Monster Grips for slippery whistles

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Re: Monster Grips for slippery whistles

Post by psoutowood »

bruce.b wrote:Wow, I never would have guessed this topic would generate these responses when I started it. It was a heads up because the grips worked for me and I’ve read that other people have also sometimes found my two main whistles a bit slippery, the nickel Killarney and an MK low D. I don’t really need them on the Killarney, but they clearly help me with securely holding my MK. I love the anodized finishes on MK’s, but they are slippery. I don’t need nor have I put these on my other low D’s, an Optima and a Reyburn. If my hands are dry I do moisten them before playing, so I will probably put them on all my low D’s at some point so I don’t have to worry about dry hands.

Anyway, I now want to play around with some alternate ways of holding my fiddle, primarily for fun, but you never know.
Hi Bruce, I put a tiny strip of electrical tape on the underside of both my MK whistles where my thumb rests. I found the pebbly anodized finish actually harder to grip than a standard clean aluminum whistle. The black tape disappears on the black anodized F but shows a little on the red mezzo A. I'm sure they make red electrical tape but I honestly can't be bothered. Never had a grip problem since. Those Monster Grips look like a much neater solution than mine!

-Peter
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Re: Monster Grips for slippery whistles

Post by Dan A. »

bruce.b wrote:I never would have guessed this topic would generate these responses when I started it.
This topic brought about much spirited, yet civil, discussion of a topic of interest. It's good to see such discussion, as it means the board is still going strong!
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Re: Monster Grips for slippery whistles

Post by leydog »

If you are having a problem with a shifting thumb on a slippery whistle, but don't want to adhere stuff to your whistle, what about using one of those rubber thumb cots used by people who sort mail, count money, or have to thumb through stacks of paper. The nubbly surface helps with friction, they can be reused, they don't leave adhesive on the whistle, and are probably no more obtrusive than a patch on the back of your Kerry Optima.

Just a thought from one who finds his Dixon alloy G difficult to hold for very long without getting tension in the hand.
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Re: Monster Grips for slippery whistles

Post by Ketil »

I just recently got a Goldie low C and for the first time I am having a bit of problems with it being slippery. I have long fingers and large hands and have not encountered this problem before. I noticed that the surface of the Goldie is much more slippery than my Löfgren low D and low F. I use my lower littlefinger as anchor but still have some trouble playin more than a few minutes without a break.

I have a Löfgren low C on order so I'll compare it to the Goldie when it is ready. If it suits me better the Goldie will go :-)
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Re: Monster Grips for slippery whistles

Post by RoberTunes »

Idea: looking at larger bore whistles, has anyone tried creating a thumb rest or more grip control on a whistle, by placing a wide elastic band around the whistle where appropriate. Anyone tried that? A common blue elastic like newspapers and parcels are wrapped in, which is about 1/4" wide, would be perfect. Because you can double or triple fold the wide elastic back on itself, it's going to stay in position, it can be positioned on the underside correctly for the thumb, and over the top to not be blocking tone holes. Total cost: $0.00 (go find one where postal delivery or courier deliveries are, they drop them all over the place.) :-?
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Re: Monster Grips for slippery whistles

Post by Derek Blackwell »

Question for Bruce, or others who have tried Monster Grips - have you tried removing one? Does it leave behind an impossible to remove sticky mess if you do I wonder. What if you don't like it.
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Re: Monster Grips for slippery whistles

Post by Derek Blackwell »

I see MK popping up here a lot. I've played many whistles and don't have this issue with most. Yes, agreed, MK's are ridiculously hard to hold, I've tried at least 7, can't seem to hang on to them without a Susato thumb rest AND electrical tape. Even so, something seems amiss. This topic has come up several times before.

To quote myself from this thread -
"Overall the design is a triumph for playability, but I'm baffled about the slippery finish."
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=100763

Misha, if you're reading this... have you considered other alternatives?
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Re: Monster Grips for slippery whistles

Post by bruce.b »

Derek Blackwell wrote:Question for Bruce, or others who have tried Monster Grips - have you tried removing one? Does it leave behind an impossible to remove sticky mess if you do I wonder. What if you don't like it.
It leaves behind the adhesive when you remove it, but the adhesive easily comes off when you rub it with your thumb and leaves no trace on the whistle.
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Re: Monster Grips for slippery whistles

Post by MichelleRH »

I also had to switch from flute (a regular nickel, band style flute, not Irish flute) to whistle for the ergo reasons stated. I have less range of motion in my neck and very tight traps in my shoulder from sitting in front of a computer 8 hours a day--witu bifocals no less (which makes you hold your head in a slightly unnatural position to get in just the right spot). I like being able to hold my head forward with the whistle.

