Manufacturer: Sweetheart Flute Company, Enfield, CT, USA http://www.sweetheartflute.com/whistles.html
Model: WD Sweet
Key: High D
Material: FDA-approved polycarbonate and acetal (hypoallergenic)
Color: Black
Retail Price: $150 U.S.

INTRODUCTION

I recently had the opportunity to "test drive" the new plastic whistle from Sweetheart. Unfortunately, it's taken me a little longer than usual to put together a review, as I was suffering from the mother of all colds when the whistle arrived, and then found myself up to my eyebrows in concert preparation (ah, the joys of being a musician in the Christmas season!). I'm glad to finally have the time to pass on my impressions of this newest offering from Sweetheart.

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS: LOOK AND FEEL

As plastic whistles go, this is easily one of the most attractive, at least as regards my personal aesthetic. I especially like the matte look of the head joint...it looks, well, less "plasticky" than most plastic whistles. Some plastic whistles can look and feel almost like toys (my reddish-brown Susato Kildare springs immediately to mind), or like those cheap plastic recorders many of us had to play as kids, but that's not a problem with this whistle...it looks and feels like a serious instrument.

This whistle has a more streamlined shape than earlier Sweetheart whistles. The point where the head joins the body only flares out modestly, especially when compared to the older Sweetheart wooden whistles, which had a distinctive "bulge" at that joint. It doesn't look even remotely like a recorder.

This whistle also has a nicely substantial feel to it. It's not heavy (in weight, it's somewhere between my Diamondwood Sweetheart "Pro" and my brass Burke "Pro-session")...it just feels "solid."

The one physical aspect of the whistle that some may not like is the fact that the mouthpiece (i.e., the part your lips wrap around) is substantially thicker, from top to bottom, than that on most whistles. It felt a bit odd the first few times I played it, but it doesn't affect playing quality or comfort in the slightest...it's just different.

PLAYING CHARACTERISTICS

Back Pressure: Low. On a par with earlier Sweetheart "Pro" models.

Breath requirements: Low. Again, it's very similar to the earlier Sweetheart "Pro" in this respect. If you're used to pushing a whistle with fairly high back pressure (such as a Busman or an Overton), you may find yourself running out of air in odd spots, at first, until you learn to adjust your breathing to the needs of this whistle; and people with breathing difficulties (such as chronic asthma or bronchitis) may want to look at something with more back pressure, but folks who are accustomed to, say, Generations or Feadógs, won't have to make any major adjustments.

Sensitivity: This whistle is nice and stable. It's not going to suddenly jump or drop octaves, or to squeak, on you if your breathing is less than perfectly even (take a bow, my beloved Cillian Ó Bríain "improved"...the king of breath-control trainers!). It's not unresponsive, however. Transitions between octaves are smooth and easy...just not "hyper."

Octave Balance: Good overall. Like most whistles, it gets a bit louder in the upper half of the second octave, but it's not strident or shrill. Octave transitions, as mentioned before, are smooth and easy. I have not tried to play it much into the third octave, but then, I can't think of many reasons I'd have to want a third octave. I did take it up to the third octave F, just to see, and it gets itself up there without any problem.

Volume: Moderate. I've always considered my laminated Sweetheart "Pro" to be my "outdoor whistle"...the one that I can count on to carry over wind, crowd noise and Morris bells. This one is more of a session whistle. It's got enough volume and presence to hold its own in a session, but it's not going to break anyone's eardrums. It's louder than my Burke Pro-Session or my Ó Bríain "improved," but nowhere near as loud as my original Sweetheart "Pro" or my Susatos. You can play this indoors without family members complaining (well, unless they simply don't like whistles, but we don't associate with such people, now do we?)

Clogging: Simply doesn't happen. A total non-issue. That curved windway does exactly what it's supposed to do.

C nat. fingering: 0XX 000, OXX XOX, and half-holing all work, but 0XX 000 is the most accurate.

Tuning: Like the low D the Sweets produced a few years ago, this one comes with O-ring spacers to allow for more customized tuning. The one I tried was nicely in tune with one of the 0-rings removed...with both in place, it was slightly flat.

Tone and Timbre: O Lord...how do they do it? This is the third Sweetheart whistle I've played now (the other two being my laminated "Pro" and a low D), and the sound is absolutely enticing. Full, round and rich, with just the right amount of chiff. I would put this one right up there with my Burke for having that lovely, wild, characteristic, pennywhistle sound. It's a real pleasure to play...I have a hard time putting it down! If I could only have one plastic whistle in my arsenal, this would be it. If I could have only one whistle, period, it would be a close race between this and my Burke. I have to admit, the Burke would probably win, but that would, in large part, be due to my fondness for brass, and to the fact that the Burke and I have bonded over years of sessions...we're like two halves of the same coin.

Tuning slide: This is the only real issue I've discovered with this whistle. It's a bit of a challenge to loosen the head joint enough to move it up and down or to remove it. It's also something of a challenge to get it back on once it's been removed. There seems to be a technique to it...each time I've tried, I've struggled a bit, worried that I was going to break the whistle, and then all of a sudden something's "clicked" and it's moved easily. I don't know if that's a problem specific to the particular whistle I was trying, or if it's something that gets simpler over time (either because the joint loosens or because one simply gets used to the technique), or that can be alleviated with a little bit of cork grease, but I suspect it's not insurmountable.

CONCLUSION

In the world of tuneable plastic whistles, this one is definitely "best of breed." In fact, compared to the other plastic whistles I've played (Susato, Dixon, Parks), there's simply no contest (I must admit to never having played a Water Weasel, so that's one comparison I can't make, but I'd have a hard time believing that this whistle wouldn't give it a run for its money). In the world of high-end whistles, well...at that point, it's really a matter of what you're looking for when you start thinking "high-end." If that definition requires metal or fine woods, well...no plastic whistle can compete with that. If "high-end" to you means "a well-made instrument with an excellent voice and a traditional sound," this one is more than worthy of your consideration.

Redwolf

Cool, you can get a piccolo head for it too.

We need sound clips

I might be able to record something after Christmas...right now I'm running around like a chicken with its head cut off (trying to make up time after all that concert prep...the Gaelic Christmas concert was late in the month this year, so I'm frantically trying to catch up on my shopping, cooking, etc.).

Redwolf

Thanks for the review, Redwolf... sounds like a nice whistle.
I do have a question, though, that I haven't seen mentioned in any reviews yet. How is the durability of the material used? Does it look like it would it be very likely to break if it rolled off a table? I've read that the Burke composites can't handle falls too well, but I wasn't sure if the material is similar to that or if it is strong like PVC.
The reason I ask is because I may be interested in a low D in this material when they're released, but I don't want something I'm constantly worrying about breaking, either. Not that I'm careless with my instruments, but things happen.

Thomaston-- the Burke composite material is actually quite durable. I used to have one and dropped it many times with no damage at all. It's light weight is also a nice feature.
The Sweetheart material should also be extremely tough.

Hmmm, good to know about the Burkes. I haven't had the opportunity to see one in person, so I've had to resort to hearsay.

The head is polycarbonate, one of the tough polymers used for windshields, safety glasses, and dishware. Future bodies will be acetal, also very reslient. Those are nice side-benefits while my real motivation in choosing plastic is so that each whistle will come out with the same geometry for voicing. In contrast, the laminates and the natural woods seemed to have a mind of their own, as any woodworker will tell you. To complicate the issue, the whistleplaying public has come to require better and better performance, and it became harder and harder for me to get them voiced in a way that would make everyone happy. When I use my 0.553" drill in plastic, the hole comes out the same every time, and this gives me a lot of freedom (and time!) to concentrate on the fine points of playability.

My kids said I should write my message like this:
Here are the guys and me in the shop trying to voice whistles in laminate:
Here's me with a blackwood head that doesn't want to play nice:
Here's people telling me to get a rich low D AND a gentle high B:
I try to console myself that at least the scale is on-pitch:
When the plastic pieces are right from the machinist's point of view ,
then I can make them right from the musician's point of view:

Getting back to this late, but I can just add that, even if we didn't have the great input on the durability of the plastic from brewerpaul and Walt, I can tell you just looking at the whistle that it's no fragile flower. You probably wouldn't want to whack someone over the head with it in a barroom brawl (that's what my Burke is for!), but I wouldn't be concerned about a simple fall.

BTW, I got a really nice Tascam digital recorder for Christmas, and in about a week, when I've got the house to myself again, I'll try making a recording of this for you (at the moment, with hubby and child at home, it's a little difficult...I don't want them to hear the cussing as I work out the ins and outs of this fancy new machine!)

Redwolf

I've never used polycarbonate, but I can tell you that acetal (generic for Delrin) is as tough as they come. You could probably literally run your car over an acetal whistle and then play it.
Hmmm...I see an experiment coming up...

Walt's work, in these new materials, is exciting.

As is the thought of his eventually building some Lows!

Pardon me...I seem to be slobbering...

Thanks for the review! I've been a Sweetheart fan for years and years.

Of all the things you had to say, I was immediately drawn to the OXXOOO for C nat fingering. For me, that is the first thing I look for in a whistle. No matter what other good things can happen, if it doesn't play OXXOOO it ain't no whistle of mine.

Of all the things you had to say, I was immediately drawn to the OXXOOO for C nat fingering. For me, that is the first thing I look for in a whistle. No matter what other good things can happen, if it doesn't play OXXOOO it ain't no whistle of mine.[/quote]

I'll second that!

Well, this is certainly one good way to limit the possibilities of finding a truly excellent whistle since there are other ways of producing a good c-nat. There are some very fine whistles out there with less-than-perfect 0XX000 c-nats and Peter Laban put it very well when he said the intonation of the C natural is up to the whistler/fluteplayer/piper. It comes with the territory, you suit the pitch as the music requires and it takes more than one standard c-nat for all circumstances.

It takes practice and time to learn different c-nat fingerings and adapt them into your playing but once you get it, you'll find yourself using more than just the standard 0XX000 and discover it's not the only kid on the block. Being able to use different fingerings expands your horizons and increases your confidence as a player. It's amazing how well 0XXX0X fits into many sequences and often provides smoother transitions in some with a stronger and more accurate note. I use them all, including 0XXX00 and 0X0000, depending on the circumstances, the whistle, and the tune.

Good for you then! And I mean that sincerely, good for you! However, I'll stick with what I like best in whistles. A less than perfect OXXOOO C natural denotes a poorly executed instrument to me, no matter what they cost or which trendy maker's label is on it. Thanks for that though. I respect your opinion and freedom to choose.

As an aside, I make my living playing the whistle, and the last thing I need is multiple fingerings to compensate for variations. No one cares how hard I work for it, they just want it in tune. In my experience, the whistle player who spends half his life trying to play C natural in tune spends the other half playing out of tune.

I don't get paid to be out of tune.