Syn whistle review (sort of)

Whitmores75087 · Post by **Whitmores75087** » Thu Nov 13, 2003 5:39 pm

Here's a quick run down on this $40 whistle. I paid full price for mine, so I don't owe anyone any favors.
I would liken the Syn to an aluminum Susato without the recorder sound. Also, a couple of Susato's that I've played got very loud and screecy on high A and B. None of that here.
The air requirement is about the same as Susato. I'd call it normal.
It's the most in tune with itself whistle I've played, and I've played most of the plastic and metal high enders. (I have not played any woods, though.) I was especially impressed by the C and C# being close to perfect.
The tone is good. Better than Susato. I bought this for volume and in-tuneness. I got it. I was prepared for Susato type tone, and was pleasantly surprised.
It's also nice to look at. Aluminum. Tunable. Delrin mouthpiece. When you look at it closely it has the signs of being "hand made" (sorry, I know!). Little (very little) imperfections make me feel like it's an article from a different age. Hey, what do you expect for $40.00 US. This is a solid, substantial, good looking whistle that I'll be proud to pull out in public.
If you are considering paying for a high ender, and this sounds like what you want in a whistle, save yourself some money.
This Syn fella is cool too! I've never seen any kind of sales pitch from him on C&F. His products aren't even featured by Dale.

elendil · Post by **elendil** » Thu Nov 13, 2003 6:23 pm

there seems to be a problem involved with syn whistles. how does one get in touch with mr. syn to find out about his product line, etc. he seems to have no web page, just an email address. is that it? geez, no pictures, etc.?

syn whistles · Post by **syn whistles** » Thu Nov 13, 2003 8:49 pm

A web page will come in time. One of the problems is that I have been spending most of my time working on whistles, and the range of what I can offer keeps increasing. Having started out with the Syn D, the range kept expanding as I got requests for different keys, and now there is a range of bodies to fit the Original Syn head, ranging from E through to Bb.
That's not the whole story either, I have lately gotten hold of a very nice batch of seasoned Lancewood, and for the first time in 15 years of whistle making, actually have stock in hand of my wooden whistles, (avaiable for sale by the way,( US$110)).
I'm also working on production techniques for low whistles, and am close to release of some prototypes in that direction.
It all takes time in the workshop, there is no rest for the wicked, even the synful, but a webpage will come! But don't hold your breath, you can contact me in the meantime at synwhistles@yahoo.com.au .

peeplj · Post by **peeplj** » Thu Nov 13, 2003 9:39 pm

Great review!

The idea of either a wooden Syn or a low D Syn makes me drool!

I have a Syn, and I agree: right now it represents the most "bang for the buck," especially for someone looking for both a whistle with some purity but good resistance that you can really lean into and have some volume control with.

Even less expensive and with a more traditional whistle sound is Bill's line of inexpensive Serpent whistles. Also a lot of whistle for the money if you like the chiffier, "old-timer" sound of a rougher sounding whistle.

--James

Whitmores75087 · Post by **Whitmores75087** » Thu Nov 13, 2003 10:08 pm

James, which of Bill's whistles are you referring to? The colorful plastic ones? What are they like volumewise and in terms of in-tune-ness? I've read so much bull on so many whistles that I'm really sceptical.

peeplj · Post by **peeplj** » Thu Nov 13, 2003 10:50 pm

I've got several of Bills whistles, all but one made very recently.

I've a Village Viper in B-flat that's wonderful, several D pollys, some painted, some not, and a couple of different kind of fipples; also an F polly, and an old-model tunable copper with the old-style straight windway fipple.

Volume is soft to moderate. Intonation is always very good...that's one of his trademarks.

What some people just plain don't like about his whistles is the tone. They are chiffy, almost raspy...if you've heard old old recordings of Seamus Ennis playing his Clarke, you've pretty much got the idea.

Here's some recordings, first of the D polly:

http://www.flutesite.com/samples/serp_perches.mp3

and of the B-flat Village Viper:

http://www.flutesite.com/samples/serpen ... _cwife.mp3

These catch the quality of sound I'm talking about pretty well. Maybe it'll help answer the question.

--James

P.S. I personally like this sort of whistle sound...especially if I use something like a Syn or a Burke on some pieces to have something to contrast it against.

glauber · Post by **glauber** » Thu Nov 13, 2003 11:55 pm

I have a couple of clips with the lancewood Syn whistle that i'm going to send to "Clips&Snips".

msheldon · Post by **msheldon** » Fri Nov 14, 2003 12:46 am

As for availability, I hope to help with that also.

