Wood Mute

This three-prong shaped mute, made from ebony, is the most traditional of all those mentioned in this project. It can be applied by inserting the mute over the bridge. Players need to focus when applying it as if the mute touches the strings, it can slightly interfere with the sound.

Although wood is a relatively soft material, most is much stiffer than the maple wood which the bridge is typically made of. Therefore, although this mute won't leave a black stain like rubber mutes, it can leave a mark and a dent on the bridge if pushed on too hard. However, if it's not securely pushed on, it can start to float and rattle after a few bars of playing, or instantly if you play forte on the G string. And of course, you would need a place to keep the mute during performance when you are not using it.

The tone changes significantly with this mute, giving a close impression of when you use a heavy metal practice mute. Its tone resembles the sawtooth wave in some respects, where you may feel it being sandpapery. However, that can be mellowed with other techniques such as vibrato or the contact point of the bow. Used in the right context it will certainly give a strong effect musically.