Thoughts on Nightingale Whistles by Karavaev Wanted

The Ultimate On-Line Whistle Community. If you find one more ultimater, let us know.
Post Reply
User avatar
TxWhistler
Posts: 226
Joined: Tue May 26, 2020 9:15 am
antispam: No
Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
Tell us something.: I have recently retired and have always wanted to learn to play a musical instrument. I'm leaning to play the whistle and now the flute.
Location: Tyler, Texas

Thoughts on Nightingale Whistles by Karavaev Wanted

Post by TxWhistler »

Does anyone have experience with the low whistles made by A Karavaev? I've listened to a couple of sound clips from Karavaev himself and I watched the youtube videos of a another man giving his review of the E, Eb, D and C whistles.

Just wondering if any of you all have played one and what you think about them. I've been eyeing his low E whistle.

Thanks in advance.
Narzog
Posts: 498
Joined: Mon Jun 08, 2020 9:21 pm
antispam: No
Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
Tell us something.: Can play several instruments at an unimpressive level. Currently most interested in whistling with a side of acoustic guitar.

Re: Thoughts on Nightingale Whistles by Karavaev Wanted

Post by Narzog »

I havent played them but I've heard very good things about them. My favorite band, and the group that actually got me into playing whistle, uses them now. Heres their little review https://www.facebook.com/eluveitie/vide ... 1236348801

Heres the one on the left in that video playing one of them
https://www.facebook.com/eluveitie/post ... 3457196284

Also the guy in a few of Alina Gingertails newer videos has been playing a Karavaev whistle.

I also think he can charge less for these than a lot of other makers because economics, USA and EU money converts well to Russian (I could be totally wrong on this one though, I'm not an economics expert haha). So these seem to be a very good deal.
User avatar
TxWhistler
Posts: 226
Joined: Tue May 26, 2020 9:15 am
antispam: No
Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
Tell us something.: I have recently retired and have always wanted to learn to play a musical instrument. I'm leaning to play the whistle and now the flute.
Location: Tyler, Texas

Re: Thoughts on Nightingale Whistles by Karavaev Wanted

Post by TxWhistler »

Thanks Narzog, I had not seen those videos.

I think (but I'm not sure) that Ali Levack also plays them in some of his videos. If that is true then he is using the older, all metal, model of them.
Oisincooke
Posts: 46
Joined: Wed May 07, 2014 5:03 am
antispam: No
Please enter the next number in sequence: 8

Re: Thoughts on Nightingale Whistles by Karavaev Wanted

Post by Oisincooke »

TxWhistler wrote:Thanks Narzog, I had not seen those videos.

I think (but I'm not sure) that Ali Levack also plays them in some of his videos. If that is true then he is using the older, all metal, model of them.
Not sure about this. I don't know Ali, but in any video I've ever seen of him he's playing a Goldie.
User avatar
TxWhistler
Posts: 226
Joined: Tue May 26, 2020 9:15 am
antispam: No
Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
Tell us something.: I have recently retired and have always wanted to learn to play a musical instrument. I'm leaning to play the whistle and now the flute.
Location: Tyler, Texas

Re: Thoughts on Nightingale Whistles by Karavaev Wanted

Post by TxWhistler »

Oisincooke wrote:
TxWhistler wrote:Thanks Narzog, I had not seen those videos.

I think (but I'm not sure) that Ali Levack also plays them in some of his videos. If that is true then he is using the older, all metal, model of them.
Not sure about this. I don't know Ali, but in any video I've ever seen of him he's playing a Goldie.

You are probably correct. That is the reason I said I wasn't sure. I read it in a comment somewhere (I don't remember where) that he was playing a Karavaev in that video. But they could have been wrong.
User avatar
pancelticpiper
Posts: 5298
Joined: Mon Jul 10, 2006 7:25 am
antispam: No
Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
Tell us something.: Playing Scottish and Irish music in California for 45 years.
These days many discussions are migrating to Facebook but I prefer the online chat forum format.
Location: WV to the OC

Re: Thoughts on Nightingale Whistles by Karavaev Wanted

Post by pancelticpiper »

Have you seen this video? It's nice because this guy is obviously a good player and he looks at many aspects of the Karavaev whistles, the tuning of the octaves, the responsiveness of high notes, clogging, C natural fingerings, etc. He doesn't hesitate to say when something doesn't seem optimal to him.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8m5FHTyw4ZM&t=14s

One thing to be aware of is that, according to what Karavaev states on his Ebay listings, he uses the same tubing size (22mm ID) for his Low C, Low D, Low Eb, Low E, and Low F.

I know it's common for makers to use their Low D tubing for the adjacent keys Low C and Low Eb, but once you get up to F the bore is getting too big.

For comparison Goldie uses a tad over 18mm ID for his F, and Alba uses around 18.5mm.

Even Burke, who uses larger bores for all their sizes than most, uses around 20mm for his F.

Given that Karavaev uses the same tubing for all his whistles I expect Low C, Low D, and Low Eb to play fine but Low E to feel a tad big and Low F to feel quite big.
Last edited by pancelticpiper on Fri Dec 11, 2020 1:57 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Richard Cook
c1980 Quinn uilleann pipes
1945 Starck Highland pipes
Goldie Low D whistle
User avatar
TxWhistler
Posts: 226
Joined: Tue May 26, 2020 9:15 am
antispam: No
Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
Tell us something.: I have recently retired and have always wanted to learn to play a musical instrument. I'm leaning to play the whistle and now the flute.
Location: Tyler, Texas

Re: Thoughts on Nightingale Whistles by Karavaev Wanted

Post by TxWhistler »

pancelticpiper wrote:One thing to be aware of is that, according to what Karavaev states on his Ebay listings, he uses the same tubing size (22mm ID) for his Low C, Low D, Low Eb, Low E, and Low F.

