This is great, and I have all of those items in the garage already. It reminds me of the mute in my old Ovation bass. So I tried it on my Yamaha Transacoustic parlor guitar with the long hall reverb maxed out. It's very cool sounding. Thanks! Looking forward to next week.

@RobertCassard

Жыл бұрын

Glad to hear you had the items to try, Jon! I didn't know Ovation had mutes on their basses. Man, I'd love to hear your Transacoustic in "rubber mode"!

Very interesting, I’m often on the lookout for different tones , and although I don’t think it’s going to be a regular choice, I like the way It could quickly and reversibly done to pretty much any of my guitars, also loving the way that simple slap back delay sounds... looking forward to having a play/experiment myself 👍🎸🇬🇧

@RobertCassard

Жыл бұрын

Glad you’re intrigued, John. I think relatively few people will commit to a rubber bridge conversion, having one or more of these non-invasive items in the guitar case is almost like having another effects pedal…

I love the combination too, remind me when plaiying without a pick (plectrum) with hands or thumb strumming. I'll try rubber on the bridge

@RobertCassard

Жыл бұрын

Glad you’re enjoying it, domenico!

I like it. It’s like a guitar version of adding pizzicato to arco.

@RobertCassard

Жыл бұрын

Exactly! I played orchestral double bass for many years, and that's the perfect description.

They all sounded very useable to me. Great idea

@RobertCassard

Жыл бұрын

Thanks, Amber. I agree...each has it's own magic

This is awesome man, thanks. Side benefit: when the box showed up from Amazon, it sure did look like a murder kit

@RobertCassard

Жыл бұрын

LOL. What all was in your box?!

The weatherstripping sounds the best

@RobertCassard

Жыл бұрын

I love the subtle differences. Even more obvious when you heat 'em back-to-back, like in this video at 8:49: kzread.info/dash/bejne/d4GiqtufgdmYZtI.html

Very nice 👍

@RobertCassard

7 ай бұрын

Thanks for the visit, qwert!

Thankyou legend 🙏

@RobertCassard

7 ай бұрын

Glad you liked this. FYI - I just recorded a cover of The Beatles "Julia," using this rubber tube mute technique on two vintage Gibson acoustics. How do you like this? kzread.info/dash/bejne/oZdmk9ygc9HUnLQ.htmlsi=LJOsA5Kh2T0lfg19

The weather seal sounds great!!

@RobertCassard

6 ай бұрын

Yeah, a nice sort of high-frequency pop, right? Thanks for watching and sharing your opinion, Sam!

I have a inexpensive orangewood guitar with a pickup, I’m doing this today .

@RobertCassard

Жыл бұрын

Probably perfect for “rubberizing.” Come back and tell me how it goes!

Sponge is my personal preference of these three options! Thanks for trying it out for us!

@RobertCassard

Жыл бұрын

Are you testing “rubber” bridge techniques? Come back and tell me if the sponge works for you.

@AJHillis

Жыл бұрын

@@RobertCassard I already had rubber weather stripping and tried that, got it to sound pretty good! Just posted about my version on r/telecaster using my red esquire with the bridge cover.

@voodoovideo

Жыл бұрын

@@AJHillis Where can I find your post?

I use three 5/8 rubber grommets. Slide them between two strings and They work very good. You can use those also behind the bridge on arch tops to eliminate unwanted harmonics. You can also chose which sets of strings you want to mute, E and A, D and G or B and E, so mute the bass strings but leave the highs open etc……

@RobertCassard

Жыл бұрын

This sounds like a great idea. I’m having a challenge imagining how you position the grommets…

@christopher-miles

Жыл бұрын

@@RobertCassard tim lerch has a video about it somewhere actually

@RicheyRyan

9 ай бұрын

@@christopher-miles I found the video here: kzread.info/dash/bejne/kYqTvMFsnpjJhag.html Thanks for the pointer!

I’m going to try this with electric too .

@RobertCassard

Жыл бұрын

I’ve done it and it works. My only surprise was how dark it makes an electric guitar’s tone. Brighter pickups and single-coils can help. Of course, there are other ways to compensate, too. I may do another video to demo that at some point…

Thank you! This confirmed some suspicions I've had recently re: other options. I'm coming from the standpoint of a bass player, so other materials are nothing new. There's even the legend of Tony Levin having used a diaper on Peter Gabriel's "Don't Give Up."

@RobertCassard

11 ай бұрын

Yes, Jeremy. I think the lesson is to try things until you get the tone you want. Diapers included!

I tried this with a silicone straw cover, and it works perfectly. Thank you for sharing.

@RobertCassard

11 ай бұрын

Cool idea. A silicone straw cover? Where did you get it?

@deetee5156

11 ай бұрын

@@RobertCassard I bought it at a kitchen store in Canada. But I’m sure Amazon sells them. It was in my steel straw. I believe a silicone full length straw would work. Amazon sells them.

@RobertCassard

11 ай бұрын

@@deetee5156 thanks. I’ll do some scouting!

Cool video. I love the sound but do you think this is more of a recording tool than say a live one? I get a very similar sound playing my nylon string acoustic with light palm muting.

