Sweetheart whistles?

izzarina · Post by **izzarina** » Thu Nov 04, 2004 10:37 pm

anyone have one of these? I've been eyeing them. The clips on the site http://www.sweetheartflute.com/whistles.html sound great, and they look so pretty (I'm really getting into wood lately). I'm sure this topic has gone through a few times, but I'm too lazy to look

Anyone want to share their experience with these whistles?

IDAwHOa · Post by **IDAwHOa** » Thu Nov 04, 2004 10:59 pm

I believe there is a Sweetheart on eBay right now.

Darwin · Post by **Darwin** » Thu Nov 04, 2004 11:44 pm

Try Redwolf's review at http://chiffboard.mati.ca/viewtopic.php ... art+review.

Redwolf · Post by **Redwolf** » Thu Nov 04, 2004 11:50 pm

Darwin wrote:Try Redwolf's review at http://chiffboard.mati.ca/viewtopic.php ... art+review.

I was going to post and say "I love mine," but this works just as well

It really is a nice whistle. Great sound, plenty of volume, and it looks really pretty too.

Redwolf

s1m0n · Post by **s1m0n** » Thu Nov 04, 2004 11:50 pm

My first flute was a sweetheart, and my second was an antique monzani, also bought from Ralph Sweet. I found him very easy to deal with, and I wish I still owned that first flute.

Wanderer · Post by **Wanderer** » Fri Nov 05, 2004 6:13 am

My experiences with the Sweetheart, in a nutshell:

Really nice sound
Slightly loose tuning slide
Takes some agression in the 2nd octave (though the newer models are much easier there than the older ones)
on the loud side.
Some people have an issue with the "recordery" look, and wouldn't buy one on that reason, even if it were the best sounding whistle on earth. :roll:

I liked the one I had, but ended up selling it when I was doing the whole "fund the move to dallas". If memory serves, James (peeplj) got it, and was quite happy with it.

RonKiley · Post by **RonKiley** » Fri Nov 05, 2004 7:39 am

I don't have one but I played the Rosewood model. I loved it. If I had had the money in my pocket at the time I would have bought it on the spot. One day I will buy the laminate model

Ron

izzarina · Post by **izzarina** » Fri Nov 05, 2004 7:40 am

NorCalMusician wrote:I believe there is a Sweetheart on eBay right now.

I had been keeping track of that one (if it's the same one). The auction ended yesterday (or thereabouts) and went for $88 I believe.

JessieK · Post by **JessieK** » Fri Nov 05, 2004 8:19 am

I have the three-key balckwood one. It's very cool. I love the keys. The tone of the first octave is very nice. I love the tuning tenon (the cork is on the socket instead of the tenon, which is unique). I do have two complaints. The second octave is still too loud (though seriously improved from the old version) and the part that goes into the mouth is not comfortable. It's too big and the shape is such that it's awkward to close ones lips around it. It's not quite round, but it leans in that direction, and there isn't an edge that a lip can meld into.

tommyk · Post by **tommyk** » Fri Nov 05, 2004 8:43 am

JessieK wrote:I have the three-key balckwood one. It's very cool. I love the keys. The tone of the first octave is very nice. I love the tuning tenon (the cork is on the socket instead of the tenon, which is unique). I do have two complaints. The second octave is still too loud (though seriously improved from the old version) and the part that goes into the mouth is not comfortable. It's too big and the shape is such that it's awkward to close ones lips around it. It's not quite round, but it leans in that direction, and there isn't an edge that a lip can meld into.

I also have the blackwood 3-keyed model. I concur with Jessie in all ways. I really do like the instrument, but I just don't play it as much as my Abells due to the mouthpiece size. What I've been doing lately is keeping the instrument fitted with its fife head joint and using it to learn to play fife. Quite good that way.

Jessie, I wonder if Ralph would take our head joints back and work on making them a bit smaller at the mouth?

Tommy Kochel
www.tommyswirled.com

brewerpaul · Post by **brewerpaul** » Fri Nov 05, 2004 9:54 am

>Jessie, I wonder if Ralph would take our head joints back and work on making them a bit smaller at the mouth?

That shouldn't be difficult. Bit of work on a grinding wheel, sanding, etc. Jessie, judging by your jewelery work you're handy enough to do the job yourself perhaps starting out with a sanding drum on a Dremel (Foredom?) then finishing up by hand.

I've played the laminated Pro model and liked it a lot. I really got a kick out of the fife head-- one of these days I plan to visit the Sweet shop, compare whistlemaker's notes, and pick one of the fifes up for myself.

JessieK · Post by **JessieK** » Fri Nov 05, 2004 10:34 am

Yes, I could fix mine, but that wouldn't change my opinion of his design.

Flyingcursor · Post by **Flyingcursor** » Fri Nov 05, 2004 12:23 pm

I've got a Sweetheard high D fluty thing. It's advertised as a fife. I really like it. It's loud and perfect for outside. It's gotten better sounding the more I've played it.

springrobin · Post by **springrobin** » Fri Nov 05, 2004 3:24 pm

I have a Sweetheart whistle that I received as a gift from the m-in-law maybe 15 years ago. It was my first and (at this point) only whistle. I'd played flute before that so had no preconceived notion as to what a "whistle" mouthpiece should feel like. Flute players have to be cognizant of not tightening their lips to play other instruments or their embouchures will be mush for awhile so in that respect maybe the larger mouthpiece is better for us because we don't have to scrunch up as much as with a smaller one. Just started taking a whistle class and find that I like this whistle better than any of the other more & less expensive ones I hear there, but that could be because it's what I've gotten used to.

DRC · Post by **DRC** » Fri Nov 05, 2004 3:32 pm

Before ordering mine, I played one that sounded very nice but was extremely loud....definitely louder than my Susato...and required a pretty stiff blow on the high A & B notes. So I contacted Ralph and asked if he'd try and pick one out with a bit less volume than his "norm" and with less air requirements on the high end, to which he agreed. The one I received is great. Powerful, but sweet (no pun intended), good volume (about the same as a Susato), nice balance, easy to play throughout both octaves, and accurate. I'm especially impressed with the C-nat in any configuration, which is strong and maintains the tonal character and volume of the surrounding notes. I literally can't tell the difference between the C-nat and surrounding notes in terms of volume and tonal quality. I've found this to be rare in whisltedom. Most whistles, including high-enders, tend to have either a weak C-nat, or a C-nat that sounds different than the surrounding notes...or both. Not the Pro D. Our band is planning to start doing festivals and outdoor events, so this will be the perfect whistle since it's basically impervious to temp/humidity because of its impregnated laminate construction. So far, it's never clogged. Very nice tone, clarity, and playability...and strong throughout both octaves. The bell note is impressively stong when needed.

I'm not bowled over with the asthetics, but it's a vast improvement over previous Sweethearts. It looks significantly more like a whistle than his previous design. The laminated birch is much more attractive than I'd have thought. Ralph is doing a great job, and the Pro D is well made, with a tight and functional tuning slide. As with Susatos, the mouthpiece is slightly thicker than I like, but I'm getting used to it and it's not causing any problems. I really like the hole spacing, which is neither cramped nor distant....just right.

Overall, IMO, the Pro D is an excellent wood whistle for the money that needs little special care, if any. I've played several high end wood whsitles of much higher cost and notoriety, and the Pro D is right in there. Like the others, it has its own personality. If you want a high quality, reasonably priced wood whistle with the volume needed for outdoor gigs or large sessions, while producing a very pleasing rich, clear tone, this is it.

BTW, Ralph was great to work with.

DC
SlipJig Celtic Band
Huntsville, AL