RODDY o-iii<O

"THE SKYROCKET" MOUTHPIECE

...GET YER CHOPS READY FOR. . . L I F T - O F F! ! !

{ a " Kurt 'N' Rod " Production }

GR Technologies is the maker of the world's most advanced brass mouthpieces.
By using our own design paramaters program, we have defined every point, arc, and radius in mouthpiece design.
We are able to mathematically identify the function of all mouthpiece parameters and manipulate those parameters to create outstanding mouthpieces based on proven scientific and accoustical laws.
We are the only mouthpiece maker who designs mouthpieces using these principles.
All GR Mouthpieces are Compu-Balanced which means they are not drawn out on a piece of graph paper nor are they copies of any other mouthpiece.
Each GR Mouthpiece design must fall within our parameters before they can be produced.They must solve our "Sound Equation".


click to go to GR Mpc.Tech Website



YOU WANT TRUMPET VOODOO --I'LL GIVE YA TRUMPET VOODOO!!! ---hehhehehe!!!

Okay guys --here it is!!

The specs of Brisbois' mpc. are well known....SO....

GR Mpc Tech. DIGITALLY RECREATED / REDESIGNED a version of a mpc. that Bud Brisbois once played, but also added in to the "creation equation" their brand of magic which "Voracitized and Magnanimized it!"...using their own special 'alpha angle math', this has created a....

Monster Mpc!!



...click here to hear Rod use the "S K Y R O C K E T"....

playing J.Morrisson's "SCREAM MACHINE!!!!"



It's SOOOO Darned good that if Bud were alive today [God Bless Him!] I'm sure he would have wanted it!!!''.......


''SKYROCKET'' SPECS…

This digital monster mpc has specs similar to a Bach 10 1/2C rim, 0.593 inner cup diameter, shallow semi-v cup, & 27 throat.

The ''SKYROCKET'' will be all of the above but GR Tech has improved upon the original with their own brand of ''Alpha angle'' magic... [the secret of which Gary Radtke lets you in on a little here...below!]


Gary Radtke writes...

"I hope this will clarify the SkyRocket mouthpiece specifications. A 64th is not a very good unit of measure when dealing with a mouthpiece. One 64th is equal to .015625" so if you are +/- a 64th that is very large distance. I can measure to .00001" although with process variation I would say to be with in .001" (+/- .0005) is more reasonable than (+/- .015625). The mouthpiece I digitized was actually closer to 38/64 (.593") due to the high alpha angle that could vary depending how the far down manufacture decided to measure. I use my parameters to measure so accuracy and defining this area is not a problem for me. This is a very small diameter, although, I have made smaller.

The rim is semi-flat, but in my opinion not real cushioned by today's standards, it is actually quite narrow. The bite is average with a high alpha angle; furthermore, this may give it the feel of a softer bite. The alpha angle is high but I have seen much higher, it is in a tolerable area for players that prefer higher alpha angles. The cup has a lower beta angle and I would consider it more V shaped according to my parameters. This gives the mouthpiece a fatter round sound. The cup depth is average, although, volume is key here. The mouthpiece has a relatively large volume for the smaller inner diameter. I found many bad discontinuities in the lower cup, throat entrance, throat, and backbore area of the original mouthpiece. This could be due to handwork, machine alignment, chucking alignment or runout, and not using my program for the design. After the program corrected these areas the throat was best at a #27 bore to balance the mouthpiece. The backbore was not open by most standards but a little to the tight side if you consider all the backbores I have analyzed in my Backbore Analysis Program. I used a backbore to balance the mouthpiece.

It is true this mouthpiece is not for everybody. I tried to play the original and had great difficulty. The finished SkyRocket played really well and even surprised me; I prefer a much larger diameter (.660). I was impressed with the fat sound up and down as well as the ability to play accurately. Articulation was very good through out the range and that was lacking on the original. I would think someone that plays this diameter would have a more accurate opinion of the performance of the SkyRocket mouthpiece."

.....SO.....Do ya want one? -- after the initial discounted flurry, the price is now a back order item coming in at $200 US Dollars which INCLUDES taxes, shipping [FROM THE USA], insurance, delivery confirmation and packaging to anywhere on planet earth!!!

