I was the first person on the tour started by Charlie of WhorfinWoods (whorfinwoods@gmail.com).
Here's my take:
The plum D is a very nice whistle!
- Good points:Nice tone, good tuning, loud enough but not to loud, not too "pure" (such as the Burkes), just enough chiff to make it interesting. Doesn't take a lot of air up high in the second octave and the low end sounds really beautiful. Once it's warmed up, it plays as well (or better than) any high-end whistle I've ever played. Also, it is VERY light in the hand.
- Not so good point : the warm-up (and it's kind of a non-issue). Most of the wood whistles I have played need virtually no warm up but yours definitely requires it - as long as a player knows this it's no big deal.
- Overall: really great whistle! I think it is underpriced at $125, so you might want to get on his list before the price goes up!
My two cents...
Pat Plunkett
Whorfin Whistle Review
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plunk111
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Whorfin Whistle Review
Pat Plunkett, Wheeling, WV
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ytliek
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Re: Whorfin Whistle Review
I think I'm third on the Whorfin Tour. I received the whistles yesterday so after a few days of test driving I'll post back my findings here.
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ytliek
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Re: Whorfin Whistle Review
The Whorfin four wooden whistle tour package was mailed today to next person on tour.
Some brief comments:
- The two C whistles required too much air for my liking and playing style.
- The plum wood high D whistle was the best of the four. After a short warm up the whistle played fine with two full octaves. I already own a Whorfin "fruitwood" whistle either plum or pear wood that is spot on so I knew what to expect. The tour plum D high whistle is just as good a player so the consistency in the build is done very well.
- The olive wood high D whistle was aesthetically one of the best looking whistles I've ever seen. The playing had some issues for me. The whistle required a long warm up and for some odd reason seemed to dry out sporadically and skipped notes during playing. The high B was the highest note I could consistently achieve, which left out the two highest notes in the upper octave. This whistle is a beauty but the consistency just isn't there with me and I'd like to hear from other tour members their findings.
I want to thank Chas for sending these whistles on tour and looking forward to future Whorfin wooden whistles.
Be well,
bjk
Some brief comments:
- The two C whistles required too much air for my liking and playing style.
- The plum wood high D whistle was the best of the four. After a short warm up the whistle played fine with two full octaves. I already own a Whorfin "fruitwood" whistle either plum or pear wood that is spot on so I knew what to expect. The tour plum D high whistle is just as good a player so the consistency in the build is done very well.
- The olive wood high D whistle was aesthetically one of the best looking whistles I've ever seen. The playing had some issues for me. The whistle required a long warm up and for some odd reason seemed to dry out sporadically and skipped notes during playing. The high B was the highest note I could consistently achieve, which left out the two highest notes in the upper octave. This whistle is a beauty but the consistency just isn't there with me and I'd like to hear from other tour members their findings.
I want to thank Chas for sending these whistles on tour and looking forward to future Whorfin wooden whistles.
Be well,
bjk
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chas
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Re: Whorfin Whistle Review
Bernard is absolutely correct that the C whistles are airhogs. I realized this and pointed it out before I sent them out. The next prototypes will have narrower windways.
I knew it was a risk to send them out, but love the sound, so was willing to take the risk.
I knew it was a risk to send them out, but love the sound, so was willing to take the risk.
Charlie
Whorfin Woods
"Our work puts heavy metal where it belongs -- as a music genre and not a pollutant in drinking water." -- Prof Ali Miserez.
Whorfin Woods
"Our work puts heavy metal where it belongs -- as a music genre and not a pollutant in drinking water." -- Prof Ali Miserez.
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saintninian
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Re: Whorfin Whistle Review
About time I gave my reviews of the Whorfin whistles making the tour:
The first D I tried (it had a small number on the back) I found to be a very easy blower, with a low air requirement. The whistle had a clear, bell-like sound, and an easy transition between the first and second octave. I was especially impressed with the relative ease of reaching the high B in the second octave, and with the fact that it wasn’t at all shrill. This was definitely my favorite of the four whistles on the tour.
I thought the low and high D’s of the second D whistle sounded somewhat tentative, like they might break too easily into the next octave, so requiring a very light breath to play properly. The notes in the second octave required more push than I’m used to in a wooden whistle. The overall sound of this whistle was more breathy than the first, and much more breath control was required to play the whistle without squeaking or honking.
The C whistle with steel fittings was also a breathy whistle, and the bottom D and E seemed weak. The cross-fingered C natural, however, was very good, IMO. Comments were made elsewhere that the C whistles were air hogs, and it did seem that this was a fair description of this whistle.
The C whistle with brass fittings was a different animal altogether. The overall sound was mellow and flutelike, which is what I like in wooden whistles. The air requirement in the first octave was moderate, with an easy transition between the first and second octaves. The bell note was solid, and the cross-fingered C natural was spot-on. More push was needed to play the notes in the second octave, which you would expect, but the notes were always very clear and not at all shrill. I liked this whistle a lot.
