Chiff and Fipple Forums

Tyler DelGregg wrote:Since you own a Clarke Sweetone, let me throw this at you. If ever there were a whistle that should not be tweaked, it is the Clarke Original, which comes in D and C. While many people prefer the D, the C is a close relative, probably, of the 19th century sound which the Artful Dodger and Fagin would recognize.
Many a cold night have I spent pleasantly with the Clarke Original and a sip of the barley.

I promise you a Clark original is on the “to get” list. My plan is to probably try a new whistle a month for the year and see what I like.

If ever there were a whistle that should not be tweaked, it is the Clarke Original, which comes in D and C

Nobody ever told Jim Donohue.

Tyler is still a bit bitter I think after he messed up one, after I mentioned I greatly improved an old Clarke I have.

Most people would feel that if ever there was a whistle that is in need of a bit of reshaping it's the Clarke. They generally don't leave the factory well aligned, or didn't use to anyway. However, you need to take baby steps, fractions of millimeters and have half a notion of what you're doing..

I've never really got on with Clarke whistles. I've heard some people get a fantastic sound out of them, but I've never been able to myself. In the days when I used to try to get something out of the sound of a Clarke, it was noticeable that you had to kind of squeeze the windway a bit to make them work at all (for me, at any rate). I've never really thought of that as "tweaking" though. Just looking at the thing and trying to make it play.

I've never really got on with Clarke whistles. I've heard some people get a fantastic sound out of them, but I've never been able to myself. In the days when I used to try to get something out of the sound of a Clarke, it was noticeable that you had to kind of squeeze the windway a bit to make them work at all (for me, at any rate). I've never really thought of that as "tweaking" though. Just looking at the thing and trying to make it play.

Yes, ditto (again). And to be honest I know of very very few serious whistle players who use them in their playing other than for very specific reasons (an odd spot of variety, a touch of nostalgia perhaps). But one old specimen in D happened to come with a batch of old Generations I picked up for a tenner a while ago and to be honest, in the end it came out playing lovely. So perhaps that's my one exception to the rule (not that I ever use it. But I could, if I wanted to).

That’s alright, Mr. Gumby, I did try to tweak two Clarkes after you mentioned your success with one, but I ruined them. Some months went by and I had to have another crack at it so I bought another D. This time, I did nothing to it and I liked it. Of course, I had to have another one, and the second one also sounded decent, but a touch quiter. The C is not as good. Maybe I got lucky, or the whistle fairies had a hand. Really, on many days, I come home from work, plop down on my whistle chair and reach for the black Clarke with the garish gold diamonds.

devilock76 wrote:My plan is to probably try a new whistle a month for the year and see what I like.

That's a good plan...I might do that myself. Glad you seem to be enjoying your Feadóg so far.

Tyler DelGregg wrote:Really, on many days, I come home from work, plop down on my whistle chair and reach for the black Clarke with the garish gold diamonds.

That garish ornamentation is the one thing that might prevent me from picking up a Clarke original...

That garish ornamentation is the one thing that might prevent me from picking up a Clarke original...

They are available in plain finish. Some quite cheap too like this one

Peter, your red one is looking mighty pretty. The black with diamonds reminds me of something one would pick up for a few pennies on a street corner circa 1902.
By the way, the silver ones are painted. I prefer the plain, unpainted ones Clarke used to make. They take on a patina/rust that I find attractive.

benhall.1 wrote:I've never really got on with Clarke whistles. I've heard some people get a fantastic sound out of them, but I've never been able to myself. In the days when I used to try to get something out of the sound of a Clarke, it was noticeable that you had to kind of squeeze the windway a bit to make them work at all (for me, at any rate). I've never really thought of that as "tweaking" though. Just looking at the thing and trying to make it play.

My Clarkes were the first whistles I ever had. They took an incredible amount of air to make notes. It didn't occur to me to try flattening the wind way until 40 + years later, when I read about it here. Now they play much easier and I quite like them.

Mr.Gumby wrote:They are available in plain finish. Some quite cheap too like this one

It looks good in that plain finish, but...

Tyler DelGregg wrote:By the way, the silver ones are painted. I prefer the plain, unpainted ones Clarke used to make. They take on a patina/rust that I find attractive.

I, personally, would prefer a painted whistle. Maybe it comes from living in the rust/road salt capital of the world, but there is nothing I find attractive about rust.

The gold paint wears off soon enough, anyway. You end up with a black whistle that has a few brownish smudges.

I have a "soft-spot" for Clark whistles.
Of the full tinplate ones .. not a lot.
They take too much air for my old lungs. And resist "tweaking".
But the Sweetones and Megs?
Nice.

The taper is too steep. But that is kinda good.
The second octave takes a lot less breath and one can hide - even in the top notes.
Can't do that in a cylindrical .. On the Gens and Feadogs - you get heard!

The personalities of players has much more variance than the whistles.

I recommend all artists to have many colors on their palate.

I too, have a soft spot for the tin plates. Also,I like the sound of the Megs and Sweetones when others play them, but not when I play them.

Tyler DelGregg wrote:I too, have a soft spot for the tin plates. Also,I like the sound of the Megs and Sweetones when others play them, but not when I play them.

I know Tyler.
I learned a great trick from a "well known player" years ago.
You play the thing near a brick-wall to hear what it sounds like to others.
The sound you get in your ears is not the sound others hear.
Play near a reflective surface and move away from it - then you will get an idea what the thing sounds like .. just another crazy aspect of our favorite humble tooter!

Good idea, Mitch. I’ll give it a shot. Thanks!