Hiya folks... Just a quick update on the current batch of whistles in the stable for sale...
From left to right... three lemonwood (figured castello boxwood), african blackwood, pink ivory, english boxwood, apple, plum).
All are pitched in D with brass ferrules. Soft cloth cases and cleaning rod included.
The blackwood and lemonwood's can be made into D/C sets (additional C body).
Tell us something.: Playing Scottish and Irish music in California for 45 years. These days many discussions are migrating to Facebook but I prefer the online chat forum format.
The pink ivory is unusual in that it has a known flaw (GASP!) Meaning, I would never knowingly sell a whistle with a known flaw. And yet, I decided I couldn't let this one die a natural death. Rather I decided to let go of my ocd and embrace a Japanese philosophy. Rather than downplay the flaw, and the life which created it. I would accentuate the repair. So after thoroughly stabilizing the whistle and addressing the underlying issue, I repaired the crack with a sterling silver dust laden epoxy. I've tested the whistle by playing it a great deal and leaving it in various post-play conditions and climates. In other words, I haven't been very careful with it. And it still tests out as A-OK.
I own both used and new GreenwoodPipes whistles. I was a newbie when I purchased used whistles. More whistle than I could handle back then. The whistles require more air than other whistles, but, reward the whistler with a louder sound that can uphold itself in any situation, noisy pub, large session, etc., and the craftsmanship is superb. Utterly superb. I found the scalloped holes to provide for my now newbie-ish fingerings to be faster and smoother response. YMMV. Some people would debate the scalloped action response. I prefer wooden whistles. I then decided that I wanted to be a "new" owner and purchased a plum wood whistle from reedbiter. Not one single regret. You get what you pay for as they say.
I would appreciate comments comparing and contrasting the use of softened edges on the holes.
My wooden whistle has no easing to the hole edges. It seems to me a "flatter" hole would be easier to cover and half-hole, but I don't have any experience with that.
Aside from tone and playing characteristics, the appearance of softer edge is attractive.
tstermitz wrote:I would appreciate comments comparing and contrasting the use of softened edges on the holes.
My wooden whistle has no easing to the hole edges. It seems to me a "flatter" hole would be easier to cover and half-hole, but I don't have any experience with that.
Aside from tone and playing characteristics, the appearance of softer edge is attractive.
Preference for scalloped or eased edges or not is a personal taste thing I would think. Some players like a well defined hole edge. Others, not so much. Some makers actually scallop the holes. When you look at the geometry of the scalloped holes they actually are "flatter" than other holes because it knocks the tops or crowns off of each hole at the sides. They look recessed but they are really just flattened out a bit.
I don't know if this practice comes from the design of particular pipe chanters or not but I've seen a fair number of chanters with holes shaped in that manner. Interesting to see that Boisvert chanters do not seem to have holes finished in that manner.
I don't really like sharp edges but tend not to favor scalloped holes either. But I will say that I really liked the feel of the holes on my Greenwood whistle. I think the outside diameter of the Greenwood whistle is a little larger than most high D whistles and that in combination with the shaping of the holes made for a very nice feel under the fingers. It was one of the things I like most about the whistle. It was very comfortable to play and not at all like most whistles I've owned and played.
Feadoggie
I've proven who I am so many times, the magnetic strips worn thin.
I aim for a very LIGHT scalloping... mostly I try and lightly "relieve" the area rather than scallop it...though at times I get carried away and just roll with it. However, I DO like the edges of the toneholes to be rounded. Originally I did it because I was sharply (pun intended) and publicly criticized for leaving the edges sharp. Over time, Ive found it gives a better tone, faster action, a more responsive whistle, and better crossfingering.
As far as my chanters go...I want to be very forthcoming in that I learned a great deal about design and ergonomics from Tim Britton. So, that being said... I don't scallop my chanters since chimney height has a DIRECT effect on tuning. However, I do "relieve" the tone holes to create a more ergonomic chanter. Like Tim, the top three holes (if you are looking down on the chanter from the top) are relieved to the left SLIGHTLY, and the bottom four are relieved to the right slightly. The high D is shaped/relieved to meet the thumb ergonomically..that is slightly to the left or towards the hand. And I create a "shelf" for the right thumb to rest upon as well. Again, this is something Tim Britton has always done which I mimic with only a litle bit of shame (when it's right, it's right!).
I pay special attention to the key mounts. Too often I'll see a chanter where the tone hole face is nearly flat and the key mounts are flat along that plane as well... I feel this is improper and is down right uncomfortable to play.
(My first few chanters were built like this and were horrible... these flat-faced square frankensteins are now "drawer pulls" in the shop!)
If you hold an "imaginary chanter" you will quickly see that after wrapping yourself around a bag and bellows, your fingers naturally and comfortably rest on the chanter at a slight angle, and trying to "square up" to a flat faced chanter is miserable and leaky fingers are a major problem.
Sorry, maybe too much sharing??Excuse me if I was too strongly opinionated, but it mid-afternoon and I just polished off a whole pot of fresh PG Tips and I'm a bit caffeinated, so please excuse me for rambling on!
Tell us something.: I'm a fiddler and, latterly, a fluter. I love the flute. I wish I'd always played it. I love the whistle as well. I'm blessed in having really lovely instruments for all of my musical interests.
Location: Unimportant island off the great mainland of Europe
I adopted the English Boxwood whistle pictured above just in time for Christmas. It is a superb whistle. I'm not sure how many of the whistles pictured in the original post remain available for sale, but if you've been looking to treat yourself or someone else to a top-notch "D" whistle you can't go wrong by purchasing one of the Boisvert whistles.
And if you were hoping for a professional quality, tunable hardwood whistle for Christmas and none of your relatives or friends got the message, splurge a little on yourself. You won't be disappointed.
Tell us something.: I play high and low whistle with Traditional Irish Music being my focus of interest. I love Irish music and consider it as a direct connection to my Irish heritage. I enjoy participation in whistle tours, chatting with other players, and learning much from the many talented folks that frequent C & F.
"TEAM TRAD" Pro Staff
Official Life Member of DUBLIN DUCK DYNASTY
"Joanie Madden, Mary Bergin, and Andrea Corr, each a Whistle Goddess in her own right"!
Thanks! I ultimately decided NOT to sell the pink ivory... Even though it is fully stabilized and I trust the repair...I'm only about 95% sure it won't fail me! I could live with 99.5%..... but 95%? I'm WAY to "anal-retentive". I cannot abide it when one of my creations misbehaves or goes wrong! So I do my utmost to control as many variables as possible. And frankly, even without that repaired crack... I've never quite trusted pink ivory. It's a funny wood, that always seems to fight me at every stage. Once complete, it seems* to behave (my wife has a d/c pink ivory set) but some woods are just NOT meant to be wet woodwinds... I've discovered this the hard way!
I've had Pink Ivory behave badly too which is too bad since it's so gorgeous. On one the body section shattered into multiple pieces on the lathe but the beautiful head was intact. I paired it to an orphan Blackwood body which made for quite an attractive hybrid whistle.
The most finicky wood I've ever used was Snakewood. I made 4 whistles from it in one batch and every one, including one I kept for myself, developed cracks. Fortunately I was able to repair them with cyanoacrylate glue and the repaired cracks looked just like some of the grain figures so they were barely visible if you knew where to look. I made myself a pen from Snakewood and that too eventually cracked. It's 'way too expensive to risk working with, at least for my purposes.
