Ray Robinson Cup Mute // Mute Monday Ep. 2

The Ray Robinson Cup Mute is one most popular vintage cup mutes. History and video comparison of vintage and modern versions of this iconic mute.
In this week's #mutemonday I discuss the iconic Ray Robinson cup mute, comparing mutes from the 1930s, 1960s, and 2020.
If you're only interested in listening to the playing comparison, skip to 9:15 in the video.
I've created a free "Mute Handbook" to help you play better 🎺🎺
Get it here: www.JoshRzepka....
Buy the duet book I wrote with Roger Ingram 🎺🎺
Get it here: www.versatiletr...
Trumpet Gear:
Trumpet: www.seshires.c...
Mouthpiece: Denis Wick MM4C bit.ly/3kzFMKO
Facebook: / joshrzepka
Instagram: / joshrzepka
Twitter: / joshrzepka
Website: www.joshrzepka.com
Josh is a Chicago based trumpeter, composer, and author. He has been featured on NPR, PBS, and has been heard on jazz radio across the world.
Josh tours across North America with classic rock sensation Under the Streetlamp.
Josh is a Denis Wick endorsed Artist.

[@billiongenius]

Great video! Just bought a trumpet for my kid to start playing and it had this Ray Robinson straight mute in the case. Looks original and great shape. Watching this video to learn more about it.

[@JoshRzepkaMusic]

Thanks! Nice find - it should be a great mute then. Hope they have fun learning trumpet!

[@billiongenius]

I actually reached out to Roger as well, and ours has the rivets and seems to be from 60s era based on the paint, cork, etc. Too bad not a 30’s era, but based on your samples in the video, this sounds like a great mute.

[@davehowell5298]

Hi Josh, great video as always. I have a Robinson cup mute that I picked up in a ‘bargain’ box in Boosey and Hawkes shop in Regent Street, London in the 1980s for 50 pence. I abused it and neglected it for years, throwing it in my bag etc. Amazingly I still have it and it is in reasonable shape. Having learnt how in demand they are I have returned to it and prefer it now to my other cups. I now treat it with care and am even reluctant to take it out😀 Dave

[@JoshRzepkaMusic]

Thanks!! Great that you've got one! If you like it ... take it on gigs and use it!! Just don't leave it behind on accident. If it ever gets too worn, they pop up every so often, and they can get restored. Otherwise, the Warburton version is a nice alternative, as is the brand new Huber Mutes version (I'll feature it in this coming week's video).

[@handmadehearts]

Josh, thank you for sharing your expertise. You have so much knowledge on the subject. Impressive!

[@JoshRzepkaMusic]

Thank you!!

[@MF-gr6os]

Great series!

[@JoshRzepkaMusic]

Thank you!! Glad you're enjoying it!

[@BariRMe]

Hi Josh. Before I thought I would eventually find one of these (a newer one with rivets whose cup needed gluing back on and new corks) I found references to buying an H&B Mic-A-Mute. You can remove the black plastic "bell protector" and file the corks to get a tight fit. Have you tried that, and if so, what do you think of this as another alternative to a real Robinson? I don't generally take the Robinson out much, but I do take the modified H&B and use it exclusively when I'm out, although I also have a couple Shastocks as well I'd like to take, but they don't sound as much like those of my section-mates. BTW, thanks for including the Mute Meister's mute in this discussion. I don't know of anywhere you can play before buying locally.

[@JoshRzepkaMusic]

Thanks for all the comments! Yes, I know some people who've gone that route with the Mic-A-Mute - I haven't compared that with the old RR, perhaps sometime in the future I'll do that. It's a good alternative that you can do with a more common mute. There is also the new Huber Mutes version of the Robinson Cup that is worth checking out. It's a little brighter, but also a great option.

[@gubgubbubbub]

Thanks for the video, Josh! Do you know of any books or articles I might find more information about mutes in? I'm interested in learning about the history and various different types of mutes.

[@JoshRzepkaMusic]

Glad you dug the video! Not sure on books with that info ... just a lot or research and investigation. Gabrielle Cassone has a great book on the trumpet with some history on mutes, but it's really just a couple pages. If you look through old magazines, you can often find advertisements from these mute companies which help shed a little bit of light. There are quite a few that have been digitized, but they are difficult to find and look through. Talking with some of the older players, and collectors will also fill in some gaps. Roger Ingram has a wealth of knowledge, his website has some great info too. If you haven't yet checked out my mute guide, click the link above, it's got an overview of the different types of mutes. Finally, there are a lot of Facebook groups with some experts, a lot of great information there too.

[@jayl7890]

Hi Josh, great video. What replacement corks would you recommend for the ray robinson cup and straight?

[@JoshRzepkaMusic]

Thank you! Any standard cork replacement kit will work, otherwise if you get some thick cork sheeting you can easily cut it down into the right size with an x-acto and file it to size. The corkboard 12" x 12" sheets from Michaels work well for that, and they're thick enough that you can use them for most applications even with a reasonably oversized bell.