@RobertCassard

Жыл бұрын

Good question, Ron. A lot of the hot artists use their rubber bridges (for certain songs) when playing live. The benefit is NOT having to palm mute, which gives more freedom and flexibility to your right hand. Here's a favorite example: kzread.info/dash/bejne/fGF-rbGqf5CqiZM.html

I'm using a strip of a scotch brute like material cut to size. It allows for a touch more high end.

@RobertCassard

4 ай бұрын

Do you mean Scotch-Brite scour pads? If so, that's a cool idea.

As an engineer, I love these ideas! I'll probably never use them - the music I play doesn't tend towards those tones... but maybe a bit of fun in a jam session one day....

@RobertCassard

Жыл бұрын

Glad they appeal to your engineering side, Rebecca. Do they appeal to your musical side? Cheers!

@rebeccaabraham8652

Жыл бұрын

@@RobertCassard Nah.... I like warm, ringing jazz tones... and slightly overdriven blues...... Most pop-type tones make me want to hide somewhere remote until the fad has been permanently consigned to history... never to return! Not that I'm cynical........ much......

@RobertCassard

Жыл бұрын

@@rebeccaabraham8652 I get it…but give Ariel Posen a chance to woo you with his rubber bridge baritone: kzread.info/dash/bejne/gGd307Z8l93TYc4.html

Thank you sir! I feel like all of my obsessive palm muting is vindicated : )

@RobertCassard

Жыл бұрын

As a palm-muter and deep groover myself, I hear you, Greg!

how to sound like ariel posen for $3. amazing

@RobertCassard

Жыл бұрын

Yes! I love how you put that... 🎼😍

I vote for the grouting sponge !

@RobertCassard

Жыл бұрын

That’s two for the sponge 🧽!

Neato.

@RobertCassard

Жыл бұрын

And you don't need to "frankinstein" your guitar to get that sound!

For the moment I’m using a microphone windscreen. The deadening effect is a little too much especially on the trebles but I hear what you’re getting at!

@RobertCassard

Жыл бұрын

I’m trying to picture how you’re using the windscreen, martian… But no matter how, it’s a creative idea, and I’m glad it’s working well enough!

@martianmurray

Жыл бұрын

@@RobertCassard I just folded it in half and slid it under the strings up against the bridge. An sm58 sized windscreen.

@RobertCassard

Жыл бұрын

@@martianmurray That explains it! A sponge windscreen. Not sure why, but I was picturing a pop filter, not a windscreen... My brain must've been turned off.

@martianmurray

Жыл бұрын

@@RobertCassard oh yeah it was a nylon string too so it had plenty of room, and it took the no-sustain to the extreme lol. Trebles were gone but the basses sounded cool. Gotta get a Waterslide for my jazzmaster now!

@RobertCassard

Жыл бұрын

@@martianmurray jealous of your Jazzmaster. I love the sound of Madison Cunningham’s. I think she does standard tuning, down 2 whole steps. Low note is C.

Since when do bass strings "Hang lower" than the treble strings? Measured from the bridge saddle they're all the same and follow the curve of the saddle . String Action on the other hand is usually LESS on the treble side .

@RobertCassard

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for asking that question, Oliver. You're right that bass strings don't technically hang lower, they're just heavier gauge. On my Stella, the thinner end of the sponge fit better under the bass strings and the thicker end fit better under the treble strings. This placement also kept the string-to-string volume of the muted notes more balanced, and that's what's really matters. Thanks for watching BTW - please come back tell me if you try out any of these techniques and how they work for you.

@olivergiles6731

Жыл бұрын

@@RobertCassard 😊Hi,well... What i always wanted was one of those mechanical felt padded contraptions for an archtop bridge. Unfortunately all of the genuine old stuff i checked was more or less of a pain..... For the few occasions when i needed it i used a strip of piano felt that I squeezed between the strings and the (flattop)bridge right in front of the saddle. I think i still have it but haven't used it in years.....

@RobertCassard

Жыл бұрын

Piano felt seems like a great idea. I also have some thick felt weatherstripping that's very similar. Guess I'll have to try that next... 😱

How different is this really from palm muting?

@RobertCassard

Жыл бұрын

Big difference in that it's ALWAYS muted and it's effortless. But the sound is similar...

Kinda like danelectro’s wood bridge from the old days

@RobertCassard

Жыл бұрын

I’ve never heard or played one of those. Do you know of any recorded example? My Stella was built with a wood bridge, as are many archtops. A wood bridge usually adds mellowness but not “deadness” like rubber.

@Philc231

Жыл бұрын

I don’t know specifically but I have no doubt there’s old silvertone and danelectro vids here .

Does this not throw the intonation out as it effectively shortens the scale length?

@RobertCassard

11 ай бұрын

It doesn’t shorten the effective scale length because these techniques are only mutes. They mute the vibration of the strings from the original bridge. If you replace the bridge, you keep the scale length identical as well.

Those sound are like the ones made by a newbie. I know I sound like that when I was learning guitar. No need for rubber bridge for a newbie guitarist. HAHAHA.

