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Good morning,

I’m looking for ideas for fashioning a bell front baritone horn practice mute. The only idea I have so far is to modify a H & B curved cup mute if I can find one. Other suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks,
20I

Some years ago, when I played a bell-front baritone instead of tuba for a couple of years in community band (those seasons we had tubas but no baritones) I purchased an H&B stone-lined straight mute for general playing. I had to re-do the corks to fit, but I made it happen. I found I had to be careful not to trim the corks too much or the pitch would go flat. Of course, that helped a straight mute tone, but didn't lower the volume significantly.

Then I got a H&B bucket mute for it - H&B calls it a "Velvet-Tone." That not only gave a softer tone, but also tempered the volume. That might make a good alternative to a practice mute. The three legs are adjustable so it will clip securely to the bell rim.

Alas, I now am back to playing tuba and I sold my baritone and all accessories. But these are my experiences.

Link to H&B: https://humesandberg.com/product-catego ... ium-mutes/

I appreciate your avatar name. I am also one who thinks the "American" bell-front instrument is superior to a euphonium for blend with both the trombones and the woodwinds in an American concert band. And the hybrid bore and taper, to my ears, projects, or cuts through, better for such things as march countermelodies.

I know you didn't ask this, but I recommend a Denis Wick Ultra SM6U mouthpiece. That's what I played. It is essentially a 6 1/2 AL, but with a deeper cup. This keeps the low register from being grainy, gives roundness to the middle register, and lets you put enough air through the horn to secure the upper register. It comes in a standard baritone (trombone) shank as a stock item:
https://www.deniswick.com/product/steve ... 8242187500

^^This is all very helpful, thank you! The velvet tone might be a better place to start if I can find one. Thanks for the mouthpiece advice as well.

I've experienced just a little bit that some things are still in their printed catalog which they no longer are interested in making. I hope they still make that for you. Otherwise, Maybe you need an art student who is good at paper mache...??

H & B is unresponsive to inquiries. Hickeys is attempting to check availability of the curved cup mute. I don’t find any dealers listing the 11” velvet tone.

Several years ago, Taylor Music (owned by a friend of mine) listed a curved H&B "recording bass Stonelined" mute.

I'm quite sure that they won't make those anymore, so I asked him to remove it from eBay and sell it to me.

I rarely use it, but I HAVE it.

I suspect you may need to ask-and-ask-and-ask (and watch-and-watch-and-watch) for a USED one, again - unless you are willing to attempt to fabricate one.

Funny thing is I did once have one. I’m guessing I sold it, but don’t remember.

I happen to live with a sculptor, so fabrication is definitely a possibility. Just looking for an easier solution first.

Thanks.

Edit: I ordered a curved cup mute from Hickeys, who will work to determine ETA. No charge until (if) it ships.

My recollection.. okay I just looked at my tuba one.. is that these are made out of cut pieces of straight cone fiber material, and fit back together with jagged corners. It would be a risk of screwing up something sort of expensive, but I wonder if you could buy a straight baritone horn mute that is Stonelined, cut it up, and put it back together in a curved shape.. or maybe your friend who's the artist sculptor could do that?

Obviously, the corks' INTERIOR shape follows the jagged joints, but the EXTERIOR shapes of the corks are smooth-curved.

Illustration-wise, this flue pipe is the closest that I could find to any sort of analogy:

That has possibilities, thanks.

I’m also looking for a Conn 21I bell or entire instrument to accommodate a straight practice mute. I do like the short-action valves.