The New E.F.Elliott "RS Model" Guitars

[JimPage]

Hey--

This is an interesting discussion. I hope some more folks chime in about muting a guitar.

I have never mastered palm muting on a guitar, or had a GUITAR with a built-in mute. I used to have an Epiphone Rivoli bass with a mute back in the late 1960s, and I have a piece of foam rubber muting the '51 Reissue Precision bass of mine all the time. I like the thunk of a muted flatwound string on a bass.

But I have never considered a guitar-mute device. I can see where it might be useful, especially as Mel describes it.

Playing rhythm guitar in my Bakersfield-country band, I am called upon to mute sometimes, and I usually make a hash of it.

--Jim

[MWaldorf]

The aluminum bridge makes the guitar brighter, but it's not suddenly a Fender. It's similar to the difference of picking a roller bridge guitar over the bridge pickup pole pieces vs between the bridge pickup and the bridge. Personally I like it.

The mute on a Fender Jaguar does a better job of actually muting. I think the thickness of the mute foam pad and the spring loaded pressure on the strings are the key factors. Of course, it's also far more likely to push the guitar sharp. My guess is that with a softer material on the Mosrite mute would make it more effective.

I know some Gretsches also had mutes on them, but I've never had the chance to try one to see how well it works.

[EFElliott]

Hey Mel,

What type of material if the pad on your mute made of??
I've been using an automotive weather stripping
It sticks well to the aluminum and it's nice and softh and spongie.
Just today in a little hardware store I found some 1/4"
black felt material with a strong adhesive backing.
Going to experiment on a couple "String Dampeners" tomorrow.
I think Mel might be on to something.
I like the name "String Dampener" better than "Flip Mute"
and it's actully what the divise dose, it dampens.

Ed

[twango the clown]

Well, if you want to talk 'string dampener,' I don't even need a guitar for that! I've got two string dampeners growing out of my wrists.
My hands ooze a caustic fluid like the stuff that drools off The Alien, and strings just melt like an evanescent frost...
Maybe someone could design a guitar with little gym towels that come up at the touch of a finger and swab your hands dry.
While we're trying out new names for Ed's marvelous new guitar, here's my suggestion for the RS Student model: The One.
To me this guitar looks perfect as is, and the little do-hickey bridge attachment is an endearing touch of kitsch,(Did I spell that right?) however well it works. That whole bridge assembly has tons of style. When I see this guitar, it makes me think of other minimalist icons: LP Jr., Esquire, Streamliner, ES-125 et cetera, and it more than holds its own in that company.
And try to imagine that figured maple neck, so much more functional and pretty than the mahogany original!

[Veenture]

Well, if you want to talk 'string dampener,' I don't even need a guitar for that! I've got two string dampeners growing out of my wrists.

[gman]

I have never mastered palm muting on a guitar,

I'm quite curious about this.

How do you pick? (pick, fingers .. . etc)

How high do you wear your guitar? (on a scale from Vernon Reid to Johnny Ramone)

How tall are you?

... these all give me an idea of the geometry of your hand-arm-guitar-body

Acoustic/electric?

What volume do you play at? clean overdriven

What guitar are you playing (should I have to ask this on this board?)

. . . what goes wrong when you mute?

[JimPage]

Hey, gman--

Thanks for the assistance! There's nothing unusual about my playing or how my mechanics are when I play. I prefer a clean sound for the stuff I play, and I don't play too loud, as I am generally playing rhythm guitar parts.

Again, in the two bands I'm in, we play Bakersfield country or rockabilly/classic rock. My guitars are listed below and I rotate through the Mosrite and the two Hallmarks in these bands. The Martin D-41 is generally reserved for acoustic jam sessions.

The issue is that my palm muting seems-- to me-- to be a little heavy handed. I sometimes feel as though I might be muting too much.

What I probably need to do is just practice it more. One of the fellows I play with is a jazz-guitar whiz, college trained, and he is my go-to guy for technical guidance. I may mention the situation to him and report back as to what his response is.

I'll let you know! I was at his place last night, and, probably due to tiredness on my part, I just played terribly. I was playing bass in the Bakersfield ensemble at this practice, and my bass playing is too busy for that kind of music. So I am having to re-learn to keep it extremely simple and in the pocket.

It's all good, and that is one thing wonderful about playing these instruments: There is always more to learn and to develop!

--Jim

[jfine]

"Palm-muting" is kind of a nisnomer as you don't actually use your palm--you use the heel of your picking hand. Rest the heel of your hand lightly on the bridge where the strings cross it--it may take some experimentation to find the precise spot. Too far back and you'll get no mute at all, too far forward and you'll get too much click and not enough note. I find that it's easier when I wear the guitar up a little higher, and it's also more comfortable on a guitar with a higher bridge, like a Mosrite or a Gibson, but it's doable on flatter-bridged guitars like Fenders too--it may just take some getting used to.

[JimPage]

Okay, Jon: What you wrote so concisely was EXACTLY what I needed to hear. Now I've got it.

For some reason, other folks' explanations didn't get the point across to me like your explanation did. Maybe the "palm" portion of the description was what was throwing me. I was turning my right hand so that the palm engaged the strings, and that just didn't work right.

After reading your post, I just spent half an hour doing old Motown and Stax stuff, using that palm-muting technique as you described it, and it worked exactly like I wanted it to; very controllable.

I owe you one! THANKS!!!

--Jim

[arpsum]

I've just received Eddy's masterpiece. I'm so surprised to play with it. It's so easy to play and sounds so good! Hi Eddy, you're the best luthier I've ever met.