The overall look of the whistles was of a very attractive and well crafted instrument, which is something I have come to expect from a Whorfin whistle. I already have two Whorfin D’s, which are among my favorites of the whistles I own, and (once Charlie is satisfied that he has gotten them where he wants them to be), I look forward to acquiring a Whorfin C.
The first D I tried (it had a small number on the back) I found to be a very easy blower, with a low air requirement. The whistle had a clear, bell-like sound, and an easy transition between the first and second octave. I was especially impressed with the relative ease of reaching the high B in the second octave, and with the fact that it wasn’t at all shrill. This was definitely my favorite of the four whistles on the tour.
I thought the low and high D’s of the second D whistle sounded somewhat tentative, like they might break too easily into the next octave, so requiring a very light breath to play properly. The notes in the second octave required more push than I’m used to in a wooden whistle. The overall sound of this whistle was more breathy than the first, and much more breath control was required to play the whistle without squeaking or honking.
The C whistle with steel fittings was also a breathy whistle, and the bottom D and E seemed weak. The cross-fingered C natural, however, was very good, IMO. Comments were made elsewhere that the C whistles were air hogs, and it did seem that this was a fair description of this whistle.
The C whistle with brass fittings was a different animal altogether. The overall sound was mellow and flutelike, which is what I like in wooden whistles. The air requirement in the first octave was moderate, with an easy transition between the first and second octaves. The bell note was solid, and the cross-fingered C natural was spot-on. More push was needed to play the notes in the second octave, which you would expect, but the notes were always very clear and not at all shrill. I liked this whistle a lot.
The overall look of the whistles was of a very attractive and well crafted instrument, which is something I have come to expect from a Whorfin whistle. I already have two Whorfin D’s, which are among my favorites of the whistles I own, and (once Charlie is satisfied that he has gotten them where he wants them to be), I look forward to acquiring a Whorfin C.
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Derek Blackwell
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Re: Whorfin Whistle Review
Apologies for the lateness of this. I'm last on the list, and Charlie very kindly offered me extra time since these whistles arrived at a very hectic time for me. It's not often you get to compare four whistles from the same maker, I'm really grateful for the opportunity - especially considering the stylistic range Charlie offers.
For a very reasonable price, Charlie offers unique, well crafted whistles with lots of character. I'm a philistine when it comes to materials, and I don't have much to much to say about the looks and construction of these, except the woods are gorgeous, and I like that the finish on them is minimal - there's not much between your fingers and the wood. I don't know if that effects the tone, but they sound very woody too.
I'm finding the whistles on this tour to be quite different from each other in terms of tone and range. One in each key was either fabulous in the high or low range, and not nearly as good the other way 'round. In both keys those with the clearer more focused tone were better low and those with the softer tone were better high, so therefore more useful that way on both ends. Charlie always takes the trouble to explain the tonal uniqueness of each whistle in his posts on C&F. If his description for a particular whistle sounds appealing, I say try it, you'll probably like it.
I applaud Charlie for making C whistles with a larger diameter than his D's, which gives them a fuller, richer, (and possibly breathier?) tone. So many makers offer C in the same width as D, which I find hugely disappointing, it usually means the low notes suffer. Charlie's dogwood/brass C is the clearer, more focused of the two C's, and has a very solid bottom range that's fairly well in balance with the high range, no mean feat, although the low D note is slightly weaker than I'd like (as is the low XXXXXO note on most whistles) so not my ultimate D minor axe (I'm a D minor freak), but very nice. The high octave is quite usable up to XOOOOO although XXXOOO is kind of harsh and stands out a bit too much. The dogwood/aluminum C is a bit too weak to be useful on the lowest two notes, but the upper octave soars all the way up to a very serviceable 3rd octave C that's not too loud and well in tune! It's softer than the brass C and better suited for this sort of thing.
Both Cs have a have a soft, woody, breathy sort of tone, but are still fairly loud whistles with a strong presence, which I find very nice. As Charlie explained these are works in progress and he's offered apologies for the high air requirement. I'd say these are not bad that way - a bit more air efficiency would be welcome, although it would probably bring down the volume; I like the volume these are at and I'd consider them session whistles. Of larger concern for me is tuning these to concert pitch. With the tuning slide pushed all the way in both of these are almost a semitone high. I have to pull both of these out further than I'd like to get to concert pitch and this effects the tuning and playability (negatively for the brass but positively for the aluminum). Then again I put a lot of air into whistles, so this might be less true for some of you. C's are a new adventure for Charlie and he hopes to improve them. I hope the above is helpful, I really like where he's going.
The D's are lovely whistles. Charlie's got the backpressure just right for my liking - about medium - you can hold out long notes with ease, but also push them hard, tongue them without fear of the note breaking, and back off if you want to play quietly; they have a nice wide dynamic range. They're very responsive to trills and ornaments, and handle half holing exceptionally well - with almost no perceptible volume drop (on any note!) which is unusual. The C's are also not too bad with most of the above, but the D's are better (naturally, he's been working on them longer).
