Since buying a second whistle, I knew I had to come up with a better idea than leaving them in factory packaging or on a tabletop. It had to be very inexpensive, and it was when I saw the whistle quiver thread that I really came up with a workable solution.
The bag is a Stinger Sling Bag from Fox Outdoor Products. I’d tested it a while back, and it’s just tall enough to carry a soprano D whistle. Anything bigger would have to be a multi-piece design to fit in this bag. The bag is also not inexpensive…had I not already had it on hand (I also purchased it for a fraction of what the manufacturer sells it for), it would not have been a viable option.
The aforementioned whistle quiver thread gave me the solution to the problem of whistles banging against each other:
I had some 1/2" pipe insulation on hand (if I need more, a six-foot length runs about $1.50), so I cut two pieces at a nominal length of nine inches each. Then I wrapped some duct tape fairly tightly around them. No worries about them banging against one another, though I might have to shave an inch or so off each end if future whistle acquisitions make identification based solely off the mouthpiece impossible.
I suppose I could store up to eight soprano D whistles in this bag, but they’d be a very snug fit. And I should have cleaned the bag a bit more thoroughly before photographing it!
It also has a pocket that holds both of my tutorial books quite nicely. There are other pockets that can hold Teflon tape, a polishing cloth, and other small incidental items you’d want to carry around.
While it’s not the perfect solution, it will certainly be workable for me for quite a while. Being fairly light and compact, it could also be a decent travelling rig.
Now I just need a couple more whistles to fill it a little better!
The PVC whistle case is one of those things I’ll file under “why didn’t I think of that?” I like the idea of lining the PVC with pipe insulation. I’ll have to measure the outside diameter of the pipe insulation to determine what size PVC pipe would be required. With a piece of foam stuffed into the cap covering the head, that would make a light and inexpensive, but quite durable, travelling whistle case!
If you’re willing to spend more money then you can get clear PVC. (e.g. Ryan Herco www.rhfs.com in San Jose carries it.) I thought it might be a good idea if you’re flying and having to deal with the TSA, as small pipes with end caps installed might be misinterpreted. Plus you can see what’s inside and it’s more attractive than the typical white PVC. Also I would think that drilling a few vent holes could be a good idea if wet whistles get stored.
Having said that I put some together and found them a bit bulky. I couldn’t find a local source for something like this - http://www.rose-plastic.us/1612.0.html - ratcheting plastic cases for cutting tools. Would be lighter than the PVC.
I haven’t flown in almost a dozen years. Since private pilot training is expensive (and wouldn’t have been covered by my now-lapsed GI Bill anyway), that won’t change. Clear and furniture-grade PVC are nice ideas, but regular ol’ PVC that’s been spray-painted is much more cost-effective.
I’ve been using schedule 40 electrical conduit for years. Mainly because it’s a medium grey color pipe rather than white.Still a schedule 40 pipe with all its strengths.
Instead of exterior fit plastic caps which increase the overall width of the tube I use interior fit rubber/rubbery plastic plugs. Get the type with a hole bored through,such as the type used for a hamster watering bottle-this allows the whistle to “breathe” which normally might not matter but if you have to pack up and go quick any moisture still within the whistle can evaporate.If you’re going to be in prolonged rain you can always cork the hole.
Ram one plug all the way in so it’s flush to one end -which we’ll call the bottom end of the pipe- for a permanent stop,the other plug is pushed into the other end/top so it’s in pretty firmly but with enough left exposed to take hold of and remove,should have to wiggle it a little to loosen it up.You should be able to tip the tube upside down and shake it hard in a vertical fashion without the “open end” plug -and whistle!- coming out.Just take the plugs into consideration when cutting the pipe,you want just a little space between the whistle and the bottom of the top plug when the top plug is pushed in and passes the shake test.
I’ve used exterior caps such a shown on the Milligan site but as I said above they increase the bulk of the tube and the top caps are no way as secure as the stoppers.
I use a Holbein adjustable brush holder. Google search those exact words and you will get a picture. They are about $5 in the States. If I were more tech savvy I’d post a picture myself. It is a sturdy 2 part plastic sleeve that opens easily and fits a whistle nicely. I can toss it in a bag with a bunch of other stuff and not worry about the whistle getting banged around. And as I have accumulated whistles over the years I can stick them in a drawer together without worrying they will rattle against each other. I love your pipe insulation idea, but I’d put it over the whole whistle since I’m as concerned about the mouthpiece as I am about the body. I wonder: if you got the 1/2 inch stuff if you could just pop a whistle in there and not bother to tape it? The mouthpiece could help to keep it slipping out and since I’d cover the whole whistle the slit up the side may be the best way to get it out. Sounds like a trip to the basement is on my agenda this afternoon.
I did do, here is one of the photos that appeared:
I know the thread is on alternate solutions, but for me the tried-and-true roll works best.
I want something quick. I have every key in order, at the gig I unroll it in a couple seconds and I can quickly grab whatever key I need for the particular cue.
There are shoestrings sewn on the back so I can hang the roll from a music stand. (Floor-space is often at a premium at a gig.)
It was made by a local woman, who sells things on Etsy.
They’re labelled because I don’t have time at a gig to hunt around and guess which key is which. (Oops the A and Bb are reversed…)
I use the same Generation Bb head on the Bb and A bodies, and the same Generation C head on the C and C# bodies.
The Bass A is just too big! The roll was designed to hold up to a Low C.
So far, I’ve had no worries about lack of protection to the heads. The pipe insulation I used goes right up to the head, and leaves a half-inch on either side.
Truth be told, I’m not sure how much protection a whistle needs.
Soon after I received my first Sindt, it fell out of the inside pocket of my jacket in the street during a Willie week. The delrin chipped. Another time I took down an old Generation from the vase it lived in, on a shelf over the fireplaces. It slipped through my fingers. When it hit the (flagstone) floor, a piece came off the head. Both still play but you have to confront a few sharp edges while playing.
Injection moulded plastics, 1970/80s Generations, early Feadógs, tend to go brittle over time. Some care needed if you want to keep whistles of that vintage intact.
I had a Copeland Low D and a very early Cheiftain Low D that were both improved after dropping them.
To be fair the Chieftain head wouldn’t play after the drop but I gave it to my fathers friend a metal machinist / musician and when he returned it there was still a depression in the top of the metal but it’s performance was much improved. (Less resistance in the second octave but still a solid low end)
Accidental tweaking?
Well I’ve definitely been in the camp of “it’s only a whistle, needs no special protection”, and carried them loose in coat pockets, back packs, and pipe cases, but recently I experienced what Peter is talking about; my favorite old walkabout D whistle, a Generation I bought new in 1975, developed a small crack in the mouth piece of plastic head. I tried to super glue it, but eventually a small piece broke off. It still plays, but feels funny in my lips. I take a little more thought for them now, but not the point of pipe foam insulation or a special roll - mostly just in the foam of my pipe case(s).
Sounds like a trip to the basement is on my agenda this afternoon.
