Black Dyke Band Loves Wick Mutes!

Brett Baker, Principal Trombonist with the world famous Black Dyke Band, recently reviewed the Denis Wick Trombone Travel Mute in The British Bandsman magazine.

Here’s what this most accomplished musician had to say:

“Having a travel or practice mute is now seen as the norm. Whether it’s to warm up politely for a gig without interrupting other artists, or to squeeze a few more minutes of practice into an already hectic daily schedule by playing late at night, (trying not to wake the kids), practice mutes are almost standard equipment for the working trombonist. Over the years, I have tried the tenor and bass trombone versions of the Denis Wick practice mute, the Yamaha Silent Brass and most recently the Wallace Practice Mute. Each one has its own advantages, either offering better sound-deadening characteristics, or being freer-blowing.

The Denis Wick mute is a very good option, fairly open and has good sound deadening characteristics: I routinely use it to practise. Denis Wick now has introduced a new range of trombone travel mutes. The benefit is that the mute fits into the bell and is flush with the bell so you can take it with you rather than needing to carry an extra bag with mutes in, or put it in your suitcase and risk damage.

I do not go anywhere without a travel mute and I find it gets me thinking straight away about producing a deep open sound.

Although practice and travel mutes are now a necessary piece of equipment for many working musicians, they are no substitute for practice on an open instrument. However, the Denis Wick travel mute is definitely a good investment for those of us that are always on the move, need to practise in a variety of environments and never know when you might get another five minutes to try something out. It is a necessary purchase in the working musician’s busy lifestyle.

Advantages: Light weight, excellent playing characteristics, compact size, performance-to-price ratio. The mute is not consistent throughout the whole range but plays better than most other travel mutes that I have tried so far. It really is a necessary investment.”

Check out the entire range of Denis Wick Trombone Mutes – KJ Music is proud to be the exclusive distributor of Denis Wick Mutes to Australian musical instrument retailers.

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