@RobertCassard

Жыл бұрын

Interesting that you hear the rubber bridge as a "newbie" sound. A lot of virtuoso guitarists use and LOVE them. People like Madison Cunningham, Aaron Dessner of The National, and the one and only Ariel Posen. Check this out: kzread.info/dash/bejne/gGd307Z8l93TYc4.html

Weather seal followed very closely by sponge..

@RobertCassard

Жыл бұрын

I love it, Michael. Please a share audio samples if you record any. And tell us what guitar make and model, too!

Isn’t this just permanent, even if it is none invasive, strong palm muting? I’m not hearing much difference between this and a heavy palm mute across the whole saddle? Then again, it is very early and I’m sure I need to get my hearing tested 😂

@RobertCassard

Жыл бұрын

The sound is very similar to heavy palm muting, but it's totally consistent without any effort, freeing your right hand to do whatever it wants. There's a big difference in that respect because it's automatic. To use a recording analogy, a rubber bridge is like a compressor that evens out all the peaks, while palm muting is akin to riding a fader manually.

We used to call that muting and we did it with our hands. The great thing with doing it with your hands is that you can lift them off at any moment so the guitar sounds good again. I once had a Fender Jag that had a mechanical version of this that you could flip on and off at will. I never used it. Sounded gash!

@RobertCassard

Жыл бұрын

Thanks, tezzo55. As an old-schooler myself, I’ve done A LOT of palm-muting in my day. LOL You must’ve missed my earlier rubber bridge video where I talk about the mutes like you had on your Jag: What's the BIG DEAL about RUBBER BRIDGE guitars?! kzread.info/dash/bejne/Z6qLq9KwnLutoKQ.html

I can’t quite believe people are buying a purpose-built guitar to sound exactly like the guitar they already own, just with a bit of muting. Its a scam.

@RobertCassard

5 ай бұрын

I hear you, and my experiments proved to me that various mutes can ALMOST imitate the sound of a rubber bridge. But after making one myself, I can confirm it is different: kzread.info/dash/bejne/d4GiqtufgdmYZtI.html

@fromchomleystreet

5 ай бұрын

@@RobertCassard I guess if you are an Indi pop star and have oodles of money to throw around, it might make sense to have a specific guitar that does nothing else but make this one particular sound, without you having to mess around with it, and so it’s always sitting there ready to go whenever you want that sound. That’s just not a financial situation to which I can relate.

@RobertCassard

5 ай бұрын

@@fromchomleystreet it doesn’t take “oodles of money” to have a really nice rubber bridge guitar. You can buy a parlor guitar, either a vintage Stella or a brand new Gretsch Jim Dandy, for $200 or less. As I showed in my video, you can then fabricate a rubber bridge for about $10. It’s not an extravagance by the standards and costs of most acoustic guitars.

@fromchomleystreet

5 ай бұрын

@@RobertCassard You’ve misunderstood me. I’m not talking about what you did, I’m talking about the people ordering a commercially produced “Rubber Bridge Guitar”, as if it was essentially a different instrument to the one they already own, when they could just head down to the hardware store, as you have done.

@RobertCassard

5 ай бұрын

@@fromchomleystreet I see what you're saying now!

Palm muting must be a forgotten technique, that's how we all do it in the studio and live with no external devices. I takes practice but can be utilized instantly while playing.

@RobertCassard

Жыл бұрын

I’ve always used palm muting, too, but a rubber bridge gives a slightly rounder and more “bouncy” (and totally consistent) attack, and it frees up your entire right hand. All I can say is, it’s fun!

@idontgrillonwed

Жыл бұрын

I think this is A) Geared toward newer and younger guitarists just getting into guitar because of its recent explosion, and B) More for people focused more on their singing and song writing chops that don’t necessarily consider themselves guitarists. Most people struggle to play more technical material, especially finger style, while singing at the same time.

@RobertCassard

Жыл бұрын

@@idontgrillonwed As a general rule, you may be right. But I certainly don't fit those categories, and nor does Ariel Posen: kzread.info/dash/bejne/gGd307Z8l93TYc4.html

@idontgrillonwed

Жыл бұрын

@@RobertCassard Ha. Yep! We both know that almost no rules don’t apply to that guy. Or Julian Lage…etc.

@RobertCassard

Жыл бұрын

@@idontgrillonwed True. Excited that I'll be meeting Julian Lage in a couple weeks. Chris Thile is hosting an "Acousticamp" on Long Island and Julian is one of the faculty members. I'll be there with a guitar in hand!

Sounds like another fad to me.

@RobertCassard

11 ай бұрын

It may fade in popularity, but because it sounds like a unique instrument, some artists will keep playing rubber bridges. Again, here’s why: kzread.info/dash/bejne/aWxsw8lwnaqoe7A.html

@officialWWM

11 ай бұрын

@@RobertCassard I guess so. I just listened to that song. I guess it’s just not my kind of music but I can certainly see the appeal.

@RobertCassard

11 ай бұрын

@@officialWWM if you can see it, that’s enough!