With wooden whistles like the sweetheart that have two pieces, when you only play for 10 minutes a day at first, are you doing it to protect the mouthpiece more than the body (which gets oiled) or both?
The reason I’m asking, is because if it’s only the head piece, I’ve found my recorder’s head fits perfectly on the Sweetheart’s body and the sound barely changes and I could possibly use that because 10 minutes isn’t long enough…
Well, both. You’re gradually easing the wood into a state where it regularly gets warm, moist air blowing through it. If the instrument has been sitting around unplayed and then you sit down and play it for five hours, it’s going to expand pretty quickly and you might not be able to get the sections apart; worse, the socket could crack. I’d say the head joint is quite a bit more at risk than the body, fwiw.
I think 10 minutes a day is a bit severe, though. With a new flute, I start with half an hour a day for the first week, then maybe an hour the next, then after that I just keep an eye on things and make sure the joint’s not getting too tight. The upper tenon on my ten-year-old boxwood flute still swells alarmingly when I play it for a long stretch.
Good job on the advice Ro 3b
I have a suggestion for your boxwood flute though. You can reduce swelling and increase longevity if you use sesame or almond oil on the inner bore.
Mix a few teaspoons of alcohol with an equal amount of oil in a small tin or china cup and heat it in a pan of water. dont let the mixture boil or all the alcohol will evaporate. Apply warm,let cool and wipe away excess oil. Once a month will do. TTFN
Interesting. I do use almond oil. What does the alcohol do?
What part? My life of course 
OH 
Not those kinds of break in’s
MarkB
The alcohol is a catalyst that allows deeper penetration of the oil. After penetration it evaporates(hmmm, birth control applications? 
) leaving only the oil behind.
I think its more than the headjoint…you’re getting condensation down the length of the whistle, and the whole thing is stressed by playing.
Meanwhile, 10 minutes might be just about right if you’re having wrist/hand problems. Don’t push it or you may do some serious damage.
My tuppence
Both–don’t want moisture to build up too fast
in the wood of the whistle, or it might split.
Cranberry
I just talked to Ralph Sweet. I just got one of his new “Profesional” model whistles. You don’t mention which type you have. If it IS this one, Ralph told me that because it is a laminate it really requires no care at all execept for the the usual care of the windway by running a soft pipe cleaner through it on occasion or a gentle swish in warm soapy water. There is no “break in” period and Ralph said he really does not feel that it even needs to be oiled. The only caution he gave me was not to drop anythng real heavy on it because it is brittle enough that such goings on will most likely lead to destruction.
If you have the standard Ralph Sweet whistle..on the other hand, then yes it does need to be broken in. I was always told 20 minues a day to start for the first week and then add maybe 10 minutes more the next week and so on and forthwith! Make sure to swab it dry after each playing even if it is good and broken in and I have also been told its good to give it a run through after each 30 minutes of playing for a well broken in whistle. Glen Schultz suggests oiling right before you begin playing…when it is time to oil it…more frequent when it is new and much less so once it is broken in.
Hope this helps…Andrea Z
Andrea, how does your whistle sound, compared to others you’ve owned/played? When buying it, what factors made you choose it over an Abell or Busman?
Cranberry
I just talked to Ralph Sweet. I just got one of his new “Profesional” model whistles. You don’t mention which type you have. If it IS this one, Ralph told me that because it is a laminate it really requires no care at all execept for the the usual care of the windway by running a soft pipe cleaner through it on occasion or a gentle swish in warm soapy water. There is no “break in” period and Ralph said he really does not feel that it even needs to be oiled. The only caution he gave me was not to drop anythng real heavy on it because it is brittle enough that such goings on will most likely lead to destruction.
If you have the standard Ralph Sweet whistle..on the other hand, then yes it does need to be broken in. I was always told 20 minues a day to start for the first week and then add maybe 10 minutes more the next week and so on and forthwith! Make sure to swab it dry after each playing even if it is good and broken in and I have also been told its good to give it a run through after each 30 minutes of playing for a well broken in whistle. Glen Schultz suggests oiling right before you begin playing…when it is time to oil it…more frequent when it is new and much less so once it is broken in.
Hope this helps…Andrea Z
I got the standard model…and have only played it for 10 minutes a day so far. The only thing I don’t like is how the first few notes of the upper register need you to come at them differently somehow, but it’s probably my inexperience because I haven’t played it much trying to keep it from splitting. I really like it otherwise, so I’m probably going to get another sweetheart in the not so distant future. I hear they don’t have the same glitch anyway. Here is a picture of it with some of my other whistles (arranged by mouthpiece color): http://community.webshots.com/sym/image5/2/39/20/69323920LEzZIf_ph.jpg
Cranberry, we can’t click on the link. It says its forbidden.
When you’re in the market for another Sweetheart I have a blackwood with silver fittings that’s looking for a happy home! I’m paring back to the whistles I play regularly.
In re: a previous question of new Sweetheart vs Abell, Busman, etc, the Sweetheart, being a conical bore as opposed to cylindrical, balances the volume better across octaves, I believe.
Cranberry, we can’t click on the link. It says its forbidden.
That’s webshots for ya. This one works, best I can tell. http://mediaservice.photoisland.com/auction/Apr/20034125815204106536605.jpg
In re: a previous question of new Sweetheart vs Abell, Busman, etc, the Sweetheart, being a conical bore as opposed to cylindrical, balances the volume better across octaves, I believe.
Part of the reason I like Sweethearts better (besides the sound, of course) is because of their shape. It’s more interesting than an even straight tube, IMO.
A question that might sound stupid…which available whistle wood smells best? I love the smell of this Sweetheart (walnut), but it’s very faint. Or mabey I’m just smelling the oils the previous owner said she used…[/quote]
Hi Blackhawk
Well…“Blush”..I DO have a busman on order…errr..I am having a fit of “I want a wooden whistle WHoA”!! I have read a fair number of posts on this new Sweetheart and got intensley curious! I figured it wil be a couple months before the Busman arrives and I wanted to get a feel for a wood whistle…or close to it anyhow. !!!
This new Professional Sweetheart really is a Sweetheart! It sounds great..niceand clear but sort of “woody”.gee I wonder why?? It is just effortless to play and nice and even through all the octaves. You can just play and not think about what is coming up to worry about..you know ..the “oh no! A 2nd octave B is coming up…get ready!” Hey, if I can play “Danny Boy” and make it sound halfway appealng on a whistle that is a real selling point for me!! And I can do it on this whistle. To my ears it is about as loud as a Dixon…a mite louder than my Efsongs but by no means ear shattering. Yet I think this is whistle that for sure would not get lost in a session. I like the idea of the durability of this new wood laminate and the easy care and no break in period! I figure that when I get frustrated at having to put the Busman away for another day this one will stand me in good stead if I am having a “woody” day! plus, I have long thought that the Sweetheart Whistles are really cool looking. I know some folks say the dreaded “rec…r” word about them…but I think they are just nifty to look at…so there everyone who has an issue with them!
Its new, its cool, everyone on the board needs one! Has my stamp of approval..and I’m picky…I want everything to sound like an Elfsong…which is a mite unrealistic! So…I am past that and that is a good thing because variety is the spice of life right???
Oh yeah!! I love the lower register…VERY strong on the bell note which is a challenge on some whistles. And yet it doesn’t affect the higher register in any negative way.
Enough of my ramblings..hope I have painted a picture that makes a bit of sense!!!
AndreaZ
