Has anyone had any experience with this beautiful whistle? It can be seen at:
http://www.thewhistleshop.com/catalog/whistles/highend/Sweetheart/Rosewood/rosewood.htm
I would like to hear of it!
Best regards,
Eivind
I have never heard one. Have you also seen the Blackwood model at http://www.thewhistleshop.com/catalog/whistles/highend/Sweetheart/blackwood/blackwoo.htm?
I have one, bought in 1985.
It has a strong, loud sound, and in fact sounds a good bit like a Susato whistle.
Like the Sustato, it tends to get really shrill on the high end. It does have more resistance (uses less air) than the Susato.
You can see a photo at
http://www.flutesite.com/whistles.htm
I don’t actually have sound samples up of the Sweet whistles right now, but could throw something up if there is interest.
–James
http://www.flutesite.com
I own a Sweet, I think it’s in maple rather than rosewood. I pretty much concur with the other responder. This is the most recorder-sounding whistle I own, even moreso than the Susato. It plays pretty moderately and very sweetly up to the high G or A. Above that, it has to be played very aggressively – it requires a lot of pressure and gets extremely loud. I wouldn’t recommend it as your only whistle, but it’s a wonderful addition to a collection; there’s really nothing else like it.
Charlie
I just received an ebony Sweet whistle, and think the tone, tuning, and playability are magnificent. However the high end is a bit shrill, and I haven’t ‘tamed’ that part of it yet. Time and patience, I guess, and the proper space to practice in. This is NOT a whistle I would take into a small room to practice with.
Thom at The Whistle shop has told me that the Sweet whistles have been recently redesigned to balance the volume across octaves. I noticed on Ralph Sweet’s site that there is mention of this. I went ahead and ordered a maple C from Thom and I just hope it isn’t too shrill in the upper octave like the previous design had a rep for being. I have a Sweet maple flute that I have trouble playing but I like the maple fipple of my Reyburn very much, so I requested the maple. I’ve been told that the difference between maple and other woods is not audible, but I prefer the look of maple. I will post my findings.
Lisa
I have a Rosewood high D but the high E is squeeking a lot and I stopped playing it because of that… but it’s nice decoration and I’ve got something to throw at thiefs in case of robbery! 
Azalin, any thought to sending it to Ralph for fixing?
I also own a Sweet rosewood whistle. It’s absolutly beautiful to look at - carved out of a single piece of wood, the grain matches perfectly! - and has a solid lower register. Alas, it is too loud in the upper. If you’re used to playing thin tin whistles, the Sweet whistle feels strange, it’s much thicker than a tin whistle. But if you play it regularly, you will get used to it.
Has anyone found a way to muffle some of the volume when playing it in the upper regester?
More affirmation of chas and other’s comments. I have a maple. The other problem with those high notes is that they’re not quite in tune either. It’s gorgeous in the first octave, great for airs etc but the minute you want a high soaring note you run the risk of squawkin like a duck. If I wanted that aggravation, i would take up French Horn!!!
Its not a primary whistle at all.
Tyghress,
I remember reading many reviews about the unstable high E on the Ralph Rosewood, so I think I’ll just give up. Anyway I’m more into brass whistles these days…
My first whistle was an R. Sweet maple. Played it for a few months, then ran across a used blackwood (the one with the silver accent bands.) I vastly prefer the blackwood, both from the standpoint of sound quality and ease of playing, and now rarely if ever play the maple. Like others have mentioned though, the upper registers are tricky, which is why, these days, I tend to play my recently purchased Dixon D.
Starr
Ralph Sweet is a lovely man, but I think you can get a lot more whistle for the money. Sweets are a little too recorder-like for me. Ralph and his family have put together some very nice tune collections, though, and you can buy those through his website. I especially like The Fifer’s Delight.
I recently picked up a Sweet D Whistle in Cherrywood. I can vouch for the fact that they have been redesigned. My particular instrument is not quite as loud as my Susato VSB, pretty even across both octaves, and enjoyable to play.
It looks WAY too much like a recorder to me.
Sure it looks nice, but my whistles are called ‘recorders’ enough.
-Ross