I've gotten in a few soprano D whistles that I will be carrying for the (hopefully soon) re-opening of the Gaelic Crossings store.

Being very fond Of Mr Bartlett's whistles, I hope to be able to stock anything he can manage to send my way.

glauber · Post by **glauber** » Sun Nov 16, 2003 9:41 am

syn whistles wrote:That's not the whole story either, I have lately gotten hold of a very nice batch of seasoned Lancewood, and for the first time in 15 years of whistle making, actually have stock in hand of my wooden whistles, (available for sale by the way,( US$110)).

There are a couple of sample recordings with a lancewood Syn now in Clips&Snips:
Christmas in Kinsale (jig)
The Parting of Friends (slow air)

DCrom · Post by **DCrom** » Sun Jan 18, 2004 2:51 pm

msheldon wrote:As for availability, I hope to help with that also. I've gotten in a few soprano D whistles that I will be carrying for the (hopefully soon) re-opening of the Gaelic Crossings store.

Being very fond Of Mr Bartlett's whistles, I hope to be able to stock anything he can manage to send my way.

I bought one of these - and James is spot-on in his contrast of them with Bill's Serpent whistles. Both very good whistles (IMO), but very different sounds. Though the newer Brassy Pollys have (at least) as much volume as the Syn does.

I don't think you can go wrong buying either whistle; buy one of each and you've got the equipment to handle any session. (Now, if I just had the skill . . .).

EricWingler · Post by **EricWingler** » Mon Jan 19, 2004 7:13 am

DCrom wrote: Though the newer Brassy Pollys have (at least) as much volume as the Syn does.

Does a Syn require as much air as a Brassy Polly? I have one of the latter, and it gives me a slight headache (caused by excessive breathing) to play it for more than half an hour. I do like the sound, however.

Wombat · Post by **Wombat** » Mon Jan 19, 2004 7:59 am

peeplj wrote:
The idea of either a wooden Syn or a low D Syn makes me drool!

Here's a box of tissues James. I don't know if Erle would call it a Syn, but I own an Erle Bartlett low D which is quite distinctive, quite unlike anything I've played before or since. It requires very little air, both in terms of amount of heft required and frequency of breaths required. It's somewhere between pure and overtone rich. It's actually by far the easiest low D to get around and therefore a great instrument to learn on, even if you later go for one with more bark and grunt.

Note this though—if Erle is going to release a new line of Syn lows, they might not much resemble his old lows.

msheldon · Post by **msheldon** » Mon Jan 19, 2004 10:39 am

EricWingler wrote: Does a Syn require as much air as a Brassy Polly? I have one of the latter, and it gives me a slight headache (caused by excessive breathing) to play it for more than half an hour. I do like the sound, however.

Haven't played the Polly, so I can't compare directly, but the Syn does not have a very high air requirement. I'd call it average.

DCrom · Post by **DCrom** » Mon Jan 19, 2004 11:02 am

msheldon wrote:
EricWingler wrote: Does a Syn require as much air as a Brassy Polly? I have one of the latter, and it gives me a slight headache (caused by excessive breathing) to play it for more than half an hour. I do like the sound, however.
Haven't played the Polly, so I can't compare directly, but the Syn does not have a very high air requirement. I'd call it average.

I'd call the Syn's air requirement average, too. The Brassy Polly does need a little more, but I've found that the more time I spend with it the less I need; though it can certainly take more, it doesn't need that much, really.

Love the sound of both. There are some tunes I like the purer Syn sound, some I prefer the rougher, woody-sounding Polly for. But I could happily play either one for hours.

Steven · Post by **Steven** » Tue Jan 20, 2004 9:50 am

msheldon wrote:
EricWingler wrote: Does a Syn require as much air as a Brassy Polly? I have one of the latter, and it gives me a slight headache (caused by excessive breathing) to play it for more than half an hour. I do like the sound, however.
Haven't played the Polly, so I can't compare directly, but the Syn does not have a very high air requirement. I'd call it average.

I don't yet have my metal Syn (it's in the mail!), but the Ironwood Syn I played recently on its world tour has at most an average air requirement. However, you have to push the heck out of it, especially in the upper register -- lots of backpressure. Heck of a whistle (did I mention I have a metal one on the way?). I did an extensive review over on Gaelic Crossings if anyone's interested. I really don't feel like putting it all here as well.

Steven