Chiff and Fipple Forums

I participated in the Optima tour as well, and I also found the octave tuning to be as Richard describes.

Here's the thread with the reviews from the tour: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=95717

Here's a different type of suggestion entirely to what's been posted already: an alternate fingering--for the C natural, not the high E. Specifically, an alternate fingering for C natural that is itself a third register fingering--that way the slurring should be no problem. Of course, I don't know y...

Yes, there's a weekly Monday night session at Fiddler's Hearth, led by John Kennedy of Kennedy's Kitchen. I attend during summer break. Welcoming people, good atmosphere. It starts at around 6:30 or 7. Weather permitting, we're playing outside right now. If the weather forces us inside, I believe th...

Back when there were sessions, the whistles I played most regularly were my MK low D and Killarney high D. I love the MK for its solid handling, complex and interesting timbre, and ability to play well in the keys of A and C, in addition to just D and G. I love the Killarney for its beautiful pure-b...

I use pitch-shifting software to adjust favorite tuning-reference tracks to match the key of whatever whistle I'm evaluating. On desktop I use a Chrome extension https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/transpose-%E2%96%B2%E2%96%BC-pitch-%E2%96%B9-spee/ioimlbgefgadofblnajllknopjboejda?hl=en that wo...

That's good info, thank you. I'm glad to hear you like it. A couple other questions: can you confirm that it's the same bore size as the F? Are the window dimensions different, to compensate? How's the octave tuning?

Yes, thanks for keeping us updated! Is there anything else you're noticing about the G? I also have an F, and recently got the A. (I'm working on a detailed review of the A, but I need more time with it first.) I'm eyeing the G and wondering similar things to what you were before you got it. How do ...

I've been waiting on an MK for nearly two months now. It left Scotland in two days, arrived in New York City a couple days after that, and seems not to have left NYC yet. The people at MK have been very gracious about the long wait, but it's out of their hands: the delay is due to the USPS. I haven'...

Ooh, that's exciting. Personally what I'd really love to see is a Killarney A. I've been really enjoying my Killarney D. It's got a nice sweet sound, very stable response, a beautiful easy high register. Mine did have octaves that were narrow, out of the box, but my standard poster-putty tweak fixed...

Hi Angel, Funny you mention this, because I was just discussing something similar on a different thread a week or so ago. Lately I've been using http://iotic.com/flutomat/ to calculate hole placement. It doesn't specifically have support for thumbholes (that is, holes that you only open for that not...

Thanks for the videos! It was interesting to see each one up close. Also, you've improved notably as a player since the last time I saw one of your videos (maybe five years ago). Sounds good! :thumbsup: Do you notice something that all four of them have in common with each other, being conical whist...

I'd say definitely try the Susato thumbrests before making a permanent alteration to your instrument. They're plastic, snap on in a second, and don't go anywhere until you move them.

Siccama's flute design fascinated me for a long time. When I was experimenting with making low D whistles, I tried nearly every size for the bottom hole: from a tiny hole that made for a very nice grip, all the way up to a hole as large as (or larger than) the 5th hole, which made for very good tone...

Another option is a thumbrest. Susato makes nice plastic clip-on thumbrests (https://www.susato.com/products/0970-susato-thumb-rest-number-0-for-v-series-whistles-or-sopranino-recorders). I found a #4 fits the MK D very nicely. Personally I added the thumbrest not because the whistle was slipping, e...

Thanks, Richard. I appreciate hearing about the differences between the MK and the Goldie. I've thought about getting a Goldie or maybe a Burke in a mezzo key like F, G, or A for a long time. Goldies sound fantastic on recordings, and it seems like all the pros play one...and that has so far made me...