Good to know the monster grips are a nice work around for grip.
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Re: Monster Grips for slippery whistles

Post by swizzlestick »

RoberTunes wrote:Idea: looking at larger bore whistles, has anyone tried creating a thumb rest or more grip control on a whistle, by placing a wide elastic band around the whistle where appropriate. Anyone tried that? A common blue elastic like newspapers and parcels are wrapped in, which is about 1/4" wide, would be perfect. Because you can double or triple fold the wide elastic back on itself, it's going to stay in position, it can be positioned on the underside correctly for the thumb, and over the top to not be blocking tone holes. Total cost: $0.00 (go find one where postal delivery or courier deliveries are, they drop them all over the place.) :-?
Two of my low D whistles wear a rubber O-ring that acts as a very effective thumb rest. Basically the same idea, but you have the price advantage. :-)
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Re: Monster Grips for slippery whistles

Post by Narzog »

My biggest complaint with whistle ergonomics is actually just the last hole spacing. I have huge hands and can reach them. But my finger wants to naturally not go out that far, so I miss or half cover the hole and it sounds terrible. And I only currently have a low F as my lowest. But the hole spacing even bugs me on high whistles. I'm planning on re making my low F (it has other issues and I want to go aluminum) so I'm considering making the last hole closer. But at the same time I feel like I could just learn to use the farther hole, which will help for lower whistles and any that I dont make that usually have the spacing I dont like. Thoughts? (Note my current measurements are the same as the low tech whistle guide F)

I also have a low D flute and I have no complaints ergonomically. But I can also see why someone wouldn't like holding flutes. Hole spacing though, I love the hole spacing. No awkward gaps, small holes. Thanks conical design. but this is also why I have a hard time with the whistle spacing. Im used to my flute spacing.
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Re: Monster Grips for slippery whistles

Post by Nanohedron »

Dan A. wrote:... the board is still going strong!
There will always be jabs and suggestions that the Board is on its last legs, a wheezing shadow of its former self, dwindling away into impotence and irrelevancy; the notion is floated, in hopes that the credulous will buy it and and lose confidence, by sour types who would like nothing better than to see the Board fall. But I ask myself: What, then, of the new members who sign up almost every day? One notices, BTW, that the naysayers have little else to contribute, so that might tell you something. But while C&F has certainly changed and mellowed from its more boisterous early years, hard evidence is that it remains a Force of Nature, and that is due to you all, the membership. So pay the wet blankets no heed, and Chiff on with assurance.

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Re: Monster Grips for slippery whistles

Post by pancelticpiper »

Narzog wrote:My biggest complaint with whistle ergonomics is actually just the last hole spacing.
The distance between Hole 5 and Hole 6? That seems to be the most common issue people have.

Goes to show how different people can be: that has never bothered me, even on my huge Bass A whistle.

The number one issue I struggle with is upper-hand hole spacing, particularly the distance between Hole 1 and Hole 2. If a Low Whistle's upper-hand holes are too widely splayed it's tiring for that hand and I can only play for a short time. What's so odd is how a small change in hole-spacing make a major difference in comfort for me.

Low Ds like MKs and Goldies are completely comfortable for me, I can play all day.
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Re: Monster Grips for slippery whistles

Post by Narzog »

Nanohedron wrote:
Dan A. wrote:... the board is still going strong!
There will always be jabs and suggestions that the Board is on its last legs, a wheezing shadow of its former self, dwindling away into impotence and irrelevancy; the notion is floated, in hopes that the credulous will buy it and and lose confidence, by sour types who would like nothing better than to see the Board fall.
I don't think the board will be dead any time soon but to me it seems like forums in general have been dying out a bit over time, being replaced by things like reddit and discord. I still enjoy forums though so I hope they stick around. Things like live chat and reddit good posts and questions can get lost quickly.
pancelticpiper wrote:
Narzog wrote:My biggest complaint with whistle ergonomics is actually just the last hole spacing.
The distance between Hole 5 and Hole 6? That seems to be the most common issue people have.

Goes to show how different people can be: that has never bothered me, even on my huge Bass A whistle.

The number one issue I struggle with is upper-hand hole spacing, particularly the distance between Hole 1 and Hole 2. If a Low Whistle's upper-hand holes are too widely splayed it's tiring for that hand and I can only play for a short time. What's so odd is how a small change in hole-spacing make a major difference in comfort for me.

Low Ds like MKs and Goldies are completely comfortable for me, I can play all day.
Ya its crazy how little things like a holes spacing can matter so much. I also think a part of it is people have their autopilot. Where my fingers want to go to where they are used to playing. so playing flute with no larger gap and then trying to play a whistle with a large gap feels off. But if I only played large gap it would feel normal.
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Re: Monster Grips for slippery whistles

Post by Dan A. »

Nanohedron wrote:Pay the wet blankets no heed, and Chiff on with assurance.
Done and done!

Back to the topic of slippery whistles, my Generations will get their litmus tests later today. I'll then have a better idea of how slick the nickel plating is.

Edit: the nickel Generation is smoother than the brass one, but I don't have difficulty holding on to it. I seem to be more likely to find the mouthpiece slippery. Perhaps that's due to my body chemistry...if so, there's bad that comes with the good of keeping ahold of whistles. And the brass Generation met my expectations, while the nickel exceeded them!
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