Reviews

This beautifully crafted wooden straight mute is a gem!

Friday, 29 January 2010 15:38

'If you are looking to be able to produce something a little bit different in the muted stakes, then this beautifully crafted wooden straight mute is a gem.

It really does give a refined colour and texture, especially in the lowest dynamic range. 

Looks the part and plays the part – the Finnish Birch body is lined with a very hard inner material that makes for a very resonant mute that takes a bit of getting used to but rewards the intelligent performer in full.

Something to be brought out on those rare occasions when you are looking to just gild the musical lily – it’s worth it.' DW5551

4 B R ROADTEST   4barsrest.com

Latest thoughts on DW5506

'Used with a touch of musical intellect the ‘ET’ can produce a finely crafted ‘jazz’ sound – everything from Miles Davis to the Penguin Café Orchestra.'

4 B R ROADTEST   4barsrest.com

No wonder so many have been sold – they're hard to improve upon!

'The iconic mute for a generation of performers – and one that has passed the test of time. Superbly crafted and engineered (they all look and sound alike), it has been seen on major concert and contest stages on every continent of the globe.

The mute produces a clear, brilliant sound that allows for a wide dynamic range with secure intonation. No wonder so many have been sold – they're hard to improve upon!

The importance to a brass band of high quality mutes is clear – a mix and match approach invariably produces a mix and match sound – all right in an open-air park concert, but a death knell on the contesting or recording stage.

For cornets in particular, having a complete set of quality homogenous mutes is a must – and worth their weight in gold.  Buy cheap and nasty and you will surely sound the same.

And as long as the Band Secretary can keep an up to date inventory (cornet mutes go AWOL from bandrooms more often than Ronnie Biggs over Wandsworth Prison wall) they are also well worth the investment too.'

4 B R ROADTEST   4barsrest.com

The Denis Wick SM4U Ultra has my warmest recommendation.

Wednesday, 13 January 2010 12:10

 For me, Steven Mead's Ultra SM4U is the right choice over the Alliance and Perantucci mouthpieces, and I feel that, with this mouthpiece, I can better adapt my tone and articulation to my surroundings, and that I can "enter into character" when necessary in the band. The rim shape makes it easy to "get around" in different registers, and the large V-shaped cup will ensure that it is easier to make the "modern British" sound, which is what I personally strive for. 

 The Denis Wick SM4U Ultra has my warmest recommendation.

Steffen Maersk
 Euphonium player, The Royal Lifeguards Music Corps, Copenhagen, Denmark  
Solo Euphonium, Concord Brass Band

(edited and translated from the original Danish)