First practice mute- glad I chose this one. New baby in the house so I can't practice around naps or at night anymore. Popped this bad boy in at night and played away for hours and no one even knew. It is pretty free blowing with minimal back pressure (although I only have experience with straight mutes and this was way easier) My range isn't super (low f to g above the staff) but all notes played well and clear. Glad I'll be able to get more practice in than usual and I won't have to hurry up before naps or bedtime. The only drawback so far was that when people came in the room and started talking, I couldn't hear myself playing over their talking!

I am a beginning trumpet player and this is my first practice mute. It really mutes the sound, meaning I can play at night and my parents (next room) wouldn't hear it.However, I feel it adds noticeable pressure to the instrument, but, as I said before, I'm a novice trumpet player and can't really compare, as I've never used a mute. Without a doubt, I would use it only when necessary, it's a major change to use it or not....

Lives up to what was promised. I live at an apartment complex & had not really practiced for over a year because of that. I practiced jazz improv & New Arban after 8:30pm with this mute in my bell & I truly believe that any complaints from my apartment unit would have been made over the volume of the backing track which was much louder than my trumpet playing. Speaking of in my bell...I own a flip oaks wild thing trumpet which has a non standard bell size/bell flare. This mute fit my bell straight out of the box which was great.
As far as playing characteristics go you can feel that you're playing with a mute in but it isn't stifling or fighting you the way a sock up your bell will. Intonation isn't perfect but it's close enough. The biggest con, but it's one I feel is true about all mutes, is that can't practice adjusting my timbre.

All that said I highly recommend this product.

The Bremner SshhMute is probably the best option I have seen for trumpet practice mutes. So why not 5 stars? Don't get me wrong: it's a great mute that's easier to play than other practice mutes, but mild vibration at certain frequencies, playing slightly louder than other practice mutes, and concerns about its durability keep it from getting a perfect rating.

Upon first taking the mute out of the package it feels surprisingly fragile due to how light it is, an impression which belies its good use. Except for the cork ring, it is made entirely of lightweight plastic, which makes it feel a bit delicate. Lightweight plastic may be good for avoiding the front-heavy feeling a more solid piece might add to the instrument, but this may cause some apprehension about the mute's ability to hold up to regular use. Fortunately, I am yet to have a spontaneous drop test that would prove the mute's durability. The SshhMute plays so well by comparison to other mutes, however, that concerns about durability quickly pass out of mind.

In terms of ease of play, the SshhMute is probably the best I've tried. It produces very little additional back pressure and resistance to airflow, all while doing the job of keeping your playing relatively quiet. Intonation and tuning stays stable throughout the whole range, at least from low F# to above high C. This is essential for good practice, especially when compared to other mutes I've used that affect tuning adversely. The mute does vibrate at certain frequencies. It's not obnoxious, but it is noticeable, although less pronounced and frequent compared to other practice mutes. Playing is not identical to regular, un-muted sound production, or as easy, but it is the best I've found.

The factor that's perhaps most essential for a practice mute, however, is whether it keeps your playing quiet enough not to disturb family, neighbors, roommates, and others. I used NIOSH's sound pressure level app to compare volumes on group 14 from Earl D. Irons' 27 Groups of Exercises for Trumpet, and here are the results:

My quiet living room at night registered at 51.1dB. My un-muted trumpet played at an average volume of 101.4dB. Adding the SshhMute reduced the volume of my playing to 75.4dB on average. For comparison, I measured conversation in the same room between two talkers with the TV on, and that registered at 75.9dB. The mute does not reduce playing to whisper quiet, but instead makes playing comparable to regular conversation. At the same time, playing is clearly much quieter with the mute, and subjectively did not disturb others reading or watching TV in the same room, or even sleeping in a different room. Although actual testing suggests otherwise, playing with the SshhMute felt quieter than normal conversation.

For comparison, I also checked the SshhMute against other mutes: the Protec Compact Practice Mute, and a Humes & Berg straight mute. The Protec mute played at 72.5dB by comparison, which while not being that much quieter than the SshhMute, is still noticeable to the human ear. That said, the SshhMute also plays with better intonation, less back pressure, and less vibration than the Protec mute. The straight mute played at 98.5dB, only slightly quieter than regular playing.

Overall, although it is slightly less quiet than other practice mute options, the Bremner SshhMute shines due to its ease of play, and does the job of keeping your practice from disturbing others (your experience may vary). If you are looking for a practice mute, the SshhMute would be my top recommendation.

Great practice mute! Light weight, sturdy, and fits in the horn really well. It's super quiet with minimal back pressure. One of the best practice mutes on the market!