What slightly different whistle is this?

tuaz · Post by **tuaz** » Wed Mar 10, 2004 5:38 am

I love my Clarke original D, but I would say it's too soft for your needs as listed. Also, air requirements are a bit on the high side.

I agree Susatos sound plastic-y, but they are very in tune and very loud, so in an un-miked performance setting they are useful.

I've tried the older Burke WBB - No clogging, but I thought it was a bit soft, not much louder than a Clarke. Maybe the newer models are louder.

There are some metal whistles (esp around the mouthpc) I've tried which are nice, but temperature-sensitivity and clogging are problems and they may look too modern for you.

Based on your list of requirements, if you want moderately-priced whistles that fit the bill:

Dixon tunable C and D (not the brass slide tunable - too pure-sounding). Like I said in another thread, there may be very small tuning problems for one or 2 notes on the D if you're VERY fussy about tuning or are playing in a performance setting with instruments like keyboards/pianos. If it's just for sessions, it's perfectly fine. The matte black plastic used by Tony looks like wood if you don't look too hard.

Hoover whitecaps (for Gen D brass tube) - I asked Mack to make them loud(er) for me, and they worked out just great.

vomitbunny · Post by **vomitbunny** » Wed Mar 10, 2004 5:50 am

BoneQuint wrote:I've been curious about the Burke Wide Bore, as I've heard it's probably the most "traditional" sounding of his whistles. And the Sweetheart Professional is appealing too, as a "low-maintenance" wood whistle -- maybe it can be made a little less "pure" sounding? I might just email Ralph and ask...

By the way, the Whistle shop said they could do "tweeked" Original Clarkes with the natural finish, but they tought the black paint sweetened the sound, since it thickened the tube a bit. Sounds possible -- thinner tubes seem to sound a bit "reedy" or weak to me, compare an Oak body to a Generation with the same fipple, for example. I think one of the biggest problems of the Sweetone is the thin-walled tube -- hm, maybe I'll build it up with several coats of paint or something...

By the way, I'm open to trades...PM or email me if you have something you think I might be interested in. I could part with Elfsong C/D set I have, as well as the Susato D/C/Bb set.

(And, thanks again for all the input!)

I have a black clarke, and two naturals. Somehow I always thought the black one sounded sweeter, but thought it was my imagination.

Redwolf · Post by **Redwolf** » Wed Mar 10, 2004 9:42 am

BoneQuint wrote:Thanks for the comments so far! Thoughts...

Tweeked Clarke Original: I might try it, especially if they can make me one from an "unfinished" Clarke (I just emailed them about that). At $25, not too big a risk.

Lon Dubh: At almost $400, a bit high for me right now. Plus it's funny looking.

Syn: I might try that too...I recall hearing it's very "pure" sounding, but maybe the new ones less so? A nice pure whistle is good for certain tunes, anyway.

Busman: Gorgeous. Tempting. I'd love to try one, but I wouldn't order one sight-unseen. Hm, I will be on the East Coast this summer...

Sweet Polly: I might give this a try too.

Where are you in California? If you ever find yourself in the Santa Cruz area, I could arrange to let you try my Busman Kingwood.

Redwolf

JessieK · Post by **JessieK** » Wed Mar 10, 2004 9:48 am

It's the "airy and gritty" part that's making it hard for me to recommend something. But I have to agree with the one who said that Abells vary and you certainly can get one with those qualities. That, I think, would be the best option.

Tres · Post by **Tres** » Wed Mar 10, 2004 9:51 am

I too would say the Burkes are a good choice for you. Also, my "Oakenstein" whistle fulfills the requirements-- it is an Oak head (with blue sticky tack tweak) with a brass Generation body. My favority whistle!
It should be easy to make one for yourself!

Tres

burnsbyrne · Post by **burnsbyrne** » Wed Mar 10, 2004 10:28 am

vomitbunny wrote:
DCrom wrote:Except for "low air requirements" and "traditional-looking" a Serpent Polly would do it. The newer "Sweet Polly" is supposed to have a lower air requirement - I don't yet have one to test. But even if you ask Bill to leave it unpainted the whistle won't look any more traditional than the Water Weasel.

Except for the "slightly rough" requirement, a Sync would be a good match, but the Syn has a fairly pure sound (more like a loud Oak than anything else I can think of).

These are both fairly inexpensive whistles ($25-$35) compared to some of the others you've mentioned.
Has anyone tried this sweet polly? Being that I am still in the mid price market (but now looking at the hundred and up crowd) I am interested to know how they play. I think they were at one time offering a free sweet polly when you buy one of there higher end whistles.

A couple of weeks ago I got a Serpent D polly plus an Eb tube. I am a 2 year whistler and usually play a Sindt, Generation or a Dixon, all relatively easy blowers. I like them. The whistle was also the first wind instrument I have played. The Polly that I have now, to me, in my humble opinion, is way too hard to blow to make it worthwhile to bother with. I know that there are several vocal board members who really like the Pollys, but when I try to play them I feel like my eardrums are going to blow out. (Hyperbole in last sentance). Your mileage may vary.
On the plus side the Polly is perfectly in tune.
Mike

Bretton · Post by **Bretton** » Wed Mar 10, 2004 10:43 am

It's the "airy and gritty" part that's making it hard for me to recommend something.

I don't have it anymore, but my Grinter cocobolo D was a bit gritty sounding. At first I didn't like this, but it grew on me. It also fits many of your other requirements.

