MTGuru O-Ring Susato Tweak

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MTGuru
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MTGuru O-Ring Susato Tweak

Post by MTGuru »

Several people have asked about this mysterious procedure to improve the sound and playability of Susato whistles. So here it is:

Image
Image

Take a #12 plumbing O-ring, slip it over the head joint of your Susato S-bore whistle, and push it snug up against the wide part of the head just behind the fipple blade. Voilà. This creates a rounded air dam that seems to have the following effects:

o Increases back pressure and reduces air requirements.

o Reduces scratchiness in the upper range of the whistle, and improves overall responsiveness.

o Reduces overall volume slightly without altering pitch or tuning.

I've added O-rings to all my Susato whistles with very positive results, and several other people have reported the same. The effect is noticeable, but doesn't change the basic character of the whistle. And this tweak is obviously completely non-invasive and reversible. For times when you want the original sound and feel, just slide the O-ring down the head a bit toward the Susato logo, and the air dam is effectively gone.

For S-bore whistles (e.g. D and C) the #12 O-ring fits perfectly. For larger M-bore whistles a #15 O-ring does the trick. The ones I picked up at Home Depot have the following dimensions:

#12 - 5/8" inside diameter - 13/16" outside diameter
#15 - 3/4" inside diameter - 1" outside diameter

The smaller V-bore whistles (D and above) should take a smaller 9/16" ID O-ring, but the #12 can work by using a second O-ring as a shim:

Image

And lacking an O-ring, a rubber band or a ponytail band (wrapped several times around), or even a rolled bit of Blu Tack can be substituted to experiment with the effect.

Now if you loathe your Susato, this tweak won't turn it into your favorite whistle. But if you like your Susato but find it a bit unruly, the MTGuru O-ring tweak might help to tame it. For my playing taste, the increased backpressure and sweeter upper register are improvements.

Does it work with whistles other than Susatos? Maybe. My Generation type whistles show little positive effect. My Copeland D hates the O-ring. But my Burke D responds like the Susato, with more back pressure and slightly less volume. I prefer the original feel, but a friend reports he likes the O-ring on his Burke. In any case, it's a cheap, easy and reversible experiment on any whistle.

I'm interested in feedback from anyone who tries it. Enjoy!

P.S. If those photos are too dark, please let me know and I'll redo them.
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Post by swizzlestick »

Most interesting! Wonder if hardware stores will notice a sudden increase in the sale of #12 O rings. :lol:

Thank you for such a detailed and well illustrated procedure. The photos seem OK to me.

I'll do my own experimenting, of course, but I do have one question. Have you found there is only one sweet spot for the O ring or can you move it around a bit for fine tuning?
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Post by bdh »

Thanks for this – I'll definitely test it out later today :D
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Post by MTGuru »

swizzlestick wrote:Have you found there is only one sweet spot for the O ring or can you move it around a bit for fine tuning?
Sure you can move it, absolutely, to fine tune it. But you don't have to move it far before the air dam effect fades. So I find the sweet spot is basically all the way up. :-)
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Post by cavefish »

a genious :D--but i tried it and sorry to say i did not find any differrance in sound
Last edited by cavefish on Tue May 08, 2007 1:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by Key_of_D »

That's a neat trick there MTGuru. Definitely a new one on me. I don't have a D or a C Susato, but I wonder if they have o-rings big enough for my low A and low G Susatos...
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Post by AlonE »

hola!!

Fantastico trabajo MTguru, pero con este traductor maldito, no logro entender perfectamente el "tweaked".

el anillo debe colocarce sobre la ventana del whistle?.


En hora buena!!
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Post by MTGuru »

Key_of_D wrote:I wonder if they have o-rings big enough for my low A and low G Susatos...
Sure! The low A and G are M-bore, so the #15 O-ring will fit fine. Works great on my Susato A and G.
AlonE wrote:con este traductor maldito, no logro entender perfectamente el "tweaked".

el anillo debe colocarce sobre la ventana del whistle?.
Buena palabra. "Tweak" quiere decir una pequeña modificación para mejorar algo, para regular algo a punto, una astucia técnica. No, el anillo debe colocarse debajo de la ventana del fipple, como en las fotos. Más encima, bloquea demasiado el aire y ruina el sonido.

A good word. Tweak means a small modification to improve something, to fine-tune something, a technical trick. No, the ring should be positioned below the fipple window, as in the photos. Higher up, it blocks the air and ruins the sound.

In metric terms, the O-ring sizes would be more or less:

#12 - 16 mm ID / 21 mm OD
#15 - 19 mm ID / 25 mm OD

Slightly smaller is OK, since the neoprene rubber will stretch.
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Post by Whitmores75087 »

MTguru, yer a genius. One ugly looking genius, but a genius nevertheless. And a generous one too, to share this with us. Thanks.
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Post by Ron Jarvis »

An amazing, simple and terrific difference with this little mode. Thank you for sharing it with us.
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Post by MTGuru »

Whitmores75087 wrote:One ugly looking genius
Ouch! :P OK, I promise to replace Frankenguru someday. But I ain't got much to work with. :lol:
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Post by Whitmores75087 »

MTGuru wrote:
Whitmores75087 wrote:One ugly looking genius
Ouch! :P OK, I promise to replace Frankenguru someday. But I ain't got much to work with. :lol:
LOL, somehow I knew you would take it in the spirit in which it was intended. I'll also start a new thread on my own Susato tweak.

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Post by MTGuru »

Has anyone tried it now? Any feedback?
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Post by Ron Jarvis »

Yes, and it works extremely well. See posts, 3 back. Ron
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Post by MTGuru »

Ron Jarvis wrote:Yes, and it works extremely well. See posts, 3 back.
Oh, right! Sorry, Ron, thanks so much! Anyone else?
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