I know it's common for makers to use their Low D tubing for the adjacent keys Low C and Low Eb, but once you get up to F the bore is getting too big.

For comparison Goldie uses a tad over 18mm ID for his F, and Alba uses around 18.5mm.

Even Burke, who uses larger bores for all their sizes than most, uses around 20mm for his F.

Thank you pancelticpiper. That is good to know. Correct me if I'm wrong. That would mean the E and F whistles are very wide bore whistles and am I correct that would make the lower octave very nice but the upper half of the 2nd octave would be "stiff" as you like to put it? Harder to hit and maintain the notes???

(I just measured my MK D is 22mm and my MK F is 19mm.)
User avatar
pancelticpiper
Posts: 5298
Joined: Mon Jul 10, 2006 7:25 am
antispam: No
Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
Tell us something.: Playing Scottish and Irish music in California for 45 years.
These days many discussions are migrating to Facebook but I prefer the online chat forum format.
Location: WV to the OC

Re: Thoughts on Nightingale Whistles by Karavaev Wanted

Post by pancelticpiper »

Yes all things being equal (and I think Karavaev is using the same plastic top on the various sizes) as the bore gets wider the low octave gets stronger and the 2nd octave becomes stiffer.

Burke is a bit of an outlier in that he likes to maintain, for his full range of sizes, a bigger bore than most makers think optimal.

The exception of course being Burke's "narrow bore" models which from what I've seen have the normal bores most makers use.

The opposite is my Alba Low E for which the maker used the tubing ordinary used for F whistles. It has a super sweet 2nd octave and the low octave is a tad quiet, a tad soft. I actually love playing that whistle, though it took some getting used to.

It's a balancing act, and most makers have arrived at around the same length-to-bore ratio which ends up having around 21.5mm to 22mm for Low D, which gives acceptably strong low notes and acceptably sweet high notes.

At the extremes, if the bore is wide enough you loose the 2nd octave altogether, and if the bore is narrow enough you loose the low octave altogether.
Richard Cook
c1980 Quinn uilleann pipes
1945 Starck Highland pipes
Goldie Low D whistle
User avatar
TxWhistler
Posts: 226
Joined: Tue May 26, 2020 9:15 am
antispam: No
Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
Tell us something.: I have recently retired and have always wanted to learn to play a musical instrument. I'm leaning to play the whistle and now the flute.
Location: Tyler, Texas

Re: Thoughts on Nightingale Whistles by Karavaev Wanted

Post by TxWhistler »

Update:

I thought I would post an update for those who are interested in the Karavaev whistles.

I took a chance and ordered the Low E whistle via ebay. It arrived about 2 and half weeks later. Not bad coming from Russia. The longest time was spent in US Customs in Miami Fl.

How it plays:
It has a beautiful sound. I like it better than any of the other low/mezzo whistles I currently have or have had (MK, Tilbury, Freeman. Howard, or Shearwater). It is difficult to describe how a whistle sounds so I will fail trying to do so. The best I can say is to listen to Karavaev's demo videos on Youtube and add just a bit more breathiness and that is what it sounds like in person. I don't care for very breathy sounding whistles so that's why I don't care for the Shearwater I use to have and the Clarke high whistles I do have. The breathiness in the Karavaev whistle is not bad. Really no more than my MK's.

I have no problem getting it into and staying in the 2nd and 3rd octave. It plays nicely in the 3rd octave. Getting a good clean 3rd octave E is impressive to me (a novice). It is easy to play - by that I mean I can easily and fairly quickly (with my still developing talents) play tunes that go back and forth between octaves and those that go up and down fairly quickly in the same octave. I bought the non-tunable one but the head comes off for cleaning and thus can be used somewhat for tuning. It plays just slightly flat in both octaves most within 10 cents and a couple of notes within 15 cents with the head pushed all the way in. As I get more acquainted with it I may find it plays even closer to spot on. This may be my problem and not the whistles.

It is a free blowing whistle with not a lot of resistance as you increase the volume of air being blown. It takes a little more air than my MK Low D but not nearly as much as the Shearwater low D I used to have. I am learning how to adjust in the tunes where to take a breath and so far this has not been a major problem. It's sound is exactly what I am looking for, so needing a little more air to get that sound is not a problem to me.

For $117 tax and shipping included I'm very happy with the purchase.

(Disclaimer - I'm not associated with Karavaev nor am I going to receive any financial benefit from any of the sales of his whistles.)

Edited my range claim - I could not duplicate with consistancy.
Last edited by TxWhistler on Tue Jan 26, 2021 6:27 am, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
neviditsin
Posts: 17
Joined: Fri Jul 13, 2018 10:55 am
antispam: No
Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
Tell us something.: I love tin whistle and on this forum a lot of information. i read a lot about chose tin whistle on forum and other.
Location: Russia, Tyumen
Contact:

Re: Thoughts on Nightingale Whistles by Karavaev Wanted

Post by neviditsin »

Karavaev Low F around 19-20mm ID, High D 13mm, Low D 22-23mm
Narzog
Posts: 498
Joined: Mon Jun 08, 2020 9:21 pm
antispam: No
Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
Tell us something.: Can play several instruments at an unimpressive level. Currently most interested in whistling with a side of acoustic guitar.

Re: Thoughts on Nightingale Whistles by Karavaev Wanted

Post by Narzog »

TxWhistler wrote:Update:

I thought I would post an update for those who are interested in the Karavaev whistles.
Glad you are enjoying it! If I wasnt dead set and over committed to making my own, he would be on my list of makers to buy from. Just seems to be excellent quality for affordable price. Especially liking it more than an MK is a good sign, MK are very well praised.
Post Reply