How much is the whistle and how much is the player?

Redwolf · Post by **Redwolf** » Tue Sep 02, 2003 11:51 am

I think what it all comes down to is what I think of whenever I see the title of this post:

"Whistle: $3-$300. Player: Priceless. Some things money can't buy. For everything else, there's MasterCard."

Sorry, couldn't resist!

Redwolf

Wombat · Post by **Wombat** » Tue Sep 02, 2003 11:56 am

Redwolf wrote:I think what it all comes down to is what I think of whenever I see the title of this post:

"Whistle: $3-$300. Player: Priceless. Some things money can't buy. For everything else, there's MasterCard."

Sorry, couldn't resist!

Redwolf

Oh Redwolf. How could you? And there we all were trying to be serious.

cj · Post by cj » Tue Sep 02, 2003 12:09 pm

I think what it all comes down to is what I think of whenever I see the title of this post:

"Whistle: $3-$300. Player: Priceless. Some things money can't buy. For everything else, there's MasterCard."

Sorry, couldn't resist!

Redwolf

Jerry Freeman · Post by **Jerry Freeman** » Tue Sep 02, 2003 12:12 pm

I'm going to guess that "you can take the piss" means something like, "you can disregard the BS."

Best wishes,
Jerry

Ridseard · Post by **Ridseard** » Tue Sep 02, 2003 12:18 pm

Jerry Freeman wrote:I'm going to guess that "you can take the piss" means something like, "you can disregard the BS."

Best wishes,
Jerry

Actually, it means to mock, and I think it's an entirely appropriate response to sh*t.

Jerry Freeman · Post by **Jerry Freeman** » Tue Sep 02, 2003 12:22 pm

Ridseard,

Could you make a couple of example sentences, one using the idiom and one with the same meaning in plain English?

Best wishes,
Jerry

Ridseard · Post by **Ridseard** » Tue Sep 02, 2003 12:47 pm

I was taking the piss. (I was indulging in ridicule.)

Jerry Freeman · Post by **Jerry Freeman** » Tue Sep 02, 2003 12:53 pm

You mean like, "I was making fun of you (it/them)."?

fancypiper · Post by **fancypiper** » Tue Sep 02, 2003 1:21 pm

I don't know what ratio I would give it, but I also have a bunch of whistles. People are always giving me crap whistles for Christmas or anything that looks as if it may be one, something round with holes and you blow on one end.

I have gotten comments that I sounded good when I know I was really crappy sounding, so I never trust anything except my ears. I would say that the whistle player probably needs around 7 years to get a handle on a whistle, so the time spent whistling is going to make a big difference to the whistle educated ear. I guess my number would be 87 percent whistler, 10 percent whistler and 3 percent luck/weather/the good folk.

I used to have a Generation that sounded awesome, but a camping trip ate that one and I have never found another with it's qualities (I think I have at least a dozen of those laying around, maybe I need to destroy some fipples and make one).

My absolute favorite is the Clarke, but these have to be broken properly because of the wooden plug. I have one that I hope I can keep from becoming a "bananna whistle" because it is properly broken in and the edges worn off the holes so that the notes just pour out effortlessly. I have 6 new Clarke Ds that I am breaking in just now (don't you just hate breaking in a new whistle). It's funny how it just quits sounding but plays sweetly the next day. It seems like it takes around 3 months for these whistles to be "blown in", but they are the most consistantly satisfying whistles I have played. I just love their tone.

I also like that new Clarke Meg in the neutral color if you need more "honk" than the origional. You have to have great breath control on these to keep in tune, though. Their tone is a little to "sweet" for my taste.

I have the Burke brass session pro D for an accordian killer or gigs where the band has trouble hearing me.

I detest the Susato (except for listning to 2 CDs with a fellow that plays them) as I can't handle the upper octave upper hand cuts and rolls. It's like a bagpipe with a reed that isn't just right and you can't do the top hand stuff at all. I wonder if I have the same whistle, but I have tried several and have the same problems with all of them. The Sweetheart wooden whistle plays similar but even louder.

I once had an aluminum whistle with a black fipple my ex-wife brought back from England with a "James Galway" brand name that was my favorite for 12 years. I lost it on a ginsing hunt. I was going to whistle a tune at the top of the hill and reached in my pocket and it was gone. I spent 6 hours searching for that horn and if I had it now, it would still be my favorite, I think.