Susato Oriole in Eb

[E = Fb]

Got one a few days ago. First the bad news. The 2 highest upper octave notes (whatever they are on an Eb whitstle) need you to blow like a steam engine to bring them close to being in tune. And this makes the Whistle pretty much useless for coffee shops and wine tasking rooms, unless you plan on getting kicked out. The third hole up (note?) is very sharp. This is normal for Susato's, and the ones I play all have that hole substantially taped over to flatten it. But you'd think that since they were putting out a new model, might as well get this thing fixed. No, didn't happen.

All that to say: If you want a low cost whistle that's in tune "out of the box" better go for a Feadog. And if you want one in Eb, I guess it's a Generation...which is also a whistle that needs a bit of tweaking.

The tone of the Susato is surprisingly nice. Not recorder-like at all. Color is actually very acceptable. I never thought I'd say that of a brown whistle. Appearance overall is very attractive.

On my other Susato's I've attached some food grade plastic pipe so that there's some part of the whistle IN my mouth. I don't feel the need to do that with the Oriole. Maybe there's a few extra millimeters added to the beak. Don't know. Didn't measure it.

The Oriole will get very little play, since Eb tunes are not that common. And when I do play it in public, it will have to be outdoors only. The price was right.

[Peter Duggan]

Since I've got the set (Eb, D, C, Bb bodies with a single head) on order, I'll reserve judgement till I get it. But have to say now I've never had problems with either the tuning or the beak shape of my two existing Susatos (mid-1990s one-piece D and C).

PS (edited) re. Feadog and Generation comments, Dixon trads are also great, low cost options in D, Eb and E!

[Peter Duggan]

OK, got mine today, so here are some quick impressions (which could easily change with time!)...

They're all 'OK' (quite nice really), I like the clean design (no foot 'rings' like my old Susatos) and the head fits all the tubes both easily and securely (should also fit a Generation Bb tube with a touch of PTFE tape, but you'd have to shorten the tube slightly at the top end to get it up to pitch!), although the inside edges of the tube ends are slightly crudely finished with hand-cut (?) chamfers.

The tone is clean, bright and clearly identifiable as 'whistle', and they play better than you might expect given the compromises inherent in sharing one head and bore size between four different tube lengths (NB all notes except the actual whistle key are described below as nominal 'D whistle' fingerings with their true pitches bracketed).

While even the Eb (effectively the 'widest bore') will play two-and-a-half octaves, most slurred upwards octave transitions (which I prefer to be effortlessly clean) are susceptible to that characteristic inter-note 'growl', becoming almost unmanageable on the B (C) and C# (D)without the addition of bottom-hand fingers to stabilise the upper note. The top C# (D) also seems a bit hit-or-miss slurring down from top D (Eb) although I'm hitting it in slurred ascending scales with 100% repeatability.

The D is quite similar, if a little less piercing on top, with only the C# upwards slurred octave remaining truly obstinate and perhaps a hint of sharpness*/stridency on the top (OXXOOO) D tamable by only partially venting the top hole where possible. If anything I'd say it's marginally louder but less complex tonally than my old one-piece D, but moving from one to the other requires very little adjustment.

*But not with the head pulled out a touch!

The C strikes me as being really quite good (probably the pick of the bunch!), and definitely more stable at the bottom end than my old one-piece C (where the low D (C) and E (D) can be just a little bit fragile/burbly if you don't humour them).

The Bb is really quite a pleasant surprise, being (while not 'loud') controllable and even right down to a stable bell note, and (not too surprisingly) boasting the cleanest slurred octave transitions of the set. (Might just be worth noting that T2 to T3 hole spacing's on the large size for a Bb, but still not too much for my awkward left hand!)

Have to say I can't really agree with the OP re. intonation and hole-taping, with all four of these IMHO pretty decent pitch-wise (probably wanting the head pulled out just a little) and acceptably consistent with themselves (at least till you're reaching the third octave!) so long as you don't push the lower register beyond its natural pressure (when you certainly can start pushing notes sharp). I've also taken the thumb rests straight off as being completely unnecessary on such light instruments but, hey, I've now got four free thumb rests for solid brass bodies if I need them!

So what's my overall gut reaction to this set? A qualified success, I suppose, with all four whistles being playable on that same bore and the best of them pretty quirk-free. Not sure I'd take any of them as my only whistle at a given pitch (though the C and Bb are quickly growing on me) but, if you're looking for a non-Generation set at this pitch and price range, they're obviously worth a go. Any further questions I can answer (and remember I only just got the things), please just give me a shout!

[E = Fb]

I've had this whistle a week or so. I really enjoy playing it. Since I don't like to carry expensive whistles with me in the car, this has become my go-to machine for lunchtime playing. Of all my less-expensive whistles, this one has the clearest (and definitely loudest) sound. The bell note is SOLID. Getting the top notes to play right is a bit of a challenge; maybe it brings out the male in me. "Gotta conquer!"
Also, I like the fact that it resists wind very well. Important, since my lunchtime play is in a park, and this area gets a fair bit of wind.
This would definitely be first choice for playing at fairs etc. Resists wind. Very loud. Not expensive.
I've ordered the D and C tubes.