I took my 5-string on a recent business trip in case I might find a session or at least so I'd have something to do in the hotel. That's when I realized that my 4-string practice mute wouldn't really do the job (I can kinda-sorta fit it on the bridge).

Has anybody seen such a thing as a 5-string practice mute?

I know that's asking a lot considering there's not even many 5-string tail-pieces exist...

Hi Jerald,

Thanks for the pointer on the tail pieces -- that's a good find.

I do have some skill with woodworking and even metal-working (from working in a machine shop ages ago), but the issue is mostly time and access to a milling machine.

You brought up some good ideas though, and it makes me think there's probably something already out there that can be adapted with less cost/effort than hogging a mute out of a big chunk of brass. Damping the sound from a bridge is not exactly rocket science.

I'll be thinking about this next time I go through a hardware store, and will report back if anything works particularly well.

Or maybe some entrepreneur can get in on the ground floor of the 5-string mute wave and make a fortune ;^)

Best regards,

Rich

In reply to the question of a practice mute for a 5-string, Tartini wrote:
"I know that not everyone, especially in hotel rooms, enjoy the sound of
a violinist practicing at 2 AM".

The WiplstiX is good for that, though it entails going back to only four
strings. Its neck might be too narrow to work as a conversion to a
5-string, unless we could get Bill Whipple to build a few with the neck
cut wider.

I tried a violin Tourte (two hole) and a viola Tourte (one hole) but
they had little effect on the Carruth 5-string, perhaps a slight change
in timbre. Then tried a firm-rubber Ultra practice mute from the viola,
which neither fit particularly well nor had satisfactory effect when
pushed over either end of the bridge. Next step will be home-made, based
on recent inspiration.

While photographing instruments from the estate of a local
viola-da-gamba player (R.I.P. Bonnie) there were a number of curiosities
by her late husband who also played, collected and modified early
instruments -- 5, 6, 7 and 9-string instruments, one with 12 sympathetic
strings running beneath the fingerboard, etc. One gamba, a 6-string, had
a partially finished but functional practice mute -- a thick piece of
walnut, sculpted to fit between the strings, pencil lines where CW was
planning to refine the shape. Intriguing, but in the press of time neglected
to photograph it while in hand.

How uniform are string spacings at the bridge? Would it even be possible
to produce a line of practice mutes that would fit the majority of
5-string violins/violas out there?

I'll check the shelves for a piece of heavy wood, and looks like with
backsaw, fretsaw and some knife work it should be possible to make up
something of like kind, and then see how it functions. A luthier, of
course, would have wood, tools, and better yet, woodworking skills to do
it quicker and better. Who will get to it first?

OK you all have inspired me and I do have access to a milling machine. I took a piece of brass about 1.437in. wide.625in. high and .250in.thick, milled a .070in. slot for the bridge and three .250in. slots about .400in. deep for string clearance. After some sanding, filing, and smoothing of corners I now have a beautiful brass 5-string violin mute that literally kills the sound. My Dudley is a banjo killer but this mute reduces it to a whisper, which is a good thing since I usually practice late at night when others are sleeping...it helps me unwind.