Widely recognized as the choice for professionals and amateurs alike, (click here) Balu French Horn Mutes are proudly made in the United States with US materials and labor. They encompass all traits that one could love in a mute: clear and projected sound, consistent through ALL registers, dual-layer cork (a Balu innovation), adjustable tuning for perfect intonation, superior body construction for unrivaled strength, and on top of all of that, unsurpassed beauty. All Balu French Horn Mutes have the same high degree of sound and quality, regardless of beautiful finish selected.
Balu French Horn Straight Mutes…
are known for their clear projection and even tone quality throughout all registers. Thanks to the dual-layer cork (a Balu innovation), the mute will “stick” inside the bell, keeping it centered and eliminating any wobbling, an important factor in keeping the mute aligned properly for a consistent air flow. The Straight Mute is fully tunable and comes with a beautiful string. The mute is very sturdy and can take quite a lot of punishment (within reason, some past customers thought they could put it up to the “slammed in the car door” test). We hope that you will be the next happy Balu Straight Mute owner, joining the 5000+ satisfied owners in the world today. If ordering a Bling mute, please specify which color you’d like in the “message to seller” box.
-
- Standard Balu Straight: $239.95
- Bling Balu Straight: $299.95
- Thunder Limited Edition Balu Straight: $399.95
Balu French Horn Practice Mutes…
were the most challenging mutes to develop. They took Mr. Balu over 5 years of continuous tweaking until he found the perfect design. There are a great number of variables that must be taken into account: airflow and its trajectory while inside the mute, throat size of the mute, proper positioning in the bell, and the number and positioning of holes on the base. The result is a practice mute that cuts between 26 and 32 decibels (depending on dynamic played), has very little air resistance, and plays evenly throughout all registers.
Our practice mute is perfect for use while traveling, in the hotels, in your residence, in the airports, and even onstage. The design our mute was not intended to be used onstage during a concert. However, quite a few great players came to us and said that the Balu Practice Mute was the perfect mute to warm up with during the concert either after a long tacet or right before a solo. We are very pleased with this unintentional but extremely useful application of our practice mute. If ordering a Bling mute, please specify which color you’d like in the “message to seller” box.
-
- Standard Balu Practice: $209.95
- Bling Balu Practice: $249.95
- Thunder Limited Edition Balu Practice: $349.95
Balu French Horn Stop Mutes…
are known most notably for their unique design. While the Balu French Horn Stop Mute may look Dr. Seuss-esque with its wild twist in the bell, it is famous for being the only stop mute in the world that can project the sound forward (a Balu innovation). Furthermore, our stop mute comes with two interchangeable bells: one pointing forward for increased projection, and one pointing straight from the horn bell as is more common. We intentionally made the mute bells the biggest on the market (2.5″). Our stop mutes have a poly-type cork which repels water and oil and unlike normal cork, it will not get clogged and compromise the seal. The stop mute comes in two finishes: Matte Brass and Moonstone.
-
- Balu Stop: $299
Specialty Mutes
At Balu Musik, we are not limited to only the commonly-used mutes. Sometimes rare instruments are played and need corresponding mutes. Other times we simply create a variation on our already world-renowned Balu Mutes, thus, our Specialty Mutes department was born.
Balu Wagner Tuba Mute
We are very excited to announce the creation of our new and revolutionary Balu Wagner Tuba Mute! Why revolutionary? Like our world famous Tuba mutes, our Wagner Tuba mute has great resonance in all registers, free of fuzzy, stuffy, or distorted notes. We designed and developed this mute at the request of the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. They needed a mute of uncompromising quality for their premiere of Alban Berg’s, Lulu. We believe that our Wagner Tuba mutes are the best on the market and we are not the only ones. This review from Horn Matters by John Ericson says it all! Most professional orchestras around the world are using our Wagner Tuba mutes.
- Balu Wagner Tuba Mute: $399
Balu Vienna Horn Mute
Professional players ask us to build mutes that typically are not made due to the rarity of their utilization. A mute for the Vienna horn was one such request. After some experimentation, the Balu Vienna Horn Mute was born. If you play Vienna horn, this mute is unsurpassed in response and tone throughout all registers, as is the Balu Musik standard.
- Balu Vienna horn mute: $249.95
