Thank you, Don! Here's more backstory on Rubber Bridge guitars, in case you missed my earlier video: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-5vWIpwlXGpA.html Also, I recently recorded a cover of John Lennon's beautiful song "Julia" where I used the rubber tubing technique on my vintage Gibson: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-oc21zgCnnlQ.html And here's the video showing how I arranged and recorded it: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-x-qIx-gmmTw.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.
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: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-EMnHyfQv26o.html
@@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.
@@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.
@@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.
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 👍🎸🇬🇧
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…
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.
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: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-J-JKOqO-DY0.html
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.
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"!
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…
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.
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: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-N3CqTCgzm1k.html
It may fade in popularity, but because it sounds like a unique instrument, some artists will keep playing rubber bridges. Again, here’s why: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-788ag7mGBKM.html
I love the subtle differences. Even more obvious when you heat 'em back-to-back, like in this video at 8:49: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-EMnHyfQv26o.html
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 😂
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.
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……
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."
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 .
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.
@@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.....
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.
@@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.
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.
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 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......
@@rebeccaabraham8652 I get it…but give Ariel Posen a chance to woo you with his rubber bridge baritone: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-N3CqTCgzm1k.html
@@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.
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!
@@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.
@@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!
@@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.
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? ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-oc21zgCnnlQ.htmlsi=LJOsA5Kh2T0lfg19
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.
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!
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.
@@idontgrillonwed As a general rule, you may be right. But I certainly don't fit those categories, and nor does Ariel Posen: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-N3CqTCgzm1k.html
@@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!
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!
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?! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-5vWIpwlXGpA.html
