High Eb stainless whistle new “foot joint “ design

[Dreday]

Sound sample: https://youtu.be/H_fMRMgQ6PU

Engraving: https://youtu.be/TR2Z75Q5W4c

[Mr.Gumby]

Can you elaborate a bit on the benefits of the 'foot joint''? I assume it is there for a reason.

[RoberTunes]

I hope the ornamental engraving doesn't complexify the issue of playing ornaments. I suspect any added "foot joint" tube length is to assist with tone and/or intonation, but hope to see an explanation for it from the manufacturer who has likely arrived at the clear reasoning, that they can relate in their textual posts in a forum on the international Internet, where being clear and concise is greatly appreciated as protocol amongst the time-stressed and musically astute and curious and WOAD-viral and observant and do your tax returns and buy another whistle types who can't be diverted from our compulsive musical obsessions sometimes when music is the cosmic life force language

[Mr.Gumby]

I hope the ornamental engraving doesn't complexify the issue of playing ornaments.

Well, the video isn't going to tell you as there's no complex ornamentation on the menu there to begin with

The maker is a member here so who knows, an explanation why an extended tube was used may emerge.

[Narzog]

Wonderful looking whistle as usual. Seems to play well too.

I'm curious as well on why it has the foot joint. Hopefully the maker responds. A guess is that it's to effect the bell note to maybe balance volume or tone with the other notes. Where like Burke low D's have a noticeably stronger low D than the low E, because the bore is so big and the E hole is small. But I don't see a high Eb whistle having this issue.

[bildio]

My guess is that it is to improve the appearance by balancing the engraving.

[Mr.Gumby]

My guess is that it is to improve the appearance by balancing the engraving.

Yes, I was afraid that could have been a consideration but at the same time find it hard to believe someone would actually extend a whistle for that reason alone.

[bigsciota]

The question I'd like answered is why put the bottom hole in a position where it's completely unusable? Gary Humphrey (and others I believe) makes a "D+" whistle with a low C tonehole. Maybe not something you'd use a ton, but it does offer a bit of extra functionality. If you're going to have a hole there anyway, I don't see why it can't add an extra note as well. Unless there's something about the physics that either makes that position the best place acoustically, or makes its position such that it couldn't be functional to finger.

[Tunborough]

The question I'd like answered is why put the bottom hole in a position where it's completely unusable? Gary Humphrey (and others I believe) makes a "D+" whistle with a low C tonehole. Maybe not something you'd use a ton, but it does offer a bit of extra functionality. If you're going to have a hole there anyway, I don't see why it can't add an extra note as well. Unless there's something about the physics that either makes that position the best place acoustically, or makes its position such that it couldn't be functional to finger.

There are actually two holes down there, pointing to the "sides" rather than the "top" like the other holes, resembling direction holes on a native American flute. They compensate for the extra length of the tube, shortening its acoustic length so that the XXXXXX note still plays Eb. They aren't meant to be fingered.

[Mr.Gumby]

^he question 'why' remains though. I noticed the maker of these hasn't used the forum since 2015/16 or so. We may have to wait a long time for an explanation.

[Steve Bliven]

There are actually two holes down there, pointing to the "sides" rather than the "top" like the other holes, resembling direction holes on a native American flute. They compensate for the extra length of the tube, shortening its acoustic length so that the XXXXXX note still plays Eb. They aren't meant to be fingered.

My impression is that those "extra holes" play the same role as the "tuning holes" at the lower end of a flute—or, as Tunborough says, on many contemporary Native American flutes. On the flute, they seem to be a vestige of lower keyed holes. Not sure what the value might be on a whistle's sound or tuning. But they do allow for more ornamentation of the instrument.

Best wishes.

Steve

[ytliek]

The YouTube does say it is a custom order so we may never know all the facts as to why a new foot joint. I thought the whistle sounded ok so if it works... it works... and if the customer is satisfied it will be happy whistling. Alex DeWilde was the whistle & pipe maker in NY at HHFI, but I don't know if Alex is the sole builder there or if he made this particular custom whistle.

[Mr.Gumby]

He is Hermit Hill instruments.
The website says

HHFI is owned and operated solely by myself, Alex DeWilde.

[ytliek]

He is Hermit Hill instruments.
The website says

HHFI is owned and operated solely by myself, Alex DeWilde.

I wasn't sure as there was another builder up that way that was a husband & wife shop and I haven't kept up much with the Covid pandemic affecting the world.

[Dreday]

Here is a quote from the maker:

It’s new style foot joint area on them. It used to be that what I call the "bell" note, which is a bagpiper's term that usually refers to the lowest note on the chanter (ie your bottom/end note on the whistle, in this case Eb), usually had a tendency to be a little weak and take less air to play compared to the next few notes going above it in the scale. This kind of evens them out with a higher pressure throughout the range which I think makes it a bit easier to play, especially if your having to drop down to that bottom note more frequently from higher notes.