Geoffrey Ellis Low Whistle Review

[Feadoggie]

I recently received two low whistles from Geoffrey Ellis. I thought I'd start a new thread for others on the tour to write their thoughts.

Both whistles are stunning pieces of craftsmanship from a wood working standpoint. I have seen no other low whistles made for playing Irish style music that could compete with these on a visual level – real eye candy they are.




One whistle is a low F whistle made from waterfall bubinga. The chatoyance of the bubinga is mesmerizing. The other is a low D made from cocobolo. Both have an outer mouthpiece made from ebony. The plug is also ebony as far as I can tell. The whistles are all wood except for a small band of gold colored filler (powdered brass says Geoffrey) inlaid where the outer mouthpiece meets the body of the whistle. The design is one piece and the tuning is fixed.



The general format of the whistle borrows some ideas from the MK style of low whistle. The body is one long length of wooden tube. A tenon is turned at the top of the tube and the windway and labium are cut into that. The outer mouthpiece slips over the tenon and incorporates the voicing window. I imagine that this arrangement allows the maker to voice each whistle to his liking leaving a bit of a gap below the mouthpiece. That gap gets filled with the brass inlay material once voiced. The wooden tubing is quite thin walled and that makes for a very lightweight whistle. I have some idea just how hard it is to make such a thin wall such as these and I am impressed with the craftsmanship of these instruments.



The mouthpiece is shaped in an interesting and somewhat unique manner. Just as the beak of an MK is milled from the sides to reduce the size of the beak so is the Ellis whistle. But the angle is rather unique and does not leave a sharp edge under the center of the beak. It is all smooth as can be. The mouthpiece is a bit chunky compared to some whistles but provided you just rest it on your lips it is quite comfortable and easy to become accustomed to.

The voice of each Ellis whistle is quite husky. As I play each of these find myself thinking just how "woody" these things sound. The timbre is very warm. There is a lot of air in the tone to. I like it.

Breath requirements are medium and the blowing pressure is moderate as well. Hole sizing and placement is certainly similar to most good low whistles – you know, the Goldilocks size – not too large, not too small. I felt no need to stretch my grip. I did not observe any issues with constrained venting at all. Response is good and I find these whistle easy to play. You do not have to consciously push the top notes until you get to the third octave note. The high B (D whistle terminology) on the low F was a little harder to hit than it was on the low D. That’s the only playing difference I observed between the two whistles. YMMV

Tuning is fixed as I said above. Each whistle sounds in tune with itself playing alone. I did not put them to a tuner. I did record some samples to scratch tracks I had on hand which are spot on concert pitch. You can judge the tuning against those yourself. I do notice that I play a few notes a bit flat on the low D. That may be my inexperience with the whistle. So let’s see what other players think. I like tuning slides personally but I realize that a whistle can be made that plays in tune at concert pitch. So unless you play with one of those fiddlers that likes to tune flat or play sharp everything should be copasetic. Geoffrey has informed me that he is working on a model with a tuning slide which will be available in the future.

Here are some sound samples of each whistle. These were done quickly accompanied by tracks I already had on hand. Three of the four tunes are my own - any resemblance to other tunes living or dead is strictly a coincidence. My playing is not perfect but you can hear the tone of the whistles.

Low F first.

https://www.box.com/s/2qp0g67wx1mhcf8rx6ll

https://www.box.com/s/xutkptt4s87vu8ufyfk3

https://www.box.com/s/a68n026x6z1ssc601iz1 without any accompniment

Low D, last but not least.

https://www.box.com/s/671pjyp856q6ujk254ri

https://www.box.com/s/lbest23uqbga67u40zit

All in all, I like these whistles a lot. I enjoyed playing them and I would like to thank Geoffrey Ellis for sending these out on tour. If you are looking for a unique whistle, and you like exotic woods, these are just the ticket.

Thanks Geoffrey.

Feadoggie

[Tommy]

Very nice review and playing Dennis.

[tomcat]

thanks so much for posting samples of how these whistles play....quite nice

[syn whistles]

Is that a crack in the top corner of the window of the D?

[Feadoggie]

Is that a crack in the top corner of the window of the D?

Erle, I do not think so. I will check (oops!). I can't get to the whistle at the moment. There's a Christmas tree drip drying in the foyer that is blocking my way to the music room. Happy Holidays!

Feadoggie

[Geoffrey Ellis]

Is that a crack in the top corner of the window of the D?

I'd like to know that myself. It wasn't cracked when it shipped out, so I hope its an optical illusion.

