willing to sacrifice to reduce the volume, but I did find that for me the rubber mute provided ample muting properties for practice in my room at night ( in a residential household, that is ) without any complaining from parents, neighbors, or the neighbor's incredibly annoying dog.

I have never used a mute before (am teaching my self to play and have studied cello, piano and voice) so I have nothing to compare this to, but I'm very pleased with the decrease in volume as well as the tonal quality, which seems "richer" with the mute in place. I bought it so I wouldn't drive the neighbours crazy when practicing in the summer with the windows open. The first twenty to thirty minutes of my daily practice is all scales and arpeggios so I am concerned about making the neighbours' ears bleed!
I also like the fact that it's made of rubber rather than metal and so I worry less about damage to the bridge. I've never tried leaving the mute on when I put the violin away because I would worry too much about it not fitting in the case and thereby damaging the bridge (or worse) when I close the case.
All in all, I'm very happy with this mute.
UPDATE:
I emailed a professional violinist (he is concertmaster and violin soloist on movies such as Avatar, Titanic, Ratatouille and more!) and asked him about the advisability of using a mute on a NEW instrument. The instrument needs to develop its pitch and tonality (just as I do!) and that requires the wood to "breathe" and expand with the vibrations created in the instrument itself. I was fearful that a mute would delay that process by decreasing the amount of vibration in the wood. And... I received an answer from him! He said I am correct to worry and that, since I practice about 1.5-2 hours a day X 5 days/week, my violin (a student-grade Samuel Eastman) should be fully developed in approximately 1.5 years. I have been studying now for about 6 months, so the neighbours will have to suffer for another year!
Just something to think about if your instrument is new!

I own a nice solid metal mute for the violin and have enjoyed it for some time. The idea of purchasing the rubber mute was from a fear that the metal one may be causing damage I could not see to the violin, and because it would be able to sit on the bridge without removing it to close the case. I have to say that after the first draw of the bow I learned how small this mute is. The reduction in sound was so negligible that I tossed it into my desk and am likely to never use it again, going back to the solid metal piece.

I got this because I live in an apartment complex and I just started playing violin about a year ago. It does its job well and mutes the violin significantly. If you buy this before you put it on your violin I would recommend you spreading the prongs open a little bit so it is easier to go on.

The other reviews have already said it all. It is cheap, durable, fits perfectly well, doesn't damage the bridge, and reduces the volume to the point a beginner can practice without the risk of having his/her life threatened by angry neighboors!

If you are looking for a mute that you can use at home, at night, at a hotel room... This is it.

I like this mute a lot! My violin's tone doesn't change much at all with this mute, it's really great, does just what it's supposed to--just makes sound quieter: good for apartments. Makes me less shy about playing my violin in my apartment (everyone in the surrounding apts can't listen for how well I am or am not playing, lol)!

My daughter is in her second year of violin, and while she plays well, the volume of the violin can make my teeth hurt. With the mute she can practice in the same room as the rest of us and we can still concentrate on our own duties.

It's not silent or quiet by any means, but we can now hear ourselves think over her playing and that's all that matters. It's nice to be able to encourage her to practice rather than tell her to go to her room to do it.

Ordered Monday, got it Wednesday.