MTGuru O-Ring Susato Tweak
- MTGuru
- Posts: 18663
- Joined: Sat Sep 30, 2006 12:45 pm
- antispam: No
- Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
- Location: San Diego, CA
MTGuru O-Ring Susato Tweak
Several people have asked about this mysterious procedure to improve the sound and playability of Susato whistles. So here it is:
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:
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.
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:
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.
- swizzlestick
- Posts: 669
- Joined: Sun Jul 31, 2005 5:34 pm
- Please enter the next number in sequence: 1
- Location: Boulder, Colorado
Most interesting! Wonder if hardware stores will notice a sudden increase in the sale of #12 O rings.
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?
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?
All of us contain Music & Truth, but most of us can't get it out. -- Mark Twain
- cavefish
- Posts: 1016
- Joined: Sat Jan 29, 2005 4:22 am
- antispam: No
- Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
- Tell us something.: been out of it for awhile and decided to start back up on the flute and whistle , been doing NAFs and saxophones
- Location: San Pedro
a genious --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.
- MTGuru
- Posts: 18663
- Joined: Sat Sep 30, 2006 12:45 pm
- antispam: No
- Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
- Location: San Diego, CA
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.Key_of_D wrote:I wonder if they have o-rings big enough for my low A and low G Susatos...
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.AlonE wrote:con este traductor maldito, no logro entender perfectamente el "tweaked".
el anillo debe colocarce sobre la ventana del whistle?.
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.
- Whitmores75087
- Posts: 798
- Joined: Tue Jul 09, 2002 6:00 pm
- Please enter the next number in sequence: 1
- Location: Dundalk, Ireland (now living in TX)
- Contact:
-
- Posts: 61
- Joined: Fri Apr 20, 2007 2:16 pm
- Please enter the next number in sequence: 1
- Location: Overland Park, KS
- Whitmores75087
- Posts: 798
- Joined: Tue Jul 09, 2002 6:00 pm
- Please enter the next number in sequence: 1
- Location: Dundalk, Ireland (now living in TX)
- Contact:
-
- Posts: 61
- Joined: Fri Apr 20, 2007 2:16 pm
- Please enter the next number in sequence: 1
- Location: Overland Park, KS