| |
Mute Stories IX -
Model A - Magosy & Bushcer Non Pareil
Straight Mute
|
| |
 The Tom Crown Modal A straight mute is
an adopted member of the Tom Crown mute
family. It is an almost exact copy of
the Magosy & Buscher Non Pareil
(unrivaled) straight mute. The Model A
is not an exact copy as it has no pop up
cork holders and the cone is cut off
rather than rolled over. The Magosy &
Buscher was the mute of choice of many
symphonic and jazz players from when it
was introduced and then patented in 1926
and 1929 in New York by Rudolf .Magosy
and the, unknown to us, Mr.Buscher.
My introduction to this mute was
in 1948 when Adolph Bud Herseth arrived
in Chicago to play first trumpet with
the Chicago Symphony orchestra. The Non
Pareil mute was his straight mute, and
after hearing him play for the first
time iI had to have a C trumpet and a
Non Pareil. Many years later, when I was
already making my own mutes, Bud asked
me to make a copy of the Non Pareil. He
wanted to have a back up mute and to
have some for his students. I had my
metal spinner make several. Bud weighed
his original Non Pareil and a copy on a
kitchen scale and the weight was
identical as was the response intonation
and sound. He gave it his OK.
I don’t think Bud ever knew that Tricky
Sam Nanton, trombone soloist with Duke
Ellington’s band in the late 1920s used
the Non Pareil trumpet mute. It fit far
into the trombone bell underneath a
rubber plunger mute. The purpose of the
Non Pareil was to stabilize intonation
and to help make Tricky Sam’s typical
snarl.
We sell about two hundred of these mutes
a year, some to trombone soloists and
the rest to trumpeters.
Thanks to vintage mute expert Kid Dutch
EIndhoven for copies of the patent
papers, and advice on the Non Pareil.
Visit his web page at
www.vintagemutes.com |
| |
