Menuhin Mute

This is a modern replacement of the original Shield® mute, said to be designed by Yehudi Menuhin. The mute can stay on the instrument when it's not in use and can be applied by sliding towards the bridge from one side in order to position it between the D and A strings.

It's constructed mainly of plastic, and this type from the Alpine Mute Co. has a metal plate in the centre. As the plastic is stiff, it may require some force for the mute to go securely over the bridge. For this reason, it slightly disrupts the tuning. On the positive side, it hardly rattles at any point.

In short, this mute is a stronger version of the Tourte mute. In the lower register, the sound is gentler although some may find less depth in it. It starts to have a slight edge around the D string register, but it remains far gentler than a senza sord. sound. The tone is quite balanced and uniform throughout the range, giving a sound that is smooth and veiled and which may be useful in cases where the music incorporates a wide register of pitch.