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I know this sounds weird but I need to make my (old) guitar less loud. I like to play outside in my garden sometimes when the sun is shining unfortunately my neighbours are old boring heartless complaining people who dont like flamenco (yes its possible), anyway, is there a way to make your guitar "silent"? maybe a feedback buster works?
Yep. Take a couple of strings off, and stuff a load of cheap towels in to get rid of every cm of space inside the guitar.
Start with bigger towels to start off with, to fill the main space, then finish with smaller ones as you get closer to the sound hole, so the space is perfectly filled without any sticking out touching the strings.
Another way is to put a sponge in to dampen the strings, but this really affects the quality of the sound.
Towels keep the quality, but you will have a very heavy guitar.
I wouldn't do this towel trick with a nice/new guitar - you'll never break it in, as the body would never resonate.
The feedback buster won't work - it only makes a small difference to the sound output. Flybynight is right - towels or similar stuffed into the guitar or use a small piece of sponge - I used to use the latter when I lived in an apartment and didn't want to disturb the neighbours with late night guitar practice. Try different sponge densities/sizes - this will allow you to tweak how much of the sound gets deadened.
I've got one and i prefer this than the sponge. Because the string does not harden. And the sound is still present, mute but you can "hear" want you play.
you found it if you google "pock mute guitar"
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"The most important part of Flamenco is not in knowing how to interpret it. The higher art is in knowing how to listen." (Luis Agujetas)
Sponge idea is good - however for a really quick fix, I just tie a sock around the strings (at the bridge). This completely muffles the sound but allows you to carry on practicing without upsetting neighbours, girlfriends, boyfriends, wives, husbands, kids, friends, neighbours, pets etc.
I like mezzo's idea. The towel thing is such a pain to switch back and forth. OK if you have two guitars.. and leave one permanently 'stuffed'.
That looks like the same material used as a corner packaging piece when you get electronic stuff sent to you eg. computers. ie. very strong moulded foam ?
Just ask around your neighbours and friends if they have any boxes lying around, get a sharp knife out and make one yourself.
simple, just invite the neighbors over for dinner.
if you are friends and maybe talk about flamenco in passing or just be nice they might be willing to forgive you a few hours practice in the garden during the week =)
Thanks for all the reactions. The towels in guitar works very good! It keeps a real guitar sound, unless dampen the strings. I'm going to experiment with some different softer towels to make it even more silenced, the high tones are the hardest.
I couldn't find the "pock mute' anywhere , but I have tried to put different rubber things under the bridge and the rubber coating "thing" from a Shubb capo fits perfectly Only the sound and feel is really weird when damping the strings so I think the towel method is the best. The only disadventage is that the guitar is now really heavy!
@Hemeola actually its the whole neighbourhood... maybe its my playing
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