Hi,
I haven’t purchased a whistle in over a few months and was wondering if anyone has played the Silkstone alloy high D. Please let me know how you feel about it. One thing in particular, can it play well up above high D?
I would also like to know the same about his pvc-style high D, or C or Bb.
Thank you,
John
I have green composite (‘plastic’ being politically or aesthetically incorrect?) Silkstone D and B-Flat whistles and find them to be smooth, consistent and dependable. I would describe the overall sound as ‘round’. They do not break up in the higher octave. I believe these are sound acquisitions of the mid-range variety.
Good Luck,
Tom D.
Well, From all the clips I’ve listened to, they sound great..Course, I listened to a Clark D and that sounded great to me ..Basically any whistle I’m NOT playing at the time sounds good to me, Heh..I can make an Overton sound pretty bad
Dan
Hey Dan,
I looked at your profile and it says that you live on Whidby Island. I was stationed there for a little over a year, back in 78-79, while in the Navy. I loved it, there!
JP
I like everything but the weather, Just cant seem to get used to the Cold and constant clouds. (Looks over at his forlorn 8 inch SCT in the corner)I just found out that David Dayne also lives on Whidbey Island.
Sooo If I ever decide to get into Uillian Pipes there’s a maker within 20 minutes of me
Dan
Somehow it posted the same thing twice, so I deleted it.
[ This Message was edited by: JohnPalmer on 2002-02-07 02:35 ]
John,
My Silkstone Alloy D (‘high’ not low) is a wonderful instrument. It has a clear sound that carries well in a session, but it is not too loud. It is the first whistle I have ever played where the other Irish Trad musicians I play with have said “Wow, that is a great sounding whistle - what is it???”
It is easy to play, well in tune, and moves from octave to octave very easily. Paul Haywood the maker is great too - replies promptly and is very friendly and helpful!
My favourite whistles are the Slikstone Alloy for performing and sessions, and the Sindt for recording and playing for myself around the house.
…wondering if anyone has played the Silkstone alloy high D. Please let me know how you feel about it. One thing in particular, can it play well up above high D?
Hello John,
Loren wrote a reviewshortly before his departure which I feel was pretty right on. If by “high D” you are referring to the top of the second octave, yes I can push mine up to a 3rd octave A. However starting at the 3rd f# there are overtones present that, combined with the volume, will severely torture any dog within a quarter mile radius 
I think that the Silkstone alloy is one of the best balanced whistles I have ever played. The two finger c natural (oxx ooo ) is to die for and the second octave four finger c natural (oxx xxo ) ain’t too shabby either. The solitary thing I don’t like about this whistle ( I think Paul Hayward hates it when I bring this up) is a result of the way I balance my whistle when I play it. Starting at about the A I put my right ring finger back down on the bottom hole. On the Silkstone that I own this serves to destabilize the high B and makes it play way sharp (especially so if I give it a grace note). Paul regards this fingering as “non-standard” which I suppose translates as he isn’t concerned about this phenomenon and isn’t going to attempt any R&D to try and fix it. Other folks have posted that the Silkstone alloy D they own does not have this problem. Quite obviously if you don’t balance your whistle this way it will not be an issue.
Cheers,
David de la Barre
John - The Silkstone alloy soprano D is a very fine whistle (I posted a comparative review some time ago that included it, the Burke Al-pro, Parkhurst, Copeland and Sindt)that looks and is technologically advanced. I slightly prefer the Burke Al-pro, but they’re both great. The Silkstone PVC C that I have is surprisingly terrific - one of the best C whistles I’ve played and a lot better than the D, Bflat or A (these are all good, though)in this series IMHO.
Gee, I wonder if Thom can feel a sale coming on!
Thanks for the input. I hope others still give theirs. JP
I play a Silkstone D+ alloy whistle
purchased recently through Thom Larson.
The “+” refers to the extra note hole, a seventh hole, below the lower hole for a six hole model, and offset radially to compensate for typically short little fingers. The whistle is longer
to factor this extra hole in. The additional low note remains silent unless fingered down.
I speak as a newbie on the high notes, but practice pays . A high octave F# played a few days ago was harsh and loud , but
learning better breath control has fixed it already, and the control needed to blow
upper G and A without a shriek is nearly here. -Breath pressures required for good upper octave notes increase at defined pitches, so once you’ve got it down,
you’ve got it licked. -Keeping a clear windway helps a lot, as does minor
lip-pursing aka directed air flow, and tonguing the note for “attack” until you’ve mastered the breath pressure for the note. The upper octave notes increase in volume going up the scale, but do have some volume modulation available when well blown. The pipe-like sounds playable on this instrument are stunning, and well worth learning. This is a true instrument, allowing a wide range of expression.
Another good review of Silkstone Alloy D here. I’ve been playing it for over 1 1/2 year now and it’s just my favorite session whistle. It’s not as loud as the Copeland or Susato, which I think are too loud, but it’s loud enough and you don’t have to blow that hard to get higher notes. Another thing that I LOVE about this whistle is that it simply doesnt CLOG. It’s the only expensive whistle I’ve played that I just don’t have to be afraid that it’s going to clog after it’s warmed up. Also, Paul Hayward just seems to have the time to make his whistles AND to answer his mail frequently. I’d like to visit his workshop soon and try his other keys.
Has anyone tried both the regular alloy D and the D+? I’ve been thinking of getting one or the other, but haven’t yet seen any comparison. Does the D+ sound just as good?
Caru,
I only have the D+ Silkstone, but to me it sound just like the Silkstone alloy whistles I’ve heard on the clips and snips page. One thing I really like about the D+ though is that the extra hole is just that. Extra. You can play it like any other 6 hole whistles just ignoring the 7th hole. Mainly I’ve found it to be of great use on some songs where cross fingering the Cnat a lot can get very clumsy. Anyway I hope this helps.
Caio