So, I’m going to be picking up a new whistle fairly soon – I’ve a full set of Generations for key variety, a Burke Brass Pro Sessioner in D and a Burke Low D Alluminum Viper along with a Low D Howard, but a person with whom I play with at session has one of Sweet’s older wooden whistles and I do like the sound of it… Kind of mellow on the ears, but it still projects.
I noticed he makes a Blackwood version of his D whistle and was wondering if anyone has had a chance to play it? I still want that same woodsy, mellow quality with excellent projection – not being much of a wood guy, I don’t know what kind of tonal qualities that wood comes with.
Any information or recordings of this whistle would be appreciated.
I got an email from a musician the other day who said he doesn’t want to COLLECT whistles…he just wants to buy a excellent high D and an excellent low D and be done with it. I told him that I don’t think you could do better than buying the newer Sweethearts. I’m most enthusiastic about them.
Ok, staying on topic (what a concept) - I have a Laminated Birch Sweetheart Professional. It’s a darn nice whistle, right in the middle of the hunt in it’s price range. Bit of a wood tone, nice playability, low care, and volume if you want it. One of a few really good picks in it’s class as I see it - the only pick if you want wood tone in the voice.
I just got one about two weeks ago. I have actually reached for it to play instead of immediatly jumping for the Flute. Now, this is coming from someone who plays Flute about an hour per day and Whistle on occasion, and I have also owned some pretty high class Whsitles (Burke, Sindt, Bleazey, to name a few). I would say that it is most definantly a good buy. It has the mellower sound, but still has volume, which is one thing I love about it.
The blackwood D Sweetheart whistle that I got fell apart. The inlaid piecein the fipple fell out. I sent it back and got to pay about $35 to have it fixed, and it fell apart again. The sound was incredibly intense, and it pretty well decided me that I was done with blackwood and done with Sweethearts too. You might have better luck than me.
I don’t have the blackwood. I have the laminated whistle.
I can tell you that I’ve had no trouble with the laminated whistle. I can also tell you I have two blackwood whistles by other makers, and it’s an excellent tonewood.
I have a Resonance low D and love the heck out of it. I’ve played the Dymondwood high D and C and they’re also quite excellent. I’d expect the Blackwood would be similar. You’ll pay more for the Blackwood though. If you plan on knocking the whistle around at sessions, the laminate may be a better choice.
The more I think about it, the less sense that makes to me. I know Walt and Ralph and I can’t imagine them charging for a repair (or most other whistle makers either, myself included). Did you buy this newe from them? Did they do the repair, or did you have someone else do it?
I agree that this doesn’t make sense. I’ve owned 3 Sweetheart flutes and 4 whistles. Didn’t have the opportunity to play any of them before I bought but was pleased with all of them.
Um…my guess is that its a jazzed up version of Humors of Lisadell, and you can find it on JC’s Tunefinder. The issue with Humors of Lisadell is that it spends a bit of time below D, so you have to jump octaves, or play around with the melody.
My favorite version of this is on the Coen bro’s CD The Branch Line, which is where I learned it.
Some people might scoff at the idea of dymondwood whistles, but I have a dymondwood uilleann chanter and let me tell you, it is great material and sounds wonderful.
Dave
I just ordered some blue/green dymondwood as a special request from a customer which should be a lot of fun. Unlike most dymondwood instruments, this will be in the more ornamental shallow cut pattern, giving a scalloped effect:
I recon the Sweet Blackwood is amazing, but looking at the dymondwood is entrancing - bits of the grain realy sparkle-out. I can only just imagine what some stains would do.
Ah here we go! Are we talking about:
or
or
or
Woof!
I’m a bit confused though - I’m microscoping the Sweetheart Blackwood right now - I can’t detect any kind of insert apart from the fipple plug itself? Are we talking about the same instrument?
I’m a bit surprised at the “…done with blackwood…” part, as I’ve found African blackwood to be consistently the most stable of woods with the least care througout many years. I’ve had second-hand blackwood Abell Bflat/A whistles for about 5 years now without a hint of a problem. I’ve also had Ralph Sweet African blackwood Kilhory C whistle for about 10 years - a beautiful looking and sounding whistle that’s been in a radiator heat apartment I think with nary a touch of oil - still perfect. It’s a very tight dense wood that holds up really well.
