For a very modest sum I recently got an Indian-made Asarkar G non-tunable whistle. It’s pleasantly quiet, all metal (tin?) and nicely in tune with itself. Problem is it’s 50 cent sharp; its bell note is halfway between G and G#, and therefore practically unplayable along with other musicians.
Is there any way I can make this whistle a G# whistle? (I already have a couple of mezzo G’s (Dixon and Chieftain) but a G# whistle would be a nice addition to my collection). Any tips would be much appreciated.
Tweaking a non-tunable all-metal whistle
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Re: Tweaking a non-tunable all-metal whistle
You can use a tubing cutter to shorten it until the bell note is a G#, but then all the holes will be flat. If you measure the body and the distance from the slot to the hole you can estimate how much you'd need to move the holes to get them back in tune. It might be possible to drill entirely new holes and tape over the old holes.
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Re: Tweaking a non-tunable all-metal whistle
Nice find! I like the tone of Asarkar whistles myself.
It's probably not tin per se: probably nickel plated brass.
It's probably not tin per se: probably nickel plated brass.
-- A tin whistle a day keeps the racketts at bay.
-- WhOAD Survivor No. 11373
-- WhOAD Survivor No. 11373
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Re: Tweaking a non-tunable all-metal whistle
With all the notes being sharp, you might get away with shortening the end and enlarging the toneholes, provided none of them would end up too large to cover with a finger. This could make the cross-fingered A# problematic, or the octave balance.