-Brett

Steven · Post by **Steven** » Wed Mar 10, 2004 12:17 pm

The Alba Q1 hits on every single point. The closest it comes to missing on one is the funky fipple plug material, but when it's in your mouth nobody can see that! Fantastic whistle, and very reasonable in price.

Steven

DCrom · Post by **DCrom** » Wed Mar 10, 2004 1:48 pm

burnsbyrne wrote:A couple of weeks ago I got a Serpent D polly plus an Eb tube. I am a 2 year whistler and usually play a Sindt, Generation or a Dixon, all relatively easy blowers. I like them. The whistle was also the first wind instrument I have played. The Polly that I have now, to me, in my humble opinion, is way too hard to blow to make it worthwhile to bother with. I know that there are several vocal board members who really like the Pollys, but when I try to play them I feel like my eardrums are going to blow out. (Hyperbole in last sentance). Your mileage may vary.
On the plus side the Polly is perfectly in tune.
Mike

Mike, that's my biggest gripe with the original Brassy Polly - though, to be fair, it can accept a lot more air than it needs. If I try to play it like a Generation or other plastic-head whistle I work far too hard. If I approach it more like a Clarke original I do a lot better - it needs a focused stream of air, but the air demands are about like the Clarke. If I try to play it like a Gen, I wear myself out in short order, but if I use my "Clarke" technique I can play for hours.

But I'd heard that one of the design goals for the Sweet Polly was to reduce the perceived air demand. I'll still probably get one (or a set like yours) just to see what the difference is, completest that I am. (Is yours a Sweet Polly or the original Brassy Polly design? I think he's currently making both.)

But that'll probably be my last Serpent high whistle for a while unless he changes the design again - I still want a Jerry-tweek Shaw D, an Alba Q1, and a Water Weasel set, too.

burnsbyrne · Post by **burnsbyrne** » Wed Mar 10, 2004 2:23 pm

DCrom wrote: But I'd heard that one of the design goals for the Sweet Polly was to reduce the perceived air demand. I'll still probably get one (or a set like yours) just to see what the difference is, completest that I am. (Is yours a Sweet Polly or the original Brassy Polly design? I think he's currently making both.)

But that'll probably be my last Serpent high whistle for a while unless he changes the design again - I still want a Jerry-tweek Shaw D, an Alba Q1, and a Water Weasel set, too.

I don't know for sure which one it is but I suspect it's the Sweet Polly. I had one of the Brassy Pollys a while ago. I don't see much difference between them. Maybe I would if I played them side by side.
Mike

Wombat · Post by **Wombat** » Wed Mar 10, 2004 2:32 pm

An Abell or a Busman looks like your best bet but you might not get one gritty enough for your liking. Most of the whistles suggested, Syn and Burke for example, strike me as far to pure to qualify. An Overton easy blower, just ring Colin Goldie and tell him what you want, would probably be your safest bet. I can only imagine from the lack of a mention that people wrongly associate Overtons with high breath requirements in the sense of having daunting back pressure. Oh, they do take some warming if you live in a place with that sort of a climate, but surely this is a minor concern when the trade off might well be a whistle that is inferior in most major respects.

Oh a Grinter would be perfect, BTW.

BoneQuint · Post by **BoneQuint** » Sat Mar 20, 2004 11:25 pm

I think I've found it: Reyburn. It uses a bit more air than might be optimal, but it's handleable. There's a little more push for the upper octave than I might have wanted, but it's pretty easily adjustable to. The OXX OOO C-natural is a bit sharp, but can be underblown into tune. And there's a OXX XXO C-natural that's dead-on (just like my Shaw).

So, a few compromises, but I haven't tried any high-end whistle that has the grit and pleasing airiness that this whistle does. And there's no cheapie with as solid a tone -- the Reyburn has no thinness or plasticky sound. Missed notes don't have a nasty honk or squeal. It's easy to play and fairly loud, but without harshness. I've experienced no clogging. It's very tunable, with a long tuning slide. It's handsome and simple looking, black and brass with no logos.

With this whistle for general use, my Whitecap for a pretty, quiet, pure sound, and my Shaw for the ultimate rough-and-tumble sound, I've got a pretty wide range covered.

Reyburnwhistles · Post by **Reyburnwhistles** » Sun Mar 21, 2004 8:27 pm

Well I was gonna make a commercial post in the near future, but I guess this is a good place to start.
I have just completed a redesign of my high whistles and they are head and shoulders (in my opinion) above what I was making before. Mind you the others were very nice, but the new design is reeeeeeeally nice. They look indentical on the outside to the earlier version but the fipple has some very different stuff inside. The lower octave has a much rounder sound and very strong all the way down to the bell note. The upper octave is quieter and plays sweeter, a very good balance between octaves.
I've not shipped one yet, so who is gonna be first?

Be well
Ronaldo

sbruyette · Post by **sbruyette** » Tue Mar 23, 2004 10:26 am

BQ: I agree with everything you said about the Reyburn. I think it fits very well with what you were looking for in a whistle. I enjoy mine and look forward to trying his new model.

Cayden · Post by **Cayden** » Tue Mar 23, 2004 10:53 am

Reyburnwhistles wrote: but the new design is reeeeeeeally nice. They look indentical on the outside to the earlier version but the fipple has some very different stuff inside. The lower octave has a much rounder sound and very strong all the way down to the bell note. The upper octave is quieter and plays sweeter, a very good balance between octaves.
I've not shipped one yet, so who is gonna be first?

Be well
Ronaldo

Tell us more so, is it the Delrin head, is it loud, does it take air, backpressure, price, waitinglist?