Wmutes?

November 23, 2022, 11:47 PM · I use one, and I like it. It mutes as much as some practice mutes, though perhaps not quite as much as a solid metal one. Not cheap though.

Edited: November 24, 2022, 3:00 AM · I have had solid brass which I ditched very quickly, and I've had an Artino which I can't find any more, so I may have ditched it, but I'd be surprised. Otoh, it's a bugger to fix to your bridge and I'm not convinced it's guaranteed not to damage a violin. Also your view over the top of it is restricted.

As to heavy rubber mutes, I've had 3 or 4 and find that there is quite a lot of variety among them, so if you only have one, you may find it worth buying a few more, all different, to see which you prefer, since they won't break the bank.

However, it is possible that the perfect mute design has not been discovered yet. Some friends were discussing the differences between fixed, floating and violin bridges, and I quickly looked up some stuff on the violin bridge - it seems that it operates at low frequencies as a lever pivoting on the soundpost, but has a resonant frequency, broadband, I assume, at about 2KHz to boost the highs. We all know that mutes don't really mute - they change the tonality - i.e. stop the bridge from resonating, but this may mean that it has no effect on how our neighbours perceive our playing. I suspect that a mute has no effect on lows, but I may be wrong. So something that attenuates all frequencies (not equally - that would just make it sound like a quiet violin - it would have to attenuate the lows somewhat and the highs more - the altered tonality is part of the attraction of a mute) may still await discovery.

November 24, 2022, 12:08 PM · Gordon, the OP was asking about a specific mute called "Wmute"

November 24, 2022, 12:25 PM · I know.
My point was, the OP seemed to be looking for practice mutes, and the wmute didn't look like one of those to me, but there's more than just one flavour of heavy rubber mute.

November 24, 2022, 3:09 PM · Wmutes is more of a metal clip with a cork lining. At least it won't be as bulky and give more space near the bridge for bowing.

Edited: November 24, 2022, 5:25 PM · WMutes does sell the heavy practice-type variety with the same clip-on design as their performance mute, but for a steep 65€. The reduced size of this mute aside, I can't imagine it being so much better than other (cheaper) practice mutes that the cost can be justified...

November 25, 2022, 5:18 PM · I ended up buying it. With a black Friday deal and a credit card bonus it brought the price down about $20. I'll see how it compares to the artino.

November 28, 2022, 9:22 PM · If you haven't tried a Wiessmeyer (Viowess) Catrpilr, you might want to. It's 3-D printed, quite light, and reasonably effective at cutting down resonance without destroying tone quality.

https://www.viowiess.com/shopindex/pm

December 16, 2022, 3:23 PM · Although not super experienced with mutes, I find the wmute to be less effective than an all metal 4 prong, but less than a brass three prong mute. I didn't notice a difference in sound dynamics when comparing the different materials wmutes uses. Worth the price? I don't think so. But it looks nice on the violin :)

Edited: December 16, 2022, 10:54 PM · I got the wmutes practice mute now and I have been using it for a week or two. The tone is much better than the artino probably due to the lack of dampening on the g string. It is not as quiet as the artino, but I prefer the tone and provides enough muting for my purposes. Overall I'm satisfied, but even moreso because it was on sale. I wouldn't pay the retail price for this.

December 17, 2022, 1:30 AM ·
It wasn't until a recent visit to a local luthier, that I became aware of performance mutes, versus "practice" mutes. They have less mass and produce a louder sound. Yet, the sound is unmistakedly muted.

That's all that I use now.

December 17, 2022, 5:50 AM · Thanks Lydia, Viowess Catrpilr for cello is on the way.