Light-weight whistles - who makes them?

[randyo]

I have some wrist problems and would like to find someone who makes a really light-weight whistle, either brass, nickel, or aluminum. I want the key of D. I tried Bill Whedon's "Polly" whistles, and they are pretty light, but I still can't play one for more than 15 or so minutes without my wrists getting painful. Same for my Generation. The nearest I've found is Clarke, but they take too much air and I tried tweaking and ruined two of them. Maybe someone makes an all-aluminum with like, a wooden fipple plug?
Thanks,
Randy Orman

[glauber]

Hmm, maybe you need some kind of additional support, like they do for saxophones? Or maybe a thumb rest would help? I think Susato sells those.

[TelegramSam]

I think Walton's LBW is made of aluminum, that's pretty light. I second the thumbrest idea as well...

[vomitbunny]

Maybe you need to get a whistle with ergonomicly placed holes. I've seen it offered on low whistles, but I bet you can find someone that will make you a high whistle that way. Seems like I just saw something about that the other day. It may help. You might consider the walton little black d too. It's so light it has a tendance to fly clean out of your hands on a c#.
Maybe somone should make a thumbreast that is in the shape of a ring. I may try tinkering with that idea myself.

[Crysania]

Hmm...it may not be the whistle so much as your tension when you're playing. A thumb rest might be helpful...people tend to tense up some when playing a tiny instrument and taking their fingers all off the whistle. A thumb rest might make you feel more comfortable when playing notes without many fingers on the instruments and therefore you might be less tense when you play?

I have an aluminum whistle with wood at the fipple (piece of crap frankly...no idea where my parents picked it up or who it's made by) and it's really not much ligher than my Oak.

I have wrist problems too, but they usually only kick in after a few hours of playing. I've worn a wrist brace when playing before and that sometimes helps me.

Other suggestions...besides trying to relax...take frequent breaks and stretch your wrists some.

~Crysania

[Bretton]

Mike Burke's composite whistles are very light weight. I'd also 2nd the suggestion of a Waltons Little Black Whistle...not the best whistle in the world but pretty darn light.

-Brett

[Redwolf]

I think Walton's LBW is made of aluminum, that's pretty light. I second the thumbrest idea as well...

I second the LBW. I have a Walton's Guinness (basically, a LBW with a logo and a cream-colored fipple), and it's extremely light (yes, it's aluminum)...by far and away the lightest of my whistles. Got a pretty nice sound too...kind of a growly, old-fashioned whistle sound, if you get my meaning.

Redwolf

[Norm]

My Little Black Whistle is the lightest of all I have. I've thought of putting a rubber band where my left thumb rests, then using a thumb pick which in-circles my thumb, then slipping the pick blade part under the rubber band. Now the whistle is connected to my left hand. Food for thought. :roll:

[Jack]

The LBW, as Sam and Redwolf said, or its sister the Guiness whistle, is the best choice.

[burnsbyrne]

I've got the wrist problems too so I have been looking for light whistles too. The lightest I've ever played is the Walton LBW, already mentioned by others in this thread. As far as I have been able to tell there is nothing between the weight of the LBW and the Generation-type whistles. I have a Dixon D w/brass slide that is also nice and light, about like the Gens. I am wondering about the weight of a Water Weasel. They are made from all pvc.
I hope you find something that works for you.
Mike

[Jack]

Water weasels are not as heavy as an Elfsong or something, but they're also not really "lightweight".

At least, the ones I played weren't.

[vomitbunny]

Ah, I have it. Waltons lil black d, but with a hoover or tweeked gen on it.

[Jack]

Vomit (I always wanted a daughter named that), the LBW head is actually okay on it's own, but another head usually doesn't hurt it.

[peeplj]

I second the thought on watching for tension in your hands.

A LBW is a very light whistle, but most high D whistles (Generations, Clarkes, Acorns, etc...) just aren't all that heavy anyway. Even my heaviest high D whistles just aren't all that weighty.

I have arthritis in my hands...right now I'm in remission which is wonderful!!!--but even when it was very bad I could play even the heavy polymer flutes without too much pain. The trick for me was finding a way to hold the flute that eliminated muscle tension and kept my hands very free and relaxed.

I would recommend as much as possible trying to keep your thumbs straight with respect to your wrists, and trying to have almost no tension in your hands. You don't have to grip a whistle all that hard to hold it up, and the more relaxed you are the faster and more accurately you can play anyway.

--James

[Crysania]

I have arthritis in my hands...right now I'm in remission which is wonderful!!!

That's great! I didn't even know you could go into remission for arthritis. It has to be great to play without any sort of pain!

I have tendonitis (which still flares up from time to time...especially during very long sets...I once was involved in a session where we had a mighty jig set...about an hour and fifteen minutes long...ruined by yours truly, when she accidentally stole a book with a list of tunes away from a fiddler who was searching for another tune to play...oops! My wrists were a mess by the end of it) and carpal tunnel (which I guess is also in remission...I haven't experienced numbness in about 5 years now).

I've been working on relaxing relaxing relaxing...when my fingers are loose, I can keep them moving with no pain in my wrists...as soon as I start tensing up, ouch!

~Crysania