Best Flugelhorn Mutes & Best Practice Mute for FlugelHorn
DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning when you click the links and make a purchase, I receive a commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
If you play the flugelhorn, there are certain instances where you will need to have a mute. Assuming you’re living in a home or apartment where your loved ones or next door neighbor hate to hear the sound of your disturbing instrument. To avoid angry looks and heavy banging on your door, you will need to buy a flugelhorn mute that would reduce the sound while still maintaining a quality tone.
However, as much as you will love to buy a mute and stay out of trouble, finding the right one or how to go about it, can be like climbing up Mount Everest. But just when you think this is a significant hurdle to cross, it isn’t. You only have to know what to consider before rolling out the dollars.
What are the Best Flugelhorn Mutes to Buy?
2) Yamaha PM6X Silent Brass Pickup Mute
- High-performance mute with internal microphone
- Wide pitch range & natural playability
- Compact and light
1) Yamaha SB6X2 Flugelhorn Mute
- Internal microphone to create a pickup sound
- High-performance mute construction
- Able to connect portable audio players
3) Denis Wick DW5535 Practice Mute
- Excellent air transfer for a nice and natural feel
- Stable and a reasonable level of resistance
- Perfect intonation throughout all registers
First, you have to think about the material type that forms the makeup of your target mute. Flugelhorn mutes are available in three main material designs. These are plastic, metal, and wood.
Plastic mutes are known to be more perfect for flugelhorn student players. That is, if you want to be using your flugelhorn for more practice than for real-time playing, then a plastic mute is the best option. The reason is that they are light and will allow you to practice for a long time without getting tired so easily. Besides, the sound they produce is not as bright as those produced by their metal counterparts. So, if you want a more dedicated practice mute, go for the plastic ones.
On the other hand, metal mutes are mutes that feature brass or mostly silver-plated constructions. These type of mutes are for flugelhorn players who want to perform in between sounds while on stage or with a band. Their sound quality is much more professional across all ranges of registers. However, they tend to be a bit heavy and may turn out to be unsuitable for people who are just learning how to play the flugelhorn. But if you want more of a professional, bright and far-reaching sound, go for these types of mutes.
The last categories are mutes made out of wood. This type of mutes produces a much warmer and colorful tone but appears heavier than their plastic counterparts. Wooden mutes render more natural sound, and they are mostly available as straight mutes. They usually feature birch or plywood construction.
So whatever you think is best for you, go along with that and select the best out of these 8 flugelhorn mutes listed below.
8 Best Flugelhorn Mute Reviews and the Best Flugelhorn Mute Brands
1) Yamaha SB6X2 Flugelhorn Mute
The Yamaha SB6X2 Mute is the accessory you need if you want to play your flugelhorn instrument without any restriction or confinement whatever. The mute allows you to play your flugelhorn at any location and whatever time you want. The mute features an internal microphone to create a pickup sound with its high-performance mute construction.
With the internal microphone, you can connect to your smart devices such as phones or portable audio players. By so doing, you will be able to play right along with your favorite tunes and enjoy the best of your playing style. Also, you can use the “minus-one” backing tracks for practice.
When you buy this mute, you get a cable, top-quality stereo earphones, together with a user manual. It is an excellent mute for professionals and beginners alike.
2) Yamaha PM6X Silent Brass Pickup Mute
This is one of the best mutes in the market for many reasons. First, the mute comes from a brand that has made a name for itself in the instrument and accessory market. The Yamaha PM6X is a silent brass pickup mute that is particularly tailored to meet the needs of flugelhorn players.
The Yamaha PM6X measures 6.3 x 5.5 x 9.1 inches in dimensions to define its suitability for a flugelhorn. It weighs 15.4 ounces and comes with a cord included.
You can easily attach and remove the mute without having too much struggle. It provides a perfect fit. It is light, and the compact frame allows you to put it inside the bell, which in turn, makes it possible to store it inside a case. By so doing you are helping to protect and elongate the longevity of the mute while making transport easier.
The Yamaha PM6X has a full range pitch that renders excellent intonation. It has a touching melody, and its natural playability makes it perfect for any flugelhorn.
3) Denis Wick DW5535 Practice Mute
This Denis Wick DW5535 Practice Mute is perfect for players who have smaller size flugelhorns. It is also ideal for use with a trombone. The mute project an excellent air transfer for a nice and natural feel. It is a perfect practice mute for your flugelhorn. It weighs 7.7 ounces, which allows a beginner player to practice without getting tired.
While a lot of the practice mutes out there are infamous for the deficiencies in intonation, pitch, and excessive resistance, the Denis Wick DW5535 is different. This mute has accurate tone, a pitch that is stable and a reasonable level of resistance. It can render perfect intonation across all registers that make this mute a great option.
As a practice mute, the DW5535 mute the sound almost a to appoint of silence. It helps in the buildup of air support needed for the discreet sound. It has a nice touch to the sound while allowing the flugelhorn player to practice in quiet mode.
The DW5535 is one of the most reliable practice mutes in the Denis Wick’s inventory.
4) Bremner (SshhMute) Flugelhorn Practice
The Sshhmute as provided by Bremner allows a flugelhorn player to practice just about anywhere you can think of. With this mute, you only need a little amount of back pressure, compared to other practice mutes in the market that requires extensive pressure. One of the reasons why this mute is popular is that it remains in tune and doesn’t change from its faithful accuracy throughout the entire range of the instrument when in play.
Bremner incorporates the best and most durable ABS plastic construction that doesn’t wear easily. Thanks to the plastic construction, this mute is lightweight and is what you need to practice comfortably at odd times.
