Chiff and Fipple Forums

brewerpaul wrote:

alespa wrote: The RS looks cheap due to the laminate, even though I know there are benefits to it, :

Standing up for another whistlemaker.... I had a chance to see and play several Sweet laminate whistles, and didn't think they looked cheap at all. They are very well crafted. The word "laminate" conjures up images of plywood, and I supposet that that's what Dymondwood is. However, the layers are all very thin and laminated tightly with no gaps. It takes a terrific finish. One of these days fairly soon I plan on taking a road trip to visit the Sweet workshop and pick up one of these myself, except with the piccolo head which is VERY cool. A very good value for the price too.

Now, as to my own favorite... that's a hard choice! Olivewood, Tulipwood, Blackwood, Pau Rosa..

I have a Sweet Pro, and I agree...I don't think it looks at all cheap. It's really a very attractive whistle, and it's absolutely perfect for what I use it for (playing outdoors with the Morris troupe, where I want the look of wood without the fragility). It's a great tooter...I wouldn't sell it for the world.

I have four whistles that live in the same case, so I could grab them all easily in the event of a fire: My Busman, my Burke, my Elfsong and my Sweetheart Pro.

Redwolf

[b]jsluder wrote[/b]:[quote]I've only played one wooden whistle, so it's my favorite by default. That being said, I really love my Busman bird's-eye maple D. [/quote]

Me too,only mine's tambootie. I really do love it! I don't think I'll ever love any whistle as much as I do my flute,but this one comes very close.

-Kelly

Excuse me as I crawl out from under the table for a moment

I didn't realize that when I said "cheap", as in cheap that I would get such a reaction (from a few) . . . I should have put more thought into choosing my description. Please forgive me, I meant no offense, and certainly not any negative judgment on Ralph Sweet.

What I meant was simply that to my eyes, the shine and laminated surface makes it look more commercially produced, and personally, I prefer the feel of wood, and handcrafted look of the Syn. I did state that my only physical contact was with two wood whistles. Ralph Sweet does a great job on how he makes his pro laminate, and I could even comment on the thread wrapped tuning slide, which I do think is very cool. I did not say, I didn't like the Pro Laminate, just that I prefer the Syn.

With that said, it would be difficult for ME, if money were no object, to pick just ONE wood whistle above the rest. I only say this, because of the number of posts I have seen where people have sold or traded whistles they admit are wonderful, but personal taste, too many whistles, finances and/or lack of playing have all be cited as reasons for getting rid of whistles many of us would drool over. So it's appears to me that even personal opinions of what is the BEST wood whistle keep a changin' over time . . . .

My Take on whistles might be alittle different from many on this list as I starting out playing Fife and then picked up whistle doing Colonial events. The music is a little different and I generally would be playing outside. So for me the wood Whistle needs to sound and project well and also have an 18th century look about them ) pretty funny cause the whistle as we know it didn't even exist then, yet everyone one and his brother at reenactments is blowing away on a whistle..........that said my favorite whistle is an 18th century looking whistle that Fred Rose made early on and to the best of my knowledge only made one. It sounds great, perfectly in tune and projects very well in the outdoors. It looks somewhat like a recorder and alittle like Ralph Sweet's early whistles, yet thinner, this whistle really honks! It's funny, at reenacments I have people who play whistle come up to me and ask" what's that?" and are shocked when they find out it's a whistle. Its 2 piece, blackwood and I'd be up ***** creek if it was ever lost or stolen! It's truely a one of a kind...
Ben

Bah! I guess I've played more wooden whistles than I thought..I used to own a Sweet also...but the tuning slide was loose, so the whistle would always slide shut on me. I really liked it, but never played it with others for fear of going out of tune.

Thus, though my poof of whistles is larger, my answer stays the same.

I have two favorite wooden whistles, one I like to play and the other I like to play for Renee.

My favorite whistle to play right now is my Blackwood Thin Weasel. It just feels the most comfortable in my hands and so I play it faster and more accurately than some of my other whistles.

My favorite whistle to play for Renee is my Mopani Bleazy Low D. She REALLY likes me to play that one for her. Makes her feel all warm and fuzzy inside. 'Nuff said 'bout that.

I also really enjoy my Syn Lancewoods (C and D) and my Weston High D. The Syn's are very classical looking and that suits us and our playing style. The Weston is quite pure and sweet sounding, much like my O'Riordan Traveler High D, amazingly like it. These are played frequently as well.

Forgot to add that I like to play my Bleazey High D when I want to play LOUD!!!!!

wait a minute NorCal. Did you just share an opinion? I thought you weren't supposed to have one.

First off, thank you all for your input and opinions.
I had originally assumed that one or two particular wooden whistles would stand out head and shoulders above the rest; making it fairly easy to choose which whistle to purchase next.
However, it's obvious from reading your responses that there are a lot of really fine wooden whistles out there and that makes me smile. Cause all I have to decide now is which one to get first, and then second and then third........
Oh what a wonderful quandry to be in. Now if I just had an unlimited budget.

Thanks again everyone!! I think I'll order a Rose first; or maybe a Schultz; although I really like the looks of that Abell; of course the Syn....

Rod

[quote="NorCalMusician"]

My favorite whistle to play for Renee is my Mopani Bleazy Low D. She REALLY likes me to play that one for her. Makes her feel all warm and fuzzy inside. 'Nuff said 'bout that.

Actually, the more I think about it, this may be the best recommendation in the whole thread! I may have to get a Bleazy.

Rod

rodfish wrote:

NorCalMusician wrote:
My favorite whistle to play for Renee is my Mopani Bleazy Low D. She REALLY likes me to play that one for her. Makes her feel all warm and fuzzy inside. 'Nuff said 'bout that.

Actually, the more I think about it, this may be the best recommendation in the whole thread! I may have to get a Bleazy.

Rod

"Bleazey Low D: the Barry White of wood whistles"...

The Rose whistle is a great one as well - Fred doesn't spend hours promoting himself here, so he often isn't mentioned the same way as you'll hear some of the other more 'active' posters or makers here. But his whistles are as finely crafted as they come. I'm not too sure what folks have against a pure tone in a whistle either, but some don't care for it. I've found that you can also get some of the 'grit and growl' in the tone of a whistle by how it's played - not just by how it's made.

But the Rose would be an excellent choice as well.

alespa wrote:wait a minute NorCal. Did you just share an opinion? I thought you weren't supposed to have one.

Sorry, but I have been getting bolder since Bloomfield told me it was OK to have an opinion!

chas wrote:.

Syn (brown lancewood): all-wood. This is rather like the old-style Sweets. To reach the upper part of the second octave, you really have to blow; very unbalanced.

That doesn't sound good. Ley me know if you'd like me to look at it or do a swap.
Cheers, Erle.

I've owned 4 Sweet High D but I always end up selling them on. The one wooden whistle that I won't sell is a Cocobola Thin Weasel.