Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Tuner-Technicians Forum Papps treble mute

Has anyone bought one of these recently? I'm wondering where to get one of good quality. I use my mentor's in the shop but need one for my own tunings. I'm finding the stick mute method very frustrating in the high treble on small uprights. (I had one that seemed kind of cheap. I'd barely used it before the spring fell out and got lost...)

Anne:
I haven't used a Papps mute, so I can't speak to that. What I have use is a wooden mute with leather that is glued onto it. It works well for me. I this what you are calling a stick mute?

One method I use, with Tunelab, is to mute one string and leave two open. You can easily see the single frequencies in the upper treble with the spectrum display. Pull up one string, then the other, then move the mute and complete the unison. It's a quick way of tuning, because you are moving the mute less. I find having all three strings open distracting, but two I can handle.

Papps mutes are wonderful. Contact me privately Anne. I have a few in stock

Thanks, Jurgen. Will do. Roy, I've seen your mute in catalogs. Have never used one. I was referring to a rubber wedge mute on a metal stick. Your TuneLab tip is interesting. I will try it.

What do people use on grands? I find I use the sticks on grands too. The stickless wedges I got with my Potter course seem often to be too long and bump into the soundboard.

Look in your local hardware store for a replacement spring. They may have something that will fit, even if it needs trimming.

I use 3/8" x 3" rubber mutes in grands. They do touch the soundboard, which helps wedge them in. If you prefer that they do not, trim the tips. I use 1/4" wide rubber mutes cut to about 3" on uprights, with wire handles which are actually made for trussing poultry, from the local supermarket.

Be creative! It is a requirement of the profession.

just buy a new one from Schaff or another supplier. You'll love it. Not for grands though

I tend to like something fairly short, because that makes them easier to control when you place them. The ones I use are felt. I particularly like the wide felt mutes in the bass. I tend to lose mutes, so I use whatever I have around much of the time. I don't use any kind of a sticker in the mutes on grands. I just find them cumbersome.

The wooden stick mutes work great on verticals. You don't try to go in from the top. Stick it between the hammer shanks, just above the hammer rail. I've been using these for several years, and really like the approach.

Thanks for the great advice, everyone.

Get two while you're at it to use for pitch raising. Some people complain that the Papps makes a noise, but i've found that very easy to ignore. It's so quick and efficient for tuning uprights I would be handicaped without a pair of them.

Tom Tuner