-Opinions desired on Silkstone Low
G/A vs. Water Weasel Low G for a running start at low whistling. I treasure my Silkstone alloy D+ soprano whistle, but would like to start low whistling with a quality PVC to avoid the alloy warm-up period, and hope to find
one with a strong bell note and even response in both registers.- Also: Anyone have experience with the new Silkstone
PVC Low D?
-Thanks,
Brian
..Whistlito ergo…
[ This Message was edited by: brianormond on 2002-07-28 14:44 ]
[ This Message was edited by: brianormond on 2002-07-28 14:55 ]
Brian - Please excuse response if you only wanted to hear from those who’ve played both specifically the Silkstone PVC Low A/G and the WW Low G; I haven’t. These things are very much a matter of taste. I very much like the Silkstone PVCs I have (Sop. D, C, Bflat, esp. the C) and the WW A which is one of the better A whistles I’ve played, esp when you consider bang for the buck. It does have even response in both registers, but IMHO is only ok, as opposed to strong bell note.
I can also add from experience that the transition to Low whistles on a G is generally really easy even for those who have some trouble on the Low D, and you’ll still get some idea of that lower “hauntiness” of sound on the G. I think it’s also a versatile key.
That said, I currently own two Low G whistles - Overton and Copeland - and revere both. The Copeland is my favorite, but is very expensive and unless (as I was fortunate enough to do)you get one used, there’d be a long wait. The Overton is less expensive, not that outlandishly more than both you mention, and is well worth it.
I have the entire gamut of Water Weasels, but only the Alloy D of the Silkstone family. I consider the low-G one of the real gems of the WW family. It’s got a good strong bell note, a good amount of chiff, and a pretty good low whistle sound. It takes a fair amount of air, but has noticeable back pressure. The biggest drawback is that the holes are LARGE, so it might not be a great place to start on low whistles. Boxy hands definitely help on this whistle.
Lollycross has posted two pieces on Clips & Snips using the Silkstone PVC High D (not low as I posted earlier) whistle. -Very nice, with accompaniment by hammered dulcimer and harp. ~Found in the Slow Airs section.
-edited for accuracy
-B.
..Whistlito ergo…
[ This Message was edited by: brianormond on 2002-07-28 18:53 ]
[ This Message was edited by: brianormond on 2002-07-28 23:08 ]
I say go for the WW. I tried both when I was deciding on a Low G and found that the WW had the stronger bell note and lower octave. The Silkstone G/A jumped too easily to the second octave.
The only potential drawback with the WW (as mentioned above) is the size of the holes. It wasn’t a problem for me since I had already been playing an Overton F for about a month. However if your looking at eventually getting a low D anyway it wouldn’t hurt to get used to the new fingering.
The counter melody on Thom Larson’s lovely rendition of Planxty](http://nwparalegal.com/clipssnip/Audio/misc/PlanxtyIrwinthoml.mp3%3EPlanxty) Irwin was played with a Silkstone PVC low D.
Thom and I have the distinction of being the owners of whistles from the first batch made.
I own #3, Thom owns #2 and Paul kept #1 for himself from that first batch of three whistles.
My opinion of it is the same as my opinion of all of Paul’s whistles… it’s a work of art.
I still prefer my big hole Overton over any low D I have ever played, but that’s just a matter of personal taste.
I haven’t played any Silkstones, but I have a WW low G and absolutely love it.. Actually, once you get used to the larger fingerholes, you may view them as an asset. If you like to play non-traditional tunes ( jazz, pop tunes, Klezmer, etc) which require a lot of half holing, the larger holes make this much easier. Also easier to bend notes on those holes.
-Thanks to all for the opinions! A visit to Michigan from Seattle next week may permit trial of the WW Low G at Elderly Instruments. There’s nothing like having relatives living near a whistle shop.
-Brian
I have a WW G which I quite like. I agree with the above post about the hole size. In my opinion bigger is better.
My WW G is for sale if you’re interested. It’s a great whistle but I rarely play it. When I have a tune in G I usually play it in my Lo-D and I’m trying to fund a new aquisition. Let me know if you’re interested.
Thanks to all for Low G opinions- I just returned from a Michigan family wedding visit with a fine Water Weasel Low G from
Elderly Instruments. -Asked by the salesperson not to test-play it due to saliva liability, I asked the salesperson to check further up the command structure as to whether an interested party could try it out.
-A positive reply conditional on verbal acceptance of saliva risk resulted in
a test and purchase, as its beautiful tone and tuning won me over fast. -Its nice!
-I fear I am now an easy target for the multinational WW low whistle consortium.
-Another happy victim,
Brian