The SshhMute comes in a soft carrying bag, but it is the better air supply as a result of its small level of back pressure that steals the show.
If you are looking for an excellent practicing mute before stepping on stage, get the SshhMute!
5) Bremner Music sshhMute Practice Mute for Flugelhorn
This Bremner mute is an excellent choice for any flugelhorn owner who wants to practice anywhere and at any time. The mute features ABS plastic body construction, which can withstand extensive use due to its solid state. You can rely on the plastic body mute as it does not wear out quickly, nor comes with parts that could break or fall off at any time.
Made in New Zealand, the Bremner mute was designed to take care of the need of flugelhorn players who desire to practice and play in an otherwise less friendly environment. And does it work for that purpose? Yes, it does work, and that is why it has seen lots of recommendations by music professionals.
The latest model of this mute is now available in a beautiful and easy to store box where you can safely keep the mute. But, the most important benefit of the mute is the extensively little amount of back pressure it generates.
By this, it can render improved air supply while allowing the muscles of the throat to project better airflow. The mute will enable you to have accurate tuning throughout the range of the instrument. The resistance factor has excellent improvement, and you can extend your practice sessions while enhancing your accuracy and pitching as well.
The Bremner sshhmute is a completely universal, and its versatility means you can use it with the majority of the brass instruments out there without compromising their effectiveness.
Lastly, considering that this is a plastic mute, the sound it produces is much lower than metal mutes. Hence, it will fit well as a practice mute where you are sharing the apartment with friends or loved.
6) Denis Wick Wooden Straight Mute
Not much other mutes in the market offers the best warm tone compared to a wooden straight mute. The Denis Wick Wooden Straight Mute features the best rendition in soft dynamics. The mute is made of birch faced wood and plywood known for a colorful, warm intonation across all registers.
The Denis Wick wooden mute also has marine ply bases and plywood sidewalls that are lined with a top-quality vulcanized fiber. The essence of this construction is to provide a warm, earthy sound, with outstanding and superior durability.
With this birch wood construction, your flugelhorn will produce a less-bright sound, compared to the mute’s aluminum counterparts. The mute is an excellent choice for orchestral and band, especially in a situation where the flugelhorn player needs to blend in with other sounds.
The Denis Wick wooden mute offers excellent performance at the lower dynamics. Its level of intonation is outstanding across all registers. The birch and marine ply wooden combination gives it extreme rigidity and strength. It also offers a snug fit through its natural corks.
7) Jo-Ral Copper Bottom Flugelhorn Bubble Mute
If you are looking for a large bubble shape mute with excellent free-flowing sound, this is it! The Jo-Ral mute is regarded as the “wah-wah” type of mute. The bubble shape is large and is the only type of mute of this nature that is made to suit a flugelhorn.
Due to its versatile bubble shape, the mute can provide a merry-go-round sound across all registers. You can easily distinguish the sound it offers from other mutes because it contains a buzz—something that most jazz musicians appreciate.
The company, Jo-Ral, has a full line of these mutes, and they are made of the highest quality. This model features hand-spun aluminum construction to ensure its durability. The bottom parts of the mute features a copper finish and this also contribute to the overall sound it projects. The copper effects give artistic expression to musicians.
The all-aluminum design renders a powerful bright muted sound. The brass-bottom construction also contributes to the warmer and familiar sound which is ideal for small settings.
8) Humes & Berg Stonelined Straight Flugelhorn Mute
If you are living in a condo or an apartment where the neighbors are not that friendly with sounds, this is the mute you will need to play your flugelhorn. It is a straight flugelhorn mute, and it’s ideal for a person who wants to practice discreetly.
The weight is light, measuring 2.53 ounces, with a body dimension at 12 x 9 x 9 inches. This makes it effortless to use while practicing without getting tired so quickly. Although it is a flugelhorn mute, it can also work well for some other brass instruments. It is used by brass lovers globally.
The sound it produces is simply outstanding and crisp, with reassuring precision in perfection. The mute features a white and red design with stonelined construction. It offers a bright, tinny sound that is loved by classical and jazz musical artists. The stonelined material renders much of a softer and muted tone and response than a majority of the available metal mutes.
It has good intonation, and the material allows it to produce an even tone across every range of your flugelhorn.
Choosing the Best Practice Mute for Flugelhorn
The best way to enjoy your flugelhorn is to buy a functional mute. Mutes are available in different shapes and sizes. We have the Straight Mute, which happens to be the first mute any flugelhorn player will use while starting out. Straight mutes produce buzzy types of sound, which also varies with the material used in making it.
A Cup Mute is the type of mute that has a cup-like shape design. Some of them come with adjustable features that allow the player to achieve more ‘closed’ sound. The sound you will get will depend on the material used in making it.
2) Yamaha PM6X Silent Brass Pickup Mute
- High-performance mute with internal microphone
- Wide pitch range & natural playability
- Compact and light
1) Yamaha SB6X2 Flugelhorn Mute
- Internal microphone to create a pickup sound
- High-performance mute construction
- Able to connect portable audio players
3) Denis Wick DW5535 Practice Mute
- Excellent air transfer for a nice and natural feel
- Stable and a reasonable level of resistance
- Perfect intonation throughout all registers
Harmon Mutes are also famously known as “wah-wah” mutes, and this mute is ideal for people who love big bands and jazz bands. The Harmon mute has two distinct parts—the central part that goes into the bell and an extendable tube that comes from the bell, but which has a profound effect on the sound when extended. These are the different types of mutes in the market, and each can go well with your flugelhorn, depending on your style and preference.