Chrome whistles

[sbfluter]

I just received a Blackbird. It's really nice. It's chrome (or some kind of silver metal) instead of brass. Is it just me or does chrome get all stuffed up with moisture really easily? I could barely make it through a whole tune without having to shake out the moisture. I mean it's drooling out the finger holes and everything. Do any of you use a little flute rag on a stick to sop up the moisture throughout the session? Or do you have some other way to deal with this?

[AlexD]

Cover up the finger holes, point it at someone you don't like, and blow really hard on the bottom

[ytliek]

Casually shake it out. I change whistles every few tunes.

And yes, I swab them out when necessary and always when done playing no matter whether wood, metal, or plastic. Swab'em!

And yes, I drool... buckets!

[piperjoe]

My theory is if my whistle is clogging/stopping up, I'm not putting enough Guiness through it!

Seriously, you can get an "anti-clog" product made for recorder players. In my recorders I use Cupenol, but I've never tried it in a whistle. It's just soapy stuff, so I wouldn't think it could hurt anything.

JD

[jbowen507]

I just recently received a Blackbird as a Christmas present. I love it and did notice the clogging issue as well. My bigger issue was that the chrome feels rather slippery on my fingers. I have an old brass Feadog tube that I switched it out with, but for some reason it doesn't sound as good. But I do like the tactile feeling of the brass. I assume with some playing the chrome will varnish a little bit and not be so slippery?

[MTGuru]

Is it just me or does chrome get all stuffed up with moisture really easily?

It's just you. Or it could be. The chrome plating on the outside of the tube should have no bearing on condensation inside the tube. It's the same brass bore as an unplated brass whistle.

You don't say if the whistle is actually clogging, or if you're stopping just because of the feel of the moisture. If the latter, then don't stop. Condensation is normal*. Just shake it out between tunes and dry off your fingers. No one I know uses a swab, except as part of an occasional thorough cleaning.

If the former ... Clogging occurs mostly at the fipple, which is plastic. If you're a wet blower anyway, and you haven't played on small Gen-type heads, it's possible you're just seeing the problem for the first time. If the moisture is condensation, wait for the head to warm up and the problem should go away. Blow it out between tunes. If it's saliva, then you can work on keeping your mouth drier as you play. I'll wait for your answer (which one is it?) before describing how.

* If you ever play a transparent instrument - like a crystal flute or a clear plastic recorder - it can be startling to see how much normal condensation develops in the bore.

[MTGuru]

My bigger issue was that the chrome feels rather slippery on my fingers.

You're just not used to it. Huff some breath moisture on your fingers before playing, and the tube will feel as non-slippery as brass. And of course, keep the tube clean and free of grease by wiping it down. I always keep a dedicated plain whistle cloth handy for this.

I assume with some playing the chrome will varnish a little bit

It will wear away, yes, and expose the brass underneath at the finger holes and where your thumbs touch. But that may take literally years, depending on how often you play it.

[Nanohedron]

Blow it out between tunes.

But please, please, please lay a finger over the ramp before you blow it out to prevent an ear-splitting shriek. It's the right and neighborly thing to do.

I know one fellow who repeatedly fails to do this, and I don't know why he's still alive.

[MTGuru]

But please, please, please lay a finger over the ramp before you blow it out to prevent an ear-splitting shriek. It's the right and neighborly thing to do.

In addition to my MTGuru line of premium gold-plated whistle mutes and exotic fair-trade rubber O-rings, I plan to offer a deluxe Fipple Evacuator:



Just clip it on, and never again sully your digits with icky whistle wetness. You should buy one for your friend.

[Nanohedron]

...never again sully your digits with icky whistle wetness.

That's a good one. Are you sure you've ever played a whistle?

[MTGuru]

That's a good one. Are you sure you've ever played a whistle?

Oh sure, for years and years. One of these, right?



You just ... Oh, wait. Uh-oh. You mean ...

Never mind. Just ignore my last 18 thousand posts.

[sbfluter]

Well, it was both the head getting clogged and moisture running out of the finger holes and dripping out all over my pants. I guess I slobber. Plus I was drinking a beer (not a Guiness and sorry, it was an old-time jam, not Irish.)

[Nanohedron]

Well, it was both the head getting clogged and moisture running out of the finger holes and dripping out all over my pants. I guess I slobber.

It's a common story. And I'm confident that what you're describing isn't slobber, but condensation from breath vapor. Big difference, other than both are wet. Since it's practically distilled water for all intents and purposes, condensation behaves as water will, but slobber - spit - is of course thicker - and, um, stringy. Some people just seem to have more humid breath than others, and I'm one. I'll even get condensation coming up out of my flute's lower finger holes, which have much deeper chimneys than a whistle does; I have no idea why or even how that happens, because I'm not blowing directly into the flute to cause that kind of pressure when playing. But you get used to it. Other than a slight annoyance.

[Jerry Freeman]

For the slipperiness of the nickel plating, you can put a strip of cellophane tape along the bottom of the tube where your thumbs touch. That's invisible and it solves the problem.

For the clogging issue, you can buy some Duponol, or you can use a solution of a few drops of liquid dish soap in a cup of water. Dip the beak of the whistlehead in the soap solution deep enough so the whole inside of the windway is wetted. Take it out and wipe off the outside, but leave the inside of the windway wet. Let it dry overnight. Depending how much you play, it should solve the clogging for a couple of weeks or more. When the clogging returns, repeat the treatment.

Best wishes,
Jerry

[Jerry Freeman]

And by the way, if you swab out the inside of a Freeman tweaked whistle, please don't drive the end of the swab up inside the whistlehead. You can damage it by doing that.

Best wishes,
Jerry