Review: Trumpeter’s Mute Tray™/Silent Mute Tray™

Have you bumbled and fumbled over the years for your mutes? Ever drop one during a performance? (Cringe) Have you ever said to yourself that “there must be something out there that’s better than this?”

So have I. Over the years, I’ve used various means and mechanisms to hold my mutes during rehearsals and performances, and I’ve lived with the shortcomings of each of them. I’ve tried portable-but-too-flimsy solutions, and I’ve tried sturdy-but-too-bulky ones. No one seemed to be able to get the right combination of usability and transportability…until now.

The last mute holder you may ever want to buy

I recently ordered a Silent Mute Tray™ from Trumpeter’s Ink. From discussions with Trumpeter’s Ink owner Roger PetroRoy, it became clear that he had been down the same, frustrating path and had worked out what could be the ideal solution. I decided to give it a try, and I’ve been nothing but impressed. Here is how the Silent Mute Tray™ stacked up.

Shipping

One word: fast. From the time of order to time of receipt was only a couple of days. Why can’t all vendors do this?

Setup

One instruction sheet covered everything. Unfold, hang from your music stand, stock with mutes, and you’re ready for a smooth rehearsal or performance…for a change!

Portability

The Silent Mute Tray™ folds flat. It’s barely longer than the tray on a Manhasset music stand, and it collapses to less than 1/4 inch thick in most places – about 1/2 inch on the hinged corners. I slide mine in the zipper pocket of my case with my music folder.

Design and construction/durability

You can tell this was designed by someone who actually uses it! The Trumpeter’s Mute Tray™ has a powder-coated, steel frame; the Silent Mute Tray™ is coated with a plastic covering for even quieter mute insertions and withdrawals. Construction is solid, and you never worry about it “catching” on a mute or coming apart when you’re doing a quick mute change in a tight passage.

Price

This is the icing on the cake. I’ve bought and built solutions over the years, and even the cheapest home-built wasn’t that inexpensive…not to mention the practice time I sacrificed to build the thing. As of this writing, the Trumpeter’s Mute Tray is only $29.95, and the Silent Mute Tray™ is only five bucks more. You can add a narrow mute clip (for H&B straight mutes, for example) for a whopping $2.50 – highly recommend.

Total price, shipped to your door in record time, is about $40 ($45 for the Silent version). Not bad for the best mute holder you may ever own!

If you want to stop fumbling for mutes and just play, go to Trumpeter’s Ink and order one. Get it, check it out, and drop Roger a line and tell him how much you love it. I did.

Keep playing,

Mark

Related Articles:

• Update on the Trumpeter’s Mute Tray™/Silent Mute Tray™
• The Silent Mute Tray: an update
• The man behind the mute tray
• How to make a “silent” trumpet practice mute