Keyed Whistles

Unseen122 · Post by **Unseen122** » Mon Jan 17, 2005 4:37 pm

I know of a few ( Sweetheart and Jubilee) but are there any more? I noticed today that Sweetheart only makes one keyed versions now I was so disapointed

because I was planning to buy the 3 key version some time.

Random notes · Post by **Random notes** » Mon Jan 17, 2005 4:43 pm

Have a look at this:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... RK:MESE:IT

Auctioned by forum member TommyK:

http://chiffboard.mati.ca/viewtopic.php?t=25312

It even has the piccolo head.

Roger

tommyk · Post by **tommyk** » Mon Jan 17, 2005 6:02 pm

Random Notes, thanks for the plug!

Unseen 122, fire away if you have any questions.

Tommy
www.tommyswirled.com

Unseen122 · Post by **Unseen122** » Mon Jan 17, 2005 6:19 pm

I can't afford it right now. I was planing on saving for one some time but that is now impossible.

vomitbunny · Post by **vomitbunny** » Mon Jan 17, 2005 6:42 pm

Someone come up with a link to that keyed whistle thing that came up several months back. Orkin flute? Was that it?

vomitbunny · Post by **vomitbunny** » Mon Jan 17, 2005 6:43 pm

Someone come up with a link to that keyed whistle thing that came up several months back. Orkin flute? Was that it?
That's not it! Crap! I remember it! Pictures and everything!

Ah Ha!
http://www.tjimaging.com/orkon/

Daniel_Bingamon · Post by **Daniel_Bingamon** » Mon Jan 17, 2005 7:42 pm

The last Orkin Flute was made in the 1950's.

The other alternative is to put a fipple on concert flute.

I'm not sure what kind you're looking for, if it's a wood flute you're looking for, maybe you should contact some of the Irish Flute makers to design a whistle mouthpiece to go on one of their flutes. I'm sure someone should be able to accomodate your needs. Check with the bunch on the 'Flutemakers'. group on yahoogroups.

Or if you have an endless budget, check with Zubvika and his interesting whistle with saxophone like fingering.

vomitbunny · Post by **vomitbunny** » Mon Jan 17, 2005 8:29 pm

Ok. So now we have to build a time machine. One capable of taking us back
to the 50's.

Scott McCallister · Post by **Scott McCallister** » Tue Jan 18, 2005 12:57 am

Hmm...
If time travel ever became possible, it would stand to reason that we would have access to it right now... right?
Hmm...

Tak_the_whistler · Post by **Tak_the_whistler** » Tue Jan 18, 2005 2:59 am

I think the one Zubvika has is called Stratowhistle?

I want one! I want one!

Thomas-Hastay · Post by **Thomas-Hastay** » Tue Jan 18, 2005 11:56 am

Most of the "Keyed" whistles are known by other names. The first is the dreaded Recorder(ARRRGHHHH!). The others are known as...The vertical flute(a true flute with a whistle voicing) and the Flageolet's (English has 6 in front, French has 4 front-2 back). Have a look at...

"The Recorder Homepage"
http://members.iinet.net.au/~nickl/recorder.html

I believe Chris Abell makes a true keyed penny whistle(?) You can also try the links at the Recorder Homepage site for keyed woodwinds.

peteinmn · Post by **peteinmn** » Tue Jan 18, 2005 2:23 pm

Daniel_Bingamon wrote:The other alternative is to put a fipple on concert flute.

Daniel is right, it can be done. I had Mack Hoover (he of the "makes whistles out of darn near anything" fame) make me a whistle head for a older Gemenihardt "student" closed hole flute just before the holidays. While I'm still working on learning all the keys, it certainly has surpassed my expectations. Plays quite easily way up into the third octave without screeching. Sounds (in the lower octave especially) much more like a flute than a whistle.

Because it's "closed hole" you can't "slur" notes and when you do rolls or taps, you can hear the keys close. Aside from those drawbacks, it's a lot of fun to have all the sharps and flats available.

For our next experiment, I am thinking of getting an "open hole" model or a piccolo and asking Mack to have another go. EBay always has lots of relatively cheap ($100-$200) flutes and piccolos available. While I know purists will probably scoff, I am somewhat surprised that this is not more commonly done.

Unseen122 · Post by **Unseen122** » Tue Jan 18, 2005 6:28 pm

That is a good idea to ask a Flute maker. I was looking for a high whistle. Any one know of any fife makers that makekeyed fifes?

Daniel_Bingamon · Post by **Daniel_Bingamon** » Wed Jan 19, 2005 9:40 pm

Keyed Fifes -- I have a story to tell you.

A couple of years ago, I bought one of those little keyed fifes from India or Pakistan. It was advertised as the key of Eb.

Upon receiving it, it's cute but Eb or D - it really didn't play either scale in tune. I set it aside for awhile to get back to it when I had more time to figure it out.

One day, I was looking at it and glanced at the toneholes and realized that the spacing was more for the key of 'D' but something was wrong with the length.

So I took the flute mouthpiece off and make a whistle mouthpiece. I trimmed the length of the mouthpiece for the key of 'D' and to my pleasant suprise, all the the toneholes but one played in perfect tune.

Then, I inspected the one and only troublesome tonehole to find that the base of the key post was obstructing the tonehole. So I trimmed off the excess metal with the