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There are so many amazing straight mutes out there, as well as many others in my collection, but these five are the ones I am most likely to bring with me to an orchestra rehearsal or an audition.

You’ll find that many of these products come in different finishes, often brass, aluminum, or copper bottoms. Almost all of my mutes are all aluminum, but plenty of my colleagues also like copper.

Listen and compare the sound here: 5 Straight Mutes EVERY Trumpeter Should Own

  1. Tom Crown Gemini Straight Mute

  2. Soulo Straight Mute

  3. Trumcor Lyric Straight Mute

  4. Trumcor Straight Mute

  5. Denis Wick Straight Mute

#1 - Tom Crown Gemini Straight Mute

My favorite, go-to straight mute is the Tom Crown Gemini straight mute. Just to be clear, this is not the standard Tom Crown straight mute, but a different model. This has become the Charlotte Symphony trumpet section’s GO TO mute these days for typical “muted” situations in the orchestra, and I feel like it can do everything. It’s a good balance of free-blowing, in-tune, buzzy, shimmery, and hefty while also being flexible enough to easily play energetic OR mellow muted sections. This wide range of use cases makes it a no brainer for us to use on the job. Not only is it a great all-around mute, it’s also very affordable compared to some other mutes out there.

#2 - Soulo Straight Mute

Number 2 is my favorite “newer” entry to the metal straight mute market - the Soulo Straight Mute. My whole section was really impressed the first time we tried this one, since it has a very nice open feeling and plays well in tune, but still manages to have a nice bright buzz at any dynamic. This one has a cool appearance as well, with a hemisphere at the bottom with a little ledge for it to stand up on. One small drawback to this one is that the corks are again a bit tall with a narrow base so they get separated from the mute easily, and another is that this mute is slightly less hefty and thick in construction then the other metal mutes on this list which makes me feel like the sound is a little 2-dimensional. This is a top quality mute that can do basically anything, and is a great value.

#3 - Trumcor Lyric Straight Mute

Number 3 is the extremely handy Trumcor Lyric straight mute. Referred to by many as the “job saver,” this mute gives you a muted trumpet sound but without a lot of the buzz that makes it project so much. This one is meant for those really soft passages where you’re supposed to be blending with delicate instruments at risky dynamics, and you’re anticipating getting the hand from the conductor. These provide a comfortable resistance and are fun to play, but this is another one that tends to play sharp unless you pull out your tuning slide.

Another drawback to having this mute is that you might be tempted to use it every time you have a muted passage softer than mezzo forte; however, I feel sometimes you really need the persistent shimmer of a soft, metal mute even in softer dynamics. This mute cannot play loudly well, so it’s not good for licks that have a wider dynamic range. I definitely recommend this one for any serious high schooler who's playing in youth orchestra, and I certainly bring one with me to every gig whether I know I’m going to need one or not.

#4 - Trumcor Straight Mute

Number 4 is the EPIC TrumCor Straight mute. When this straight mute finally burst onto the scene, people seemed the most excited that there was finally a mute that corrected the things they liked least about their old school straight mutes - the TrumCor metal straight mutes feel extremely free blowing to play, you don’t have to move your tuning slide, and are really good for the more robust and loud straight muted trumpet parts, like Pines of Rome.

Even though you can really pump the volume with this one, I’ve had at least one person tell me it doesn’t make the trumpet sound “muted” or buzzy enough, and I can see where they’re coming from. Another little thing about these is that the corks are tall and have a narrow base, so if you twist the mute in too hard you might break them off and have to reglue them. The Trumcor is a premium mute and is just the right thing for certain situations that come up in the orchestra, so I feel very confident recommending them even with their comparatively high price point.

#5 - Denis Wick Straight Mute

This is one of *the* classic straight mutes and is the first one I recommend for any trumpet player looking for their first “real” straight mute. It is made of all aluminum, and I consider the sound it makes to be the archetype of the sound a composer might be expecting when writing for the straight muted trumpet. It has a rich, buzzy sound and can be heard pretty easily in the context of the orchestra - at whatever dynamic being requested. I’ve had a Wick since I was in high school and I always bring it with me to the orchestra and gigs when I’m not sure what mute the section will be using. There are some small negatives that keep this one down at number 5 on this list - This mute is often quite sharp unless you move the tuning slide, and I feel the lower register is not that comfortable or reliable. Regardless of that, the Wick is the classic straight mute choice and is very affordable.

If you want, you can watch my YouTube video about these below and hear for yourself how these mutes compare!