Trombone Salt Shaker

This is the trombone version of our popular Salt Shaker mute.  This mute produces a nice velvety soft quasi-bucket sound and includes several user-configurable felt pads to further customize the tone color to your needs.  The mute weighs approximately 65-70 grams depending on felt configuration. 

The basic package includes 3 cork sizes/thicknesses customized for either small/large bore tenor.  Bass trombone see here.   These differing cork thicknesses allow you to adjust the mute for various bell sizes, and/or adjust the opening size between the mute and bell.   The bundle includes an additional end cap with no holes (adds some reflective quality to the sound) and all 10 cork sizes, 0.5-5. 

Mutes in black ship immediately.  Metallic Blue, Metallic Copper, and Metallic Red are typically made to order and ship in 3-5 days.  

Keep scrolling below for a ton of awesome reviews of the Salt Shaker mute!

Felt Configuration Guide: Click Here 

Reviews and Endorsements

Endorsements:

 

Dr. Isrea Butler, Count Basie Orchestra Lead Trombonist and Director, UNLV School of Music

“I think this mute is great! Super compact and useful  in many different situations, can sound like a cup, pixie, or bucket. Lots of color that you can add by changing the insets and bottoms."

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Bruce Chrisp, San Francisco Bay Area Freelance Trombonist and Recording Artist

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Dr. Brad Edwards, Professor of Trombone, Arizona State University

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Nandor Kasza, Trombonist at Concerto Budapest Symphony and Budapest Jazz Orchestra 

I got my new toy! The red one.

In my opinion, this is a very, very practical piece, because its insertion is very fast, which is often needed in big band.  Its tone is a nice velvety, soft, pleasantly warm sound when set to bucket. When used in big band, it fits perfectly with the sound of the other trombone players, it doesn't seem like they are using a different type. Intonation? With or without it, it's the same!

The cork is of excellent quality, its adhesion is 100% secure! I love it! The workmanship of the entire damper is professional, great work! The design is extra cool!

I'm very glad I chose this! I'm sure it will spread even more in Europe soon because it's a lovely solution!

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Phil Keen, Orchestral Trombonist and Recording Artist

The Salt Shake is a real game changer as far as I’m concerned. All the design elements seem so forward thinking. Compact size, construction, variable sound, openness, no sharpness of intonation, adaptability for insertion for different bell stems, virtually no weight. It also allows a fast mute change with no goofy contortions clipping it to the bell. Right into the horn as fast as you can jam a straight mute in.

I like that I can modify the mute to fine tune it’s sound with varying degrees of felt and the ability to change the cork thickness modifying where the mute is in the bell. There’s no worries about changing the sound and response of a mute that normally would require permanently altering it. After tweaking with all the variables, I came up with a clearer sound for a bucket mute. If you want to go a different route of response that requires less definition that’s easy to change. Who would of thought?

I’ve got the bass and the tenor versions of the mute and with all the variations of corks, I can use them on any size trombone that I own. I’m also not lugging around an oversized easy to damage mute that takes up a tremendous amount of space in my mute bag. The salt shaker mute is the size of a compact practice mute.

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Wendell Kelly, Los Angeles Based Trombonist, Recording Artist, and Teacher 

"I got my S-Mute Salt Shaker Mutes for tenor and bass trombone. It took me two days to stop smiling. After all the experimenting, I have found several combinations that will suit my needs depending on the situation. I do a lot of musicals and need quick changes for my mutes. The S-mute is quick to change. As far as storage and transporting they are sturdy and can now be used on the road. They can be used as a warm-up mute as well.. This changes everything".

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Erik Konertz, Multi Genre/Jazz Trombonist 

This mute is such a cool thing! The flexibility of having it sound more like a cup or more like a bucket depending on the configuration you use is incredibly nice-to-have with such a light and compact mute. And the best thing is that it feels and sounds much more open, so you don't loose much volume and therefore can use it even in a non-mic-situation. All of my students and colleagues who heard it or tried it themselves really enjoyed it! Keep the good work up, S-Mute!

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Willian Lang- Avant-garde Soloist, Chamber/Orchestral Musician, and New York Freelancer

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Raymond James Mason- Multi Instrumentalist and Recording Artist

I'm experimenting with dampening my horn sound while using a pedalboard for live and studio. Other methods involve extra mics and mix tweaks, but this small mute is quick and easy. The S-Mute keeps intonation steady, so pitch-based effects stay in tune, even though the original sound being processed is much quieter than the open horn.  The original use is solid too. Bucket mute with better intonation and resistance than old one. Makes muted practice way more fun! I like how the different felts, end caps, and cork adjustments work for the horns in my collection.

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Gabriel Rice- Faculty Bass Trombone, Boston University and Bass Trombonist Hartford Symphony, Rhode Island Philharmonic, and Vermont Symphony Orchestras. 

The Salt Shaker Mute is truly ingenious. It responds well and in tune in all registers. it's already saved me from a too-fast bucket mute change and helped me warm up for a gig quietly, and coming up I'll be using it as both a bucket and extremely quiet mute in a brass quintet. It will live in my mute bag (or in the bell inside my case) from now on.

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Dr. Donn Schaefer- Professor, Artist Teacher of Trombone
University of Utah School of Music

These mutes are in a word, nifty! They are perfect for a soft warmup on stage or in the pit--very free blowing and confidence inspiring. There are spots on some of the Broadway tours where I will be reaching for a Salt Shaker as a first-choice bucket mute. (I'm looking at you, Funny Girl, Song #7, with your 1 beat to remove a bucket mute!!) 

I purchased a tenor and a bass mute package, and don't usually endorse products. These are so good that I felt compelled to share my experience. Now when a horn goes in the case, an S-Mute goes in the bell. 

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Dr. Brad Snyder- Instructor of Low Brass, South Dakota State University

Wow! This mute is absolutely incredible. I used it last evening during a big band concert with Michael Feinstein and I was simply amazed at how well the mute blends with traditional bucket mutes. It was such a sigh of relief to be able to get the bucket mute sound without having to deal with the labor-intensive nature of a traditional bucket mute. I will recommend this mute to anyone who is in search of a new bucket mute.

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Sam Wamhoff, 2nd Trombone San Francisco Opera

This mute sounds as good or better than any conventional bucket on the market, that combined with its compact size ensures I’ll never have another bucket mute in my mute bag. Bravo!

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Dr. Michael Wilkinson- Associate Professor of Trombone, University of South Carolina

Dr. Russ Zokaites, Professor of Trombone, CSU Fresno 

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Reviews:

Alex Iles, Los Angeles Trombonist/Recording Artist

I just received mine in the mail this week...wow! My eyes don't believe my ears! With a little experimenting with the numerous thicknesses of felt and cork, I have dialed in a warm bucket sound from such a tiny package! Congratulations on coming with such a beautiful and convenient product!!

Matt Bilyk, New York Trombonist and Clinician- 

These are great mutes. Just ordered my second one to configure for Bass Bone. Very easy blowing, super light weight and intonation is great. The ability to customize is also a huge bonus. Highly recommend!

Terry Baber, Freelance Trombonist- 

As a professional commercial trombonist for over 40 years, I have often wondered if anybody could create a more practical bucket mute. After seeing Brad Edwards recommendation on this mute I decided to pick one up. I am blown away by how easy this is to play. I pulled my original bucket mute, soft mute and played them one by one along with the Salt Shaker mute. I felt the Salt Shaker mute gave me the same warmth as the original bucket. I also love the ease of getting it in and out of the horn. When you purchase one, and you will want to, try it with both end caps along with the different cork sizes which are provided with the bundle. Always take time to practice with your mutes to achieve the sound you want. Nathan has provided this capability with the caps and corks. This is a mute that everybody should have in their mute arsenal. 

Jacob Herring, Freelance Trombonist- 

I’ve been working as a house band musician on cruise ships for close to a decade, and this is the perfect mute to travel. It’s built well, light, and is versatile for all musical settings I play in.

Jason Trimble Los Angeles Area Bass Trombonist 

I’ve been playing bass trombone since I was 8 years old and this mute is the best I’ve bought since my first bucket in 1999. Going from a giant JoRal bucket that I had to pull material out of because it muffled my sound too much to zero weight and a sound that was louder and blended perfectly with the section. It’s definitely durable, tested with a 1 bar rest “open” and dropped it off the stage. Also if you do drop it it’s quiet! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve dropped my big JoRal and it sounded like a bomb went off. I played with the felt disks and it’s nice having options to play with a sound you like and not having to stick to what the mute comes with. I might have to buy another to get it in blue since it was out of stock when I bought the copper one and keep it in the bell of my other bass to warm up with.

Linda Landis, Freelance Jazz and Classical Trombonist and Teacher

I got it yesterday and it fits my bell just fine. It has a great sound too! I have a ‘53 MV Bach 6 with a 7” bell and this fits it perfectly. The ones that clip on or hang off the bell are just too big. I either have to find vintage Mutes that were used back in the days when this horn was used or a mute like this. And it’s easy to put in a mute bag. And changeable corks. What a great idea.

Evan Spacht, Trombonist and Recording Artist 

Already really enjoying the mute! Tried a few different variables, including no felt at all- really nice to have the different options. I like how it plays top to bottom, and feels nice to play with the mute in, and then going to the open horn. Unlike a lot of practice mutes its not stuffy and it does not have its own "bubble" or the feeling of it having its own sort of micro-resonance or resonant fq like I feel that a few of my other practice mutes have. Thanks again for the fine product, and quick shipping. I'll be keeping an eye out for your future products, no doubt.

Eric Barnes- Trombonist, Educator, and Arranger

This is a must-have mute for your tenor or bass trombone playing, especially if you do a lot of pit work. It is a HUGE improvement on the clunky bucket mutes and has a lot of customization options. I just got one for my bass trombone and it is spectacular! I need to get one for my tenor eventually since this mute is so great. As a current trombonist and euphonium doubler, this mute has my endorsement!