Update on the Trumpeter’s Mute Tray™/Silent Mute Tray™

Loyal PTM readers know that one of my favorite trumpet accessories is my Silent Mute Tray™ from Trumpeter’s Ink. Roger PetroRoy is a great guy to deal with, and his mute tray completely eliminated any repeats of the various hassles and mishaps I’d had with mutes in rehearsals and performances…and yet folds down to next-to-nothing. Below is a picture of the tray I proudly own and use:

Roger dropped me a line recently to let me know that he’s releasing “version 2″ of the Silent Mute Tray™. It still works the same as the original (thank goodness!), but it includes a neat little “extra” for trumpet gearheads everywhere. The picture says it best:

As much as I like to think of myself as a practical person, I have to admit that the trumpet logo would look so cool hanging from the front of a stand. Matte-black bling for the trumpeter.

Here’s the best part: Roger is selling the new trays at the same price as the originals…and to clear out the last two originals he has left, he’s selling those for 10% off. So if you want one of the first of the new models, you can get it at the same great price as before. If you’d rather save a few bucks and get the original, you can do that, too. With only two left, though, you may not want to wait too long to decide!

Full disclosure: Roger does have an ad here at PTM, but I don’t make a dime from the sale of these trays. I just love the product and think Roger’s a great guy, too.

If you do manage to snag one of the last two original Silent Mute Trays, Roger said he’d need your email address so he can send you an adjusted invoice reflecting the discounted price. Seems like an easy enough way to put $3.50 back in your pocket and get a great mute tray in the process. Check it out here, and say ‘hello’ to Roger when you order!

Keep playing,

Mark

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

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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

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

How to make a “silent” trumpet practice mute

If you play trumpet, it’s very likely that you’ve wished for a way to practice your music just like you’ll play it in your orchestra/band/ensemble/etc. without getting complaints from your family…or worse, your neighbors. Many commercial options exist to fill this need – the Brass Spa Practice Mute and Yamaha’s Silent Brass, among others. These are great products, but they carry prices ranging from $25-$160. How would you like to make something nearly as good for less than two bucks?

I’ll defer to Jim Donaldson (of Schilke Loyalist and Trumpet Gearhead fame) for the core instructions, but here is the quick take:

1. Buy a Renuzit air freshener. Be sure to pick a scent you like.

2. Enjoy it in your home for a few weeks. If you’re impatient or need your mute now, you can skip this step.

3. Open the air freshener and wash out the remaining scented material. This may require soaking if you did step 2.

4. Remove the “plug” at the top and press/drill a small hole in it.

5. Put the top and bottom together.

6. Wrap cork or weatherstripping around the top. I used weatherstripping, and it seems to hold up best if you cut the ends at an angle where they meet…like ____/  and /____.

7. Put sound-deadening material inside, if desired. I find this unnecessary, but YMMV.

8. Optionally put the “plug” in the top of the assembled mute. I have tried it both ways and leave mine out.

Since a picture is worth a thousand words, here are a couple to show the finished – and well-used – final product.

Between the air freshener and the weatherstripping, your total cost to make this “silent” practice mute comes to under $2.00. If you use the air freshener for its original purpose first, the mute is effectively free! Now, wouldn’t you rather put that money against a new mouthpiece?

For any other “gearheads” out there, here is a performance comparison that shows how your new Renuzit mute stacks up against several commercially-made practice mutes. What do you think? Good enough? Leave a comment and let us know!

Keep playing,

Mark

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