[Geoffrey Ellis]

Well, not the fanfare that I had hoped for to kick of a whistle tour, but that is indeed a crack on the low D mouthpiece. It is an easy fix and should not hold up the tour for more than a couple of days.

I mentioned to Feadoggie that I had decided to switch to African Blackwood for the mouthpieces instead of Ebony, since ebony was more prone to shrinkage and such (and more prone to hidden fissures in the wood, too). Wood: it's beautiful and occasionally unpredictable.

But as I said, an easy repair that will likely be completely invisible when done. For whoever is next in line for the tour, sorry for the brief delay! I'll get the whistles to you ASAP.

[Lars Larry Mór Mott]

Well, not the fanfare that I had hoped for to kick of a whistle tour, but that is indeed a crack on the low D mouthpiece. It is an easy fix and should not hold up the tour for more than a couple of days.

I mentioned to Feadoggie that I had decided to switch to African Blackwood for the mouthpieces instead of Ebony, since ebony was more prone to shrinkage and such (and more prone to hidden fissures in the wood, too). Wood: it's beautiful and occasionally unpredictable.

But as I said, an easy repair that will likely be completely invisible when done. For whoever is next in line for the tour, sorry for the brief delay! I'll get the whistles to you ASAP.

From what i've been told, by flute makers and knowledgeable people, ebony is not a very good timber for flutes/whistles as it doesn't take kindly to variations in moisture so i think you do the right thing here. I wish you the best of luck, your whistles are beautiful!

[PhilO]

Yes, they are beautiful, and a good choice African blackwood. Although treating and curing can matter, I've found through the years that the most innately stable wood seems to be African blackwood, which has held up as though it were metal or delrin in my experience (even without maintenance).
I have an old set of blackwood Abells and an old Sweet Khilory C in blackwood that I've never done anything to and they are like new. (Must be magic)
Philo

[Loren]

Wood: it's beautiful and occasionally unpredictable.

Yes, and no offense intended Geoffrey, however in this case it was entirely predictable: Ebony is well know to be ill suited for the intended application, and the design you chose for the headjoint/mouthpiece virtually guaranteed a crack exactly at one of those right angle corners. With all due respect, I'd suggest that taking a metal whistle mouthpiece/block design like that used on the MK and similar whistles and attempting to recreate it in wood is not a good idea. I'd also suggest that, while it may look nice, mixing woods for the inner body of the mouthpiece and the and the outer cap is also a recipe for disaster as differing expansion/contraction rates of the wood is likely to cause cracks and/or gaps as the moisture content inside the headjoint changes radically. One also needs to be careful regarding the choice of block material.

I can see that you put some effort into your work Geoffrey, however fipple flutes (Whistles, recorders, etc.) are significantly more complicated and more prone to problems than the flutes you have previously made. Perhaps more time spent researching how the better wooden whistles and (gasp) even recorders, are designed, is in order, even if it's only to understand the rules before breaking them

Cheers,


Loren

[Geoffrey Ellis]

Wood: it's beautiful and occasionally unpredictable.

Yes, and no offense intended Geoffrey, however in this case it was entirely predictable: Ebony is well know to be ill suited for the intended application, and the design you chose for the headjoint/mouthpiece virtually guaranteed a crack exactly at one of those right angle corners. With all due respect, I'd suggest that taking a metal whistle mouthpiece/block design like that used on the MK and similar whistles and attempting to recreate it in wood is not a good idea. I'd also suggest that, while it may look nice, mixing woods for the inner body of the mouthpiece and the and the outer cap is also a recipe for disaster as differing expansion/contraction rates of the wood is likely to cause cracks and/or gaps as the moisture content inside the headjoint changes radically. One also needs to be careful regarding the choice of block material.

I can see that you put some effort into your work Geoffrey, however fipple flutes (Whistles, recorders, etc.) are significantly more complicated and more prone to problems than the flutes you have previously made. Perhaps more time spent researching how the better wooden whistles and (gasp) even recorders, are designed, is in order, even if it's only to understand the rules before breaking them

Cheers,


Loren

I appreciate your input, but I wouldn't want anyone to think that I didn't research the designs of whistles, recorders, etc. before launching on the great experiment! As you say, these are totally different animals in terms of design from what I've previously made and I certainly didn't dive in without a fair bit of study. In fact, the whistle R&D has been going on for about 18 months before I put any of them out into the world. One of the things I've spent a lot of time experimenting with is wood stabilization, and as anyone who makes wooden instruments will attest, it's the very devil. But I must concede that the design itself might ultimately be flawed if I insist on using wood.

My decision to use ebony was based on aesthetics, availability and the hope that my pre-shrinking and sealing techniques would work (i.e. would defy the otherwise predictable behavior ), and I knew that I was skating on thin ice but the very characteristics that make it a poor choice also made it the perfect choice to test my theories about stabilization. As it happens, I have a fair few prototypes that are just fine, demonstrating that my method has met with some relative success, but only time and use will determine how lasting this success will be.

Nonetheless, your observations are correct and I did make a few of them with different materials. My first versions used aromatic cedar for the block (like a recorder) because of it's stability. In fact, my first designs were much more "recorder like" but that design carried a certain sound with it as well that wasn't as "whistle-y" as desired. It was also not as visually pleasing so I set about trying to find a way to make the wood of the block match without having the head of the whistle explode

That is what this tour is really about--finding out how these designs will function and perform in the hands of players who will put them through their paces. If they fall to pieces it will be painful, but informative. I had some reservations about doing a public stress test with this design because no one likes a product to come unstitched in the sight of so many whistle players, but I figured that if I'm seriously interested in offering a wooden whistle I have to get the feedback of the folks who are going to test the limits. I'll be doing the same thing with my Irish flutes when they are ready for a public test.

I like this design in terms of sounds and aesthetics, and I would like to find a way--be it a combination of woods, adhesives, finishes, etc.--to make it function and last without problems. Any kind of lamination is risky and requires the right glues, sealers, etc.. It is possible that I might have to go back to the drawing board, but there is no surer way to find out than shipping a couple all over the country to different climates and having them played continuously by a bunch of avid whistlers.

Thanks for the feedback--I appreciate it.

[Feadoggie]

I thought I would let everyone on the tour know that Geoffrey has repaired the crack that developed in the head of the cocobolo low D whistle. So it and the bubinga low F will be the way in a day or so to Flexismart, who is next on the tour list.

Geoffrey is also mulling over various processes that will alleviate such issues in his future whistles. I'm glad to hear that. I think these whistles are rather unique, at least to my experience. The tone is nice and husky and the instruments are comparatively light in weight compared to other wooden low whistles I have had the opportunity to play.

I'm looking forward to reading what others think about these whistles.

Feadoggie

[Ted]

Mr. Ellis, I applaud your sense of aesthetics, wanting an all wood whistle. I realize that delrin is not on your short list as it is not a timber. A head and plug of delrin would not detract from the lovely wood bodies IMHO, and would have the advantage of the ultimate in stability of delrin, with no sacrifice in tone. I am on the west-coast end of the tour and am looking forward to giving them a go. I would be curious as to how you are planning a tuning slide. A brass tubing slide can cause cracking of the wood over brass (see most antique flutes with metal slides). An all wood tuning slide might be better. I play a few non-tunable instruments, and they usually are in tune. The big exception is hot weather when they tend to go sharp. I also occasionally play with accordions which are tuned sharp of A=440. A tuning slide is needed by most pro players. A good wooden low whistle is on my wish list.

[ecohawk]

This is a really nice looking instrument. Feadoggie's initial review indicates some characteristics that I find valuable and I hope to be able to see and play it on the tour.

Keep the info coming folks.

ecohawk

[Geoffrey Ellis]

I've considered using delrin and have not ruled it out entirely. However, I'm convinced that there are methods to make wood work. Right now I'm investigating the use of a vacuum kiln (to dry the wood) and then stabilizing the dry wood by injecting epoxy resin into the kiln during depressurization. The aim being to seal it against moisture (both ambient and direct), thereby making it resistant to contraction and expansion. I haven't used this particular method yet--just reading about it so far. The reason for a vacuum kiln is that it will make it easier to work with larger pieces of wood. I currently employ a microwave "kiln" to slowly remove all of the moisture from the seasoned wood, and then I seal it with epoxy, but I can only do pieces as long as 16 inches which has so far ruled out the body of the whistle itself. I've been learning a lot of new stuff as I go and I think that it will be possible to make this particular design totally stable, regardless of climate and aging.

As far as brass tuning slides go: yes, cracking is a big concern. However, using the stabilized wood will undoubtedly help. I also use a trick I picked up from Terry McGee's website (see the New Improved Tuning slide Mark IV...I think it's IV, anyway). There is a synthetic cork "cushion" between the wood and the metal that can flex and absorb stress. I've only done a couple of prototypes so it's too early to come to any conclusions about it, but it looks promising as well.

Thanks to everyone for the enthusiasm and input--it's a great help.