Astronauts -string mute

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SurfGuitar101 Forums » Gear »

Astronauts -string mute

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LinkJr Joined: Mar 13, 2015 Posts: 30	Posted on Oct 10 2021 12:27 PM Hi Guys, Wondering if you can help clear this up, The astronauts surely used the jag string mute for the rhythm parts right? theres no way someone can keep that level of consistency just dampening the strings for the whole song is there? Top
ldk Joined: Nov 08, 2017 Posts: 357 San Francisco Bay Area	Posted on Oct 10 2021 01:52 PM Good question. I'd like to know, too — If I'd stop buying old guitars to fix, I might actually learn to play. Bringing instruments back to life since 2013. Top
Redfeather Joined: Jul 30, 2016 Posts: 854	Posted on Oct 11 2021 01:48 AM I think it's entirely possible that they did it with just a palm. I've done it for a whole song and I'm totally earthbound. Top
surferjoemusic Joined: Jan 01, 2008 Posts: 2105 Livorno	Posted on Oct 11 2021 04:13 AM Well the rhythm guitar here is all palm muted, the string mute is one of the most useless invention of Fender - if you ask me. There is absolutely no need to it and actually having to use a mechanical device to mute the strings reduces the playing possibilities and the potential dynamic of the tune you are playing. But this song of mine is just to bring you an example of course. Where do you find a difficulty in palm muting for long time? Is it in the way you hit the strings or the hand position? — Lorenzo "Surfer Joe" Valdambrini (www.surfmusic.net) Top
HallmarkSweptWinger Joined: Jul 27, 2006 Posts: 1284 Berlinesia, Germanifornia	Posted on Oct 11 2021 10:26 AM The palm muting is a guitar technique like other techniques are. It´s a question of training like everything in playing an instrument. We (Kilaueas) have a lot of songs where we play palm muted downstrokes for a few minutes. It´s a typical surf music element. Simply put the thenar of your right hand onto the bridge (in a position which is not stressful for you). The pressing of your thenar onto the bridge can be varied for different song parts if needed. And then play downstrokes very hard. If you want to play such stuff you can train it with low tempo. BUT you have to train it every day. (maybe for minimum 10-15 minutes each day) After 2 weeks (or more) you are there if you want it. The tempo is another question. You have to train it slow and speed it up slowly for days or/and weeks. — Twang cheers! Ralf Kilauea www.kilaueas.de https://kilaueas.bandcamp.com/album/touch-my-alien Top
DeathTide Joined: Apr 13, 2018 Posts: 1343 New Orleans	Posted on Oct 11 2021 11:00 AM I cannot imagine using one of those. I bet they sound great, and who knows, maybe they make better drips? They were removed before I got my guitars, so I’ve never tried one. They’re so weird I almost don’t see how it’s possible. I’ve never seen it anyhow, but I am woefully sheltered from surf shows. In addition to what those above said, I find the angle and thickness of the pic makes a huge difference. So even if you use the mute but aren’t hitting the strings properly, you still won’t get that awesome drip. You can kind of tell by hearing it. When the pick is more flat to the string the attack is super loud, but if the pic is more 45° or 30°, it’s a much softer attack. — Daniel Deathtide Top
HallmarkSweptWinger Joined: Jul 27, 2006 Posts: 1284 Berlinesia, Germanifornia	Posted on Oct 22 2021 05:15 AM At last no one seriously uses those string mutes. You lose your whole intonation if you use it. And it can not replace real palm string muting. — Twang cheers! Ralf Kilauea www.kilaueas.de https://kilaueas.bandcamp.com/album/touch-my-alien Top
synchro Joined: Feb 02, 2008 Posts: 4128 Not One-Sawn, but Two-Sawn . . . AZ.	Posted on Oct 22 2021 08:20 AM I’ve never seen a mute that was worth the bother. The Jaguar mutes that I’ve tried push the strings out of tune. There were muted on certain Hretsch models and, while these were highly adjustable, they still cause a lot of problems. Palm muting can be taken to an art form. It takes a bit of practice, but it works beautifully. Best of all, once you are comfortable with it, you can mute in real time, without the time it takes to activate a hardware mute. — The artist formerly known as: Synchro When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar. Top
Monosurf Joined: Oct 29, 2020 Posts: 23	Posted on Oct 22 2021 10:01 AM I've only been learning to play surf guitar for a little over a year. I agree with some of the other posts and practice palm muting each time I sit down to play. I have a Boss Loop pedal and have specifically been using the song "surf Party" as a way to practice (you could also use "Firewater"). I've also been practicing Tremelo picking ala Dick Dale (which is a whole separate issue) each day. They just seem sorta the tools of the trade so to speak. Top
edwardsand Joined: Jun 29, 2018 Posts: 661	Posted on Oct 22 2021 03:03 PM I have no problem palm muting for a long stretch and don't really practice doing it much. My vintage Jaguar came with a mute, but the foam was too worn to do much, so I never found it to be of much use. I was never even taught how to palm mute, as far as I recall. I just figured out at some point early on that that was how you made the guitar sound a certain way and eventually learned what it was called. It would be interesting if anybody knew any songs recorded when the guitar playing actually used the mechanical string mute. Top
theWoodhavens Joined: Oct 17, 2021 Posts: 30 SEATTLE	Posted on Oct 22 2021 11:50 PM I’m echoing a few sentiments in here about the mechanical mute being just an add-on that wasn’t really needed. Probably a selling point at the time as a “deluxe” option. Some folks can probably use it and have adjusted their playing style to one. To each their own. But, honestly whenever I pick up a guitar at a music store that has one installed, I find it really gets in the way of palm muting technique. As a heavy user of the palm mute, I can say it’s possible to go long stretches with just the side of your palm and wrist movement. This is a track where I do it for the majority of the song to get drip. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4J2unapwgMQ You can do it! — *the Woodhavens* --seattle surf music-- on Youtube // on Insta // woodhavens.bandcamp.com Double Crown Records' The Continental Magazine #32 Last edited: Oct 23, 2021 00:17:02 Top
synchro Joined: Feb 02, 2008 Posts: 4128 Not One-Sawn, but Two-Sawn . . . AZ.	Posted on Oct 23 2021 12:27 AM theWoodhavens wrote: I’m echoing a few sentiments in here about the mechanical mute being just an add-on that wasn’t really needed. Probably a selling point at the time as a “deluxe” option. Some folks can probably use it and have adjusted their playing style to one. To each their own. But, honestly whenever I pick up a guitar at a music store that has one installed, I find it really gets in the way of palm muting technique. As a heavy user of the palm mute, I can say it’s possible to go long stretches with just the side of your palm and wrist movement. This is a track where I do it for the majority of the song to get drip. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4J2unapwgMQ You can do it! Just as reinforcement for your point, even if mechanical mutes worked beautifully, it would still take time to flip it up and have it work. When palm muting, you can go between muted and not-muted instantly. I mute when I want to emphasize reverb drip, or to make delay stand out, but rarely do I mute through an entire song. — The artist formerly known as: Synchro When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar. Top
cosmonaut Joined: Apr 02, 2019 Posts: 339	Posted on Oct 23 2021 09:19 PM I must be the only person that uses my jag mute. fun for muted two hand tapping with some ping pong delay and digital reverb. Top
djangodeadman Joined: Jan 25, 2007 Posts: 1564 Brighton UK	Posted on Oct 24 2021 02:31 AM Unlike others here I quite like the sound of the mute. However, I’ve never actually made use of it in my playing and it definitely doesn’t sound the same as palm muting. — Los Fantasticos Top

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