Weird but very cool looking whistle on Ebay...

allezlesbleus · Post by **allezlesbleus** » Mon May 12, 2003 6:12 pm

Anyone seen anything like this?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... tegory=624

I've never seen a mouthpiece on a whistle like this, I guess you stick it in your mouth like a straw? The loop on the bottom looks like a thumbrest, but the one on the top? Maybe for a string around the neck?

How old do you figure it is?

Looks pretty cool though...

PC

Tak_the_whistler · Post by **Tak_the_whistler** » Mon May 12, 2003 6:15 pm

"Flageolet", maybe?

Jerry Freeman · Post by **Jerry Freeman** » Mon May 12, 2003 6:28 pm

It does look cool.

However, judging by the fact that the toneholes appear equal sized and evenly spaced, I doubt it's in tune.

(And I've no notion how one would go about tweaking such a thing.)

Post by **Nanohedron** » Mon May 12, 2003 6:41 pm

I wouldn't tweak it. It's a collectible, possibly antique. Besides, playing it as is would offer a demonstration in Unjust Intonation.

chas · Post by **chas** » Mon May 12, 2003 7:11 pm

It's a French Flageolet. I have one, which I bought from another listmember. As Jerry points out, the intonation is horrible, however, the sound is unlike any whistle. It's extremely tinny. There's a piece missing, which is essentially a sharping lever. I have no idea why it works, but a cork covers half the window, thereby sharping the note half a tone.

I'm not sure how old it is -- I would guess around turn of the century, but it's a blind guess.

Jerry Freeman · Post by **Jerry Freeman** » Mon May 12, 2003 7:54 pm

Nanohedron wrote:I wouldn't tweak it. It's a collectible, possibly antique. Besides, playing it as is would offer a demonstration in Unjust Intonation.

I wouldn't tweak it either. But it's discouraging, not to mention humbling, to be confronted with a whistle that I wouldn't know how to tweak. Makes you realize how small and insignificant we are in the grand scheme of things. Sigh.

Tom Dowling · Post by **Tom Dowling** » Mon May 12, 2003 9:50 pm

I have what is essentially the same item, but in an early (1930's/40's? earlier?) kind of plastic, and might have a wider bore. Mine has that same finned mouthpiece, which is removable, and the same chamber between the fins and the fipple blade. Musically, it's a little 'flat' across the board, but consistently so. When I first got it, also from an E-Bay auction, I couldn't figure out why it sounded so bad--until I looked inside and saw actual cobwebs!! After a little soap and water, it got as good as it's gonna get. If someone can tell me how to put a digital photo on the message board (without a website to 'URL' it from), let me know, and I will post a shot of it. It is neat looking in an 'early industrial' kind of way.

(PS: I predict a bidding frenzy and a final price of $50.00 US plus for the one up for auction at this time, though I will not be among the bidders.)

Tom D.

Redwolf · Post by **Redwolf** » Mon May 12, 2003 11:02 pm

Tom Dowling wrote:I have what is essentially the same item, but in an early (1930's/40's? earlier?) kind of plastic, and might have a wider bore. Mine has that same finned mouthpiece, which is removable, and the same chamber between the fins and the fipple blade. Musically, it's a little 'flat' across the board, but consistently so. When I first got it, also from an E-Bay auction, I couldn't figure out why it sounded so bad--until I looked inside and saw actual cobwebs!! After a little soap and water, it got as good as it's gonna get. If someone can tell me how to put a digital photo on the message board (without a website to 'URL' it from), let me know, and I will post a shot of it. It is neat looking in an 'early industrial' kind of way.

(PS: I predict a bidding frenzy and a final price of $50.00 US plus for the one up for auction at this time, though I will not be among the bidders.)

Tom D.

Tom...there are several photo hosting sites that will let you upload digital photos into on-line "albums," and most of them will allow remote linking. I use both Snapfish and Imagestation, and I know there are others as well. They're free, and they'll talk you through the upload process. Once the photo's' on-line, you can use the "IMG" button here to link to it (right click on the image to get its URL).

Redwolf

chas · Post by **chas** » Tue May 13, 2003 6:11 am

Jerry Freeman wrote:
I wouldn't tweak it either. But it's discouraging, not to mention humbling, to be confronted with a whistle that I wouldn't know how to tweak. Makes you realize how small and insignificant we are in the grand scheme of things. Sigh.

The sound absolutely doesn't need to be tweaked. As for the intonation, I've tried partially covering some of the holes, which will bring some notes into tune, but it would also require reaming out others, which I'm not willint to do. Yet.

Tom, I wouldn't call 50 dollars for this a feeding frenzy. It's really a cool instrument, very old and of historical value. I think I paid 35 and feel like it could be worth twice that. If it goes to 200, THAT would be a feeding frenzy.

Claus von Weiss · Post by **Claus von Weiss** » Tue May 13, 2003 6:45 am

Bugger, and I had dreamed, nobody from the board would notice.

Claus aka musical_priest

Tim · Post by **Tim** » Tue May 13, 2003 6:58 am

The picture looks more magical than musical - but that's no bad thing. Some whistles are meant to be played, others collected.

One of the whistles I'm proudest to own is an antique silver one in B natural, with the mouthpeice on one side. With the key its in it's no use in sessions, but it just looks good and gives me pleasure simply from owning it.

Walden · Post by **Walden** » Tue May 13, 2003 7:07 am

Ever what it is, and ever how it's tuned, that is an interesting flageol.

allezlesbleus · Post by **allezlesbleus** » Tue May 13, 2003 10:29 am

Tim wrote: One of the whistles I'm proudest to own is an antique silver one in B natural, with the mouthpeice on one side. With the key its in it's no use in sessions, but it just looks good and gives me pleasure simply from owning it.

You've got any pictures you can post, Tim? Sounds pretty cool, and pretty.

PC

Post by **Nanohedron** » Tue May 13, 2003 1:11 pm

Jerry Freeman wrote:
Nanohedron wrote:I wouldn't tweak it. It's a collectible, possibly antique. Besides, playing it as is would offer a demonstration in Unjust Intonation.
I wouldn't tweak it either. But it's discouraging, not to mention humbling, to be confronted with a whistle that I wouldn't know how to tweak. Makes you realize how small and insignificant we are in the grand scheme of things. Sigh.

Tut, tut, Jerry! To say such revealing things to those of us who, with upturned eyes, look upon you as a tweaker non pareil. For my part, I am crushed.

CDon · Post by **CDon** » Tue May 13, 2003 1:15 pm

chas wrote:It's a French Flageolet. I have one, which I bought from another listmember. As Jerry points out, the intonation is horrible, however, the sound is unlike any whistle. It's extremely tinny. There's a piece missing, which is essentially a sharping lever. I have no idea why it works, but a cork covers half the window, thereby sharping the note half a tone.

Which half of the window does the cork cover? Top or bottom, left or right? All it does is literally cover part of the window?