The plum D is quietish but not too quiet, with a soft tone - in both ways similar to my Freeman Mellow Dog, ok a wee bit softer. It has a great high range right on up to the 3rd octave D, although that note and the C# are a teensy bit harsh, but better than many, well in tune and useful. The lowest two notes are a bit too quiet but still clear and useful - overall quite a good range. If you wanted something that sings in the high range without blasting out your eardrums this would be the item. The olivewood D is much louder (not quite as loud as my Susato, but getting there) and has a very clear, focused tone I imagine would cut through almost anything and still sound great - that is, in the low octave - which is truly impressive - not many whistle have such a strong, clear, responsive low range. I'm finding it's useful up to the second octave G, then it suddenly becomes very harsh and too loud for me. That being said it's my favorite of the bunch. For playing tunes within the low range (which I frequently do, medieval music in E minor for example) it's killer.
Having experienced the range of Charlie's unique offerings I intend to keep an eye on his postings. Maybe I'll find that... just right, one of a kind, whistle. Maybe you will too.
For a very reasonable price, Charlie offers unique, well crafted whistles with lots of character. I'm a philistine when it comes to materials, and I don't have much to much to say about the looks and construction of these, except the woods are gorgeous, and I like that the finish on them is minimal - there's not much between your fingers and the wood. I don't know if that effects the tone, but they sound very woody too.
I'm finding the whistles on this tour to be quite different from each other in terms of tone and range. One in each key was either fabulous in the high or low range, and not nearly as good the other way 'round. In both keys those with the clearer more focused tone were better low and those with the softer tone were better high, so therefore more useful that way on both ends. Charlie always takes the trouble to explain the tonal uniqueness of each whistle in his posts on C&F. If his description for a particular whistle sounds appealing, I say try it, you'll probably like it.
I applaud Charlie for making C whistles with a larger diameter than his D's, which gives them a fuller, richer, (and possibly breathier?) tone. So many makers offer C in the same width as D, which I find hugely disappointing, it usually means the low notes suffer. Charlie's dogwood/brass C is the clearer, more focused of the two C's, and has a very solid bottom range that's fairly well in balance with the high range, no mean feat, although the low D note is slightly weaker than I'd like (as is the low XXXXXO note on most whistles) so not my ultimate D minor axe (I'm a D minor freak), but very nice. The high octave is quite usable up to XOOOOO although XXXOOO is kind of harsh and stands out a bit too much. The dogwood/aluminum C is a bit too weak to be useful on the lowest two notes, but the upper octave soars all the way up to a very serviceable 3rd octave C that's not too loud and well in tune! It's softer than the brass C and better suited for this sort of thing.
Both Cs have a have a soft, woody, breathy sort of tone, but are still fairly loud whistles with a strong presence, which I find very nice. As Charlie explained these are works in progress and he's offered apologies for the high air requirement. I'd say these are not bad that way - a bit more air efficiency would be welcome, although it would probably bring down the volume; I like the volume these are at and I'd consider them session whistles. Of larger concern for me is tuning these to concert pitch. With the tuning slide pushed all the way in both of these are almost a semitone high. I have to pull both of these out further than I'd like to get to concert pitch and this effects the tuning and playability (negatively for the brass but positively for the aluminum). Then again I put a lot of air into whistles, so this might be less true for some of you. C's are a new adventure for Charlie and he hopes to improve them. I hope the above is helpful, I really like where he's going.
The D's are lovely whistles. Charlie's got the backpressure just right for my liking - about medium - you can hold out long notes with ease, but also push them hard, tongue them without fear of the note breaking, and back off if you want to play quietly; they have a nice wide dynamic range. They're very responsive to trills and ornaments, and handle half holing exceptionally well - with almost no perceptible volume drop (on any note!) which is unusual. The C's are also not too bad with most of the above, but the D's are better (naturally, he's been working on them longer).
The plum D is quietish but not too quiet, with a soft tone - in both ways similar to my Freeman Mellow Dog, ok a wee bit softer. It has a great high range right on up to the 3rd octave D, although that note and the C# are a teensy bit harsh, but better than many, well in tune and useful. The lowest two notes are a bit too quiet but still clear and useful - overall quite a good range. If you wanted something that sings in the high range without blasting out your eardrums this would be the item. The olivewood D is much louder (not quite as loud as my Susato, but getting there) and has a very clear, focused tone I imagine would cut through almost anything and still sound great - that is, in the low octave - which is truly impressive - not many whistle have such a strong, clear, responsive low range. I'm finding it's useful up to the second octave G, then it suddenly becomes very harsh and too loud for me. That being said it's my favorite of the bunch. For playing tunes within the low range (which I frequently do, medieval music in E minor for example) it's killer.
Having experienced the range of Charlie's unique offerings I intend to keep an eye on his postings. Maybe I'll find that... just right, one of a kind, whistle. Maybe you will too.