Order "The Skyrocket" here! -- GO ON YOU KNOW YOU WANNA PLAY HIGHER THAN BUD!!!!!---hehehhe!!!

Special thanks goes to Kurt Schulenburg, Dan McMillion and Gary Radtke for all their help. None of the above would have come to fruition without their generous help.

and.... read on for Mr.Kurt's incredible Bud Brisbois story !!!.....



Well guys,

you can read the story a number of ways...I was playing bari sax in the newly formed Lawrence University Studio Orchestra...and for our big spring concert, we had Bud Brisbois come and play as featured soloist.

He did clinics and the works, partied with us and seemed to have a great time. He played well--although, he was personally disappointed in his own performance. Apparently he had taken a few years off and was trying to make a comeback of sorts...and it wasn't happening as fast as he wanted it to! Anyway, he played trumpet, flugel and picc in several numbers with us...and also with some of our other guest soloists...I know Matrix was there and Michael Gibbs...can't remember who all else...

Needless to say, I followed the man around all weekend, as even back then I was a high note player of sorts and was very familiar with Bud's work. He was always kind, always friendly...but, in retrospect, seemed a little distant, a little removed. Showed the wedge breathing--although he didn't call it that. Let everyone look at his horn and mouthpieces (I wasn't a"real" trumpeter...I didn't know what possible difference the horn could make so I can't even remember looking at it...)(Same with the mouthpiece...hey! I majored in saxophone, give me a break!)

Also, I remember him distinctly telling us that the "amount" of air was not what counted...it was more important to shoot the air "like a laser" than to completely fill up every time. He demonstrated this by sitting cross legged on the floor, kind of crouched over, and played a whole bunch of Gs and dbl Cs.

He also mentioned some sort of x-ray/flouroscope study that somebody did of trumpet players' mouths where he participated. He said that most of the guys rasied their tongues as they ascended, but his raised until around F above high C and then actually dropped down and stayed there from that point on up. "On up" took him into the territory around F above dbl C!

It was quite a shock when we heard that two days after all of this, he walked out into the desert and took his own life. I don't know what really went on, but the rumors at the time said it had to do more with troubles at home than his playing, but I've also heard in intervening years that he was pretty depressed about his career, too. Hard to say now...probably never know the real story.

One of the cuts from that last concert is on the "RocketMan" CD that Kevin Seeley put together.

And, no, even a careful listener won't hear the barisax in that group!

Kurt Schulenburg




S K Y R O C K E T   T R I B U T E S


Hey, folks!

I know I am marching a bit to the beat of a different drummer with my
asymmetrical mpces, but I do still play conventional mpces and I have had no
problem switching back and forth. It just depends on the fit.

So, along the lines of the more conventional, I have recently aquired the
modified (?) Brisbois mpce. known as the "Skyrocket" marketed by Kurt and
Roddy and manufactured by GR.

If your looking for a screamin' lead setup in the more traditional (that is
symmetrical) mode, this one is well worth checking out.

I have a couple of small lead setups: Laskey 40s*, Bobby Shew model, Black
and Hill Roger Ingram model, etc. This Skyrocket works at least as well as
those for me, when I re-adjusted to it. It can produce an incredibly hot
sound with minimal effort and the so-called "dubba-C's" will pop right out
on it. It also feels great on the chops without resorting to a bif fat
constrictive rim.

Check them out, if you're looking to add to your arsnel for those brutal big
band gigs.

Gotta run.

ND
http://www.mp3.com/NickDrozdoff

I purchased a SkyRocket mp from Roddy & Kurt on the
1st production run more out of curiosity than anything
else. My mp collection includes many lead mp's both
contemporary & vintage types. What impressed me was
how different this lead piece is compared to any other
that I own. The rim has an actual bite - something
that many lead pieces don't have & the cup has volume.
It is not that deep but just enough where I don't
bottom out in the cup. Also, the overall quality of
the mp is exceptional!
Roddy & Kurt did a great job on the mp & are good to
do business with. If you are looking for a lead mp
that is different the SkyRocket mp may be just your
cup of tea!
Thanks,
Spencer Hager Jr.
zonzulu@yahoo.com


Roddy,

I had a rehearsal this last Wednesday and decided to have some fun and play the whole 2 hours exclusively on the SR. Because the opening is so much smaller than my Chase Sanborn 66 (both by GR Technologies), it was a little difficult at first. But I was quite surprised at how well I was playing IN the staff as well as above it.

The tip top of my usable range is a high F above the staff. That's at the beginning of a rehearsal/concert, on a good day, when the planets are in alignment, and not with a great deal of power behind it (though it's getting better). With the SR, I was able to hit that with no problem, as I expected. Again, what was surprising was how well I could play low too. And because of the smaller opening (what's the right word - cup size?), I really couldn't muscle the mouthpiece, my lips would just stop vibrating. So it really helped me keep the mouthpiece away. FYI, my Chase Sanborn 66 reacts the same way, though not as extreme as this one.

I have a couple other "lead/high note" mouthpieces, but they are quite shallow and I bottom out very easily. With the SR, I played for 2 hours, was hitting pretty much all the notes (because it's so different and this was the first time I'd played it this much I was having a hard time finding some notes at first), was able to play my 3rd parts as well as the 1st parts, and my lips actually felt very good when we were done. I thought for sure they would be shot really fast, but they weren't. With my other "lead" mouthpieces, they do get shot quickly.

This won't be my MAIN mouthpiece, but I was very surprised with how well it worked and how well I was able to play on it. It's definitely one I will keep and use now and then. Thanks for creating this, I'm having fun! :) Now if I can just fine a computer microphone that I don't overload when playing the trumpet so I can record some stuff....

Rich Uchytil


webmaster@billysbrassband.com

http://www.BillysBrassBand.com


Dear Roddy,
Great mouthpiece! It has a very full, penatrating sound , and a great rim, but for me the inside diamater is just too small, i am more then happy with my set-up ( Ingram model Marcinkiewicz) so at this time I really dont feel like changing. I think the guys who play on Ferguson type mouthpieces would be real happy with the "SR"

Nate

golia67@hotmail.com (Nathan Patrizia)


Roddy!!!

Finally got it and used it at a big band rehearsal the other night. I loved it but it will take some getting used to. It forces me to keep my corners tight and back away from using the "octave key" (left hand pressure!!) I'm actually overshooting some notes using my usual approach. This piece demands a more relaxed approach to playing. The top end speaks clearly and with very good intonation. You just have to remember to back away from the mp as you ascend and let the air flow. I can play fairly well in the bottom end (low C to F#) but I wouldn't get an orchestra job with it! Haven't tried it on my Pic or Eb yet, but I'll let you know later how that went. Oh, one more thing is articulation - this piece has great initial releases; I can tongue about 10bpm faster than I did before. Can't wait to see what it's like when I get used to it. Bye for now,

Rick

rick.rangno@sympatico.ca (Rick Rangno)


I used it on my Fri. and Sat. gigs. It really lights up for me. Coming from using a GR 62S, it's not that much of a downsize. It definitely takes a different airspeed and air quantity than I'm accustomed to. Very reminiscent of the Callet Solo piece, btw. Was fantastic on lead work, but didn't have the tone I like for playing light cocktail stuff. It was only two gigs, so it's still early to say. Some concentrated changes in air usage could remedy that, I suppose. (I've only played it on gigs... no time to do woodshedding last week.)

It would be interesting to know how GR improved upon the original... backbore?...cup shape?.. Regardless; it's a fine small diameter trumpet piece. No regrets.

~Steve Hyde~

The Fantastic Classic......Chatterband
http://www.chatterband.homestead.com


I like it. I played on a Giardinelli MF3 for about 25 years. This piece responds better and is even easier to play. High marks all around.
--
Jeff Brenneman

Ransom716@aol.com

 



The Skyrocket is REAL now. It's an excellent small mouthpiece -- plays easily, but doesn't seem extreme in any way.
This was a cool project -- kudos to Roddy and Kurt for thinking it up.
Galen Tromble

galen@galensjazzparty.com





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