Hey all.
I do some historical reenactment on occasion and I want to get a whistle that looks like it feasibly could have existed in the early 1800’s. Basically that means I want a whistle that doesn’t have any visible plastic on it when I’m playing. I’ve been using my Clarke original, but the fact that it’s out of tune and can’t be tuned makes it a bad choice for playing with other people. The whistles I’m looking at right now are Ipempe and Ethnicwinds since they won’t break my budget, but I might also consider an Alba. I like the less “chirpy” sound of the Clarke so it would be nice to get another whistle with a similar sound. Some of the people I end up playing music with are rather loud while others are fairly quiet, so I want a whistle the will sound good at low or mid to high volumes. I’m mostly worried about the second octave for that. I almost never get to the third octave. Can anybody provide some suggestions or impressions of the whistles I’m considering?
The Silver Star model I make should work great for you imho… and if you aren’t happy I’ll give you a full refund including return shipping cost…the wait time for my whistles is only about 3 days.
Can’t speak to the Ethnic Winds since I don’t have one. Haven’t heard anything bad about them either and Nick is somewhat active on this board.
I own a couple of Impempe’s and the high D will do what you ask. Solid low end, in tune with itself and the world with plenty of volume.
Of course there’s Goldie/Overton, Chieftain and Harper which will fit your requirements too. All these have plenty of volume and there’s nothing louder than the Chieftain.
ecohawk
Thanks for the replies. Chieftain and Goldie are out of my price range for now.
I’ve gotten a very tempting offer on a Tilbury, which I’m feeling somewhat inclined to take. It has some sort of a plastic plug, but it won’t be visible while I play so it doesn’t bother me.
It might not happen just yet, but I am absolutely planning on buying an Ethnic Winds whistle at some point. They just look too good to pass up and from the research I’ve done on the board it sounds like the customer service is unbeatable. I’ll be looking forward to doing business with you at some point Nick, though I don’t know yet whether it will be soon or a little further off.
Impempe whistles seem to get very good reviews from what I’ve seen so that’s high on my list as well. If things don’t work out with the Tilbury for whatever reason, I’ll have a hard time deciding between Impempe and Ethnic Winds.
I’m awaiting my first set of whistles from Nick at Ethnicwinds (Low D/High D Ceol Pro). Probably be in the week of the 9/11. I’ll let you know what I think.
If you haven’t already, check out his youtube channel (http://www.youtube.com/user/nicksmetcalf). He’s got a fair number of his whistles demo’d, with very clean recordings.
Most of the reviews posted say his whistles lack a small bit in volume, but have a really nice tone. Plus, you can gussy 'em up however you want with custom paint jobs and Celtic designs.
Just thought of something… if you are still considering an Ethnicwinds model… Nick might be able to work up a “distressed metal” look to it, some kind of “antiqueing” to give one of his whistles the period feel you’re looking for…
Maybe instruments from Sweethart Flutes or Gene Milligan? (google them)
I have a Goldie high D purchased used from someone on this board, at a considerable savings. She didn’t get it new either. It’s in fantastic shape and by far my favourite whistle. I was told it was “too loud” by one person when I played it at a very large gathering in a large room, while others disagreed and said it was just right. I’m very pleased with the tone and intonation (tuneable) and it inspires me to want to play. Just a suggestion that you may want to keep track of the For Sale section of this board for some deals. Saves on possible wait time, as well- although I had to wait for a postal strike to end before mine arrived. 
What, like already an antique by the early 1800s? (Think about it!)
The tin whistle was invented in the 1840s. You need wood.
I have an English double whistle that predates the tin whistle by about 20 years. Conical bores, tuned a third apart, lowest note C. Made of walnut, I think. There are quite a few wooden whistles of that era in museums.
Dunno who’d try making one in walnut these days, though.
Chances are nobody will know when the tinwhistle first came into a form that resembles it’s modern one, so I can probably fudge it by a few years. There are people who bring modern guitars, banjos, mandolins and violins as well, so musical instruments get a bit of leeway at the stuff I take part in. There are other groups that aren’t as lenient.
I wound up with a Tilbury, which is quite different from any of the other whistles I’ve owned so far in sound, feel, appearance, and the way it plays. So basically it’s an entirely new beast. I had a very pleasant transaction with another member of the forum who lives nearby. Now it’s time to start saving up again for the next one.
I see what you’re saying. I mis-read it at first, and thought “'Ang on, I know that guitars, mandolins and violins were well-established by the early 1800s. And banjos were around by then, in the States at least.” Then I realised that you meant “in their modern form”. Just one small point then: violins were already in their exact modern form by the early 1800s. From what I remember, there was an extended period when violins with the old shorter neck and those with the newer, slightly longer neck, existed simultaneously. But the transition to the modern instrument in general had started centuries before. And the modern Tourte bow was developed in the late 1700s.
So people are fine taking modern violins. 
Ah, but they’ll have to leave those synthetic strings at home. Nothing but gut will do. (Try keeping that in tune outside on a warm, humid day.)
If I’m not prying too much, what kind of group do you play with?
Just curious…
It’s not really an established group per se. One of the things I do for fun is going to Mountain Man rendezvous. It’s part camping, part competition, part reenactment, and completely fun. At night people will visit other camps and this usually leads to a few camps having large groups of people. Anybody with an instrument will play it and if other people feel like joining in, they do. What style of music gets played depends on the person who started the song. It ranges from ITM (mostly from me) to folk tunes to more modern tunes that often end up sounding quite different than the original. I’ll attempt to play along with almost anything as long as it’s in a key I can easily manage. I get used to the songs that some people play because I meet a lot of people at all the rendezvous I go to. Sometimes I’ll play with new people and it sounds absolutely terrible because I don’t know the songs. Nobody cares though. It’s a great atmosphere for getting used to playing with other instruments.
Well to be an authentic Mountain Man you will need something like the Elder wood whistles made by Vitek Kasparik. Bark on, dude!
In fact a real mountain man would (wood?) make his own. http://www.bushcraft.ridgeonnet.com/elderwhistle.htm
Just add some more holes.
I’ve seen the “authentic” issue discussed by re-enactors for the American Revolution, the American Civil Was and Ren-ners but never a Mountain Man. The Amer. Revolution and Ren folks seem to lean towards wooden whistles like the Sweethearts as has been suggested. Some play recorders including the Dolmetsch bakelite models. I make Faux Unicorn Ivory whistles for the Ren Faire crowd (CPVC). The Civil War buffs seem to go with Clarkes or the wooden instruments but I’ve seen plenty of Gens and Feadogs with plastic heads around the campfires over the years. Fifes are popular too. I’d steer clear of the aluminum models. I don’t think there were too many of those around in Liver Eatin’ Johnson’s day.
Feadoggie
hah!
well, yes… it is a clicky