SuperStatic

About

The idea for this instrument was born during the long lockdown of 2020. The aim was to make something simple, effective, beautiful to look at, and reproducable - and make lots of them! The design was perfected soon after and the first batch was completed in mid 2021.

I now have a limited number of first-edition electric trumpets available for purchase!

This is not a MIDI instrument. The design philosphy for this trumpet was to emulate the simplicity of an electric guitar - the output is a straightforward 1/4" guitar jack, at guitar level. The sound, without effects, is a simple triangle wave. But it can be plugged directly into your amp, or directly into your effects rack! This allows you to piggyback on 80 years of timbral development from the world of guitar pedals. It sounds especially amazing with the Boss FZ-2 Hyper Fuzz.

As with all electric trumpets, the lip tension is replaced with a control in the left hand. We use a simple rotary knob. It takes some practice, but it's really fun to play - and you can play for hours without getting chopped out. This, plus the fact that you can plug headphones into your amplifier to practice silently, makes for an amazing practice instrument. When you're done with acoustic trumpet for the day, just pick up the electric trumpet and start afresh!

But where the instrument really shines is in live performance. An electric trumpet has a completely different timbre to an acoustic trumpet - the SuperStatic electric trumpet sounds like an old-school synthesizer! This opens up whole new styles of performance where an acoustic trumpet just doesn't fit in. Play alongside loud electric guitars or synthesizers, plug into an effects rack, or interface the instrument directly with a modular synth. The possibilities are endless.

The trumpet itself is machine carved from cherry and walnut timber, and comes in an Australian hardwood case. The valves are full sized hardwood with real trumpet springs. Comes with a USB-C charger and cable.

FAQ

How do I get one?

We currently have a number of first-edition trumpets available for AUD $700 including express shipping to most destinations. Please get in touch if you'd like to buy one!

What are the fingerings?

Use the same fingerings that you would for the first octave on an acoustic trumpet. These are repeated multiple times for 7 octaves of total range.

C – 0 C♯ – 123 D – 13 E♭ – 23 E – 12 F – 1 F♯ – 2 G – 0 A♭ – 23 A – 12 B♭ – 1 B – 2

What does it sound like?

Like a synthesizer. That is, the default sound is a simple triangle wave, reminiscent of an 8-bit videogame. However, when sent through one or more guitar pedals, it can generate a huge variety of crazy and fun sounds. And if you have the technical know-how, you can code it with the Arduino programming language to produce different synth tones on its own, or to interface with any external synthesizer you like. The sky is the limit!

How does it work?

The instrument uses sensors to figure out how hard you're blowing as well as the position of the valves and the rotary knob. Then, code running on an internal Teensy 4.1 microcontroller makes sense of those inputs and creates a musical tone which is output in high quality to the 1/4" guitar jack output. Simple, right?

What key is it in?

The trumpet is in concert pitch. The key is hardcoded onto the trumpet and can only be changed by reprogramming the instrument. B♭ models are also available - just specify your preference when you purchase.

Why is it made of wood?

Because wood is beautiful. These instruments were carved out of cherry and walnut using the CNC router at Fab9 in Footscray, Victoria.

Where does the spit go?

The normal "condensation" associated with wind instrument playing is contained in silicon tubing inside the instrument, with an outlet next to the rotary knob. Occassionally, like a real trumpet, it needs to be switched off and air blown through hard to clear it out.

Why doesn't the case have a handle?

It didn't when these photos were taken. It does now.

How is it powered?

It has an internal battery, charged via USB-C with the provided charger. Just like your phone. The battery lasts for multiple days of normal playing.