[Trombone-l] Clearing things up regarding Solotones, my left hand and Peanuts.

[Dean Hubbard]

Friends,
   To get the teacher¹s voice I did use my left hand on the mute to get the
sounds I wanted. It was a wa-wa type effect created with a Shastock
Solotone.  I got the idea by listening to  Russ Morgan recordings.  You
manipulated it the same way you would a Harmon mute.
  I find the problems with the new models of the Solotone and like mutes is
that the tube inside isn¹t long enough to get the right sound.  The older
model I use has a nice long tube.
Local tech Larry Souza from Hornucopia in San Carlos, CA. modified a couple
of newer models by extending the tube and it really helped.
  Besides Morgan, Dorsey used a Solotone quite a bit although I don¹t recall
him using any of the wa-wa stuff.  Glenn Miller¹s trombone section used them
on solis and would use a
do-wa effect.  Morgan seemed to be the master of that sound.  A little over
the top by today¹s standards but, we were making cartoons not art music.

Truly,
Dean Hubbard
Artist/Clinician for Getzen Trombones
5849 Ascot Drive
Oakland, CA-USA
94611-2702
(510)531-6047
(510) 325-1877  cell
Bonedean at msn.com