Looking for silent practice instrument at low budget.

Willie · January 2022

Didn't have time to answer in detail, but now I'm back from school:

@Buco Tried pieces of rubber hose, paper tissue and such things and braided them between the strings. This is killing any sustain, but still is rather loud. Will go to the super market tomorrow and buy those ear plugs.

@Lango-Django, @pdg, @Bill Da Costa Williams, @geese_com I don't want to spend up to 700 € for a special guitar that I would only use for special practising situations, that's why I am looking for something much cheaper. And I don't want to spend too much money for pickups/preamps/etc. that I probably would not use. The price for a Höfner Shorty is good, but I'm afraid it doesn't feel o.k. in the sense of a correct arm position on the guitar's body when practising rest stroke exercises. Nor does the Anygig guitar, but at least it has kind of a hook to place on the lap. The one on reverb is, together with shipping costs, much more expensive than a new one, that's why I didn't understand the price (and the price for the item when it was new!). Does stuffing an acoustic guitar really work? I don't dare toexperiment with my old gypsy guitar, because there are two contact microphones inside!

@Ben Dallow The Snap Axe looks good, and the price is fine. And I think, because of the fake rib it gives a more realistic feel when played. If the ear plugs won't work "correct" (= produce some sound and sustain but less volume than an unplugged e-guitar), the Snap Axe might be the deal.

Buco · January 2022

A lot of similar stuff was discussed here. There's a picture of the ear plugs at the bottom of the second page posted by Bones. Out of all the ideas discussed, that one worked the best for me.

https://www.djangobooks.com/forum/discussion/3156/silencing-acoustic-guitar-for-quiet-practice

Willie · January 2022

@Buco Thank you, didn't remeber this thread and the picturess posted by @Bones and @Chiefbigeasy:

I wil report the results when I tried these mutings tomorrow.

pdg · January 2022

You wiil need to practice in actual playing position, arm resting on guitar rim, guitar resting on leg, etc. That's how you'll be able relax the proper muscles, flex the proper muscles, etc. The travel guitars that look like sticks won't be good for that.

juanderer · January 2022

Any guitar can be played with a strong attack without loudness (depending on how you define loudness) if you dampen the strings enough. Socks, ear plugs, t-shirts, the possibilities are only bound by imagination and can fit any budget if you already have the guitar.

BillDaCostaWilliams · January 2022

@Willie if you do go for the the Snap Axe, I'm curious to hear how it works out. Seems like an interesting option but I'm unsure how Brexit might impact things as EU customs rules would now apply to goods from the UK.

Willie · January 2022

Maybe the point is not to dampen the strings at the bridge, but the vibrations of the top via stuffing the box?

juanderer · January 2022

https://www.djangobooks.com/forum/discussion/comment/109665#Comment_109665

Or do what I used to do and practice inside the closet. 😅

Willie · January 2022

Ear plugs in fact work a bit better than the other dampening methods, but still the guitar is too loud. My luthier confirms that loudness is produced in the box. If you dampen the strings, you are mostly reducing sustain, not loudness. He is recommending construction foam, but as this seems to be irriversible, I prefer stuffing the part of the box under the bridge with a block of foam material.