Chiff and Fipple Forums

One of my favorite whistles is an indian or pakistani low A that cost only a few buck. It's got a lovely tone and plays like a dream, although the top of the upper register is a bit dodgy. I liked it so much I went back to the shop and bought one in B, but that one was no good at all. Although when ...

And a new home has been found for the Shaw. Thanks everyone.

For 200$ you could get an actually decent starting bouzouki from Lark in the Morning. Or, you could spend the same money and get an absolutley unplayable piece of sh*te. I owned one for a while, and reckon the expense as a dead loss. The cost of bringing what they shipped me into playable condition...

All in all, I belive that this board is doing Mr. Spillane a considerable favour. His whistle has to be the best-publicised vapourware since Windows 94.

I wonder if it's possible to play the riff from "Start Me Up" on low whistle?

Buy anything at all in D. When you're new, there can be plenty of distinction between whistles, without any real difference. The great secret is that there isn't a tremendous amount of difference to be had, frankly. The difference between a cheap whistle and an expensive one is that more of the latt...

Recorder fingering is not the same., and you've already put your finger on the difference--you can't overblow a recorder. The recorder has evolved to play chromatically over about an octave and a half, using "cross-fingering." The whistle trade this chromatic agility for greater range--you...

The Chieftain is spoken for, with a backup, so I think that one way or another it's off the market. The Shaw is still available. It really does have a gorgeous tone for slow airs. I wonder if Dave's quality control has slipped in the decade since I bought it--mine was made back when he was primarily...

It's the bore. Anything with a conical bore will be more like a Shaw than anything without. You can hear the same physics at work in flutes--wooden (or plastic) flutes with a conical bore have the "nyah" for Irish musec and wooden, plastic or silver flutes with a straight bore have the &qu...

Zimmerman's kid Jacob has his old man beat all to hell anyway. Just missed out on that leftist, revolutionary cache by a generation. Bunk. While we're talking about playing on and around the beat, Bob Dylan has the greatest command of phrasing and timing in popular music since Frank Sinatra. Any mu...

Between the flute, mandolin, and tenor banjo (and of course whistle), I just don't play low whistle enough to justify owning my two. And there's something sad about perfectly good instruments no one plays; I can feel their silent reproach. So I'm offering them for sale, if anyone's interested. Both ...

I'd recommend getting in touch with the maker, Ralph Sweet. My first flute was a sweetheart, and I bought my second (an antique flute) from him. I've found him to be entirely helpful, and who'd know his flutes better? Sweetheart Flute Company 32 South Maple Street, Enfield, CT 06082 (860) 749-4494 r...