Clarkes and Shaws

[lilymaid]

I am passionately fond of my Clarke, and am going to get a new whistle because I haven’t got one in C. What, of any, would be the benefits of getting a Shaw as opposed to a Clarke?

[blackhawk]

The Shaws take even more air and don't sound as good, IMHO.

[ErikT]

The main thing is that the seam on the back does not protrude on the Shaw; this makes for more comfortable playing. Otherwise, very similar sound and air requirements. I really like my Shaws (D,C,Bb). Of course, I really like my Clarkes, too (all 5 of them) - except for the seam.

Erik

[SteveB]

I own both a Shaw C & a Clarke C & D. The " fit & finish" of the Shaw seems superior to the Clarkes, as does the tone & volume, but not by that much. Given that the Clarke's are cheaper (& can be easily tweaked to improve their sound) , they're probably your best bet, IMHO.

Steve Barnes

[lilymaid]

I don’t mind the seam, because I’m used to it, and I like the fact that it’s somewhat quiet. Is the Shaw was more sturdily constructed, though?

[Martin Milner]

I would say the quality of the construction is very similar.

I believe Shaws only come in the natural, uncoated finish, while Clarke's can be natural, or enamelled with Diamonds or without.

I'd still go for Clarke, on the price, though they don't do a Bb which you may want for Kwela.

[Kar]

I have both a Clarke C and a Shaw C, and IMHO, there's a big difference, more than just the construction. The Shaw does require a little bit more air, but you get more out of it. My Shaw is much sweeter than the Clarke, and the Shaw is also--how do I describe this? It just sounds better, has more of an attack than the Clarke. The chiff is about the same on both, but the Shaw has cleaner & clearer notes, if that makes any sense. The tuning is more dead-on too.

However, I've got a Shaw A and I had a Shaw Bb, and I notice the quality and tone and playability vary from Shaw to Shaw, so maybe I just got a really good Shaw C. But I would say the Shaw is definitly worth the extra money. I never play my Clarke anymore...

[lilymaid]

Since I’ve been given such contradictory advice (thank you all for it, though) and can’t make heads or tails of it, I’ve added a poll.

[Walden]

I've not actually played a Shaw, but it does seem to me that it's the closest possible thing to a Clarke you can get in a key other than C or D. As for the C, it is my impression, from what I've heard, that both Shaws and Clarkes vary somewhat. But the Clarke is a little more economical. On the other hand, if you went ahead and got the Shaw in C, you could play it in, and know, for yourself, if you like the Shaw, and not just keep wondering, as you might do, if you were to get the Clarke.

[kevin m.]

I've just done a quick comparison between my Clarke and Shaw 'D's.Of the two, the Clarke has the more mellow tone,whilst the Shaw is louder,but takes more breathe control,and a bit more air(esp. in the upper octave).Of course this is a comparison of two individual whistles,and there is probably a bit of variation between individual Clarkes and Shaws.I have an old Clarke 'C'where the top octave is almost inpossible to play,though the bottom octave sounds nice,whilst the Clarke 'D' is very forgiving,even to TOP 'D'.
The Shaw of course,is available in the whole range of keys (I own a low 'D',which was my first low whistle,in fact).
The thing I like about these whistles is that they are very traditional,a link with the past,I suppose.I dare say that THIS is what whistles sounded like in the early 19th century(as opposed to their 'High fallutin'(fluting?)cousins,the Flageolet.We are maybe a little bit spoilt for choice these days with all of the 'high end' whistles that are available in the 21st century.
"Mines a Clarke- what Shaws?" (groan!)