Jo-Ral Trombone Bubble Aluminium

Jo-Ral mutes are always top quality. This one is no different. The Jo-Ral Trombone Bubble mute in aluminium is a beautiful, sturdy mute with a great sound and design. It is incredibly small for a wah-wah trombone mute, which makes it very practical for transportation. The sound goes to the brighter side of spectrum, as expected from a small mute. One commentator mentioned that its small size implies that one must play the "wah-wah" with the trombone bell supported on the wrist. That is true, but contrary to the commentator, I find that position more comfortable and safer than supporting the trombone by the mute itself. My only criticism is that the cork pad could be a bit softer and thicker, so that the mute could fit easier different types of bells. Fitting the bell is a big problem for all wah-wah mutes, no matter if trumpet or trombone. Many wah-wah mutes have a high risk of detaching from the instrument and falling on the ground, and the Jo-Ral wah-wah mute is no exception. A few mute makers have therefore tried to replace the traditional cork pad with softer synthetic foam (like EVA foam or similar), but the results are not satisfactory: the foam pad does reduce the risk of the mute detaching from the bell, but it is too thick and soft, making the mute unstable (which is a problem for hand-operated mutes like the wah-wah mute. Besides, the foam pads deteriorate much faster than the cork (a well-cared cork pad can resist several decades of intensive use). Thus, all in all, the Jo-Ral Trombone Bubble mute in aluminium is an excellent, bright-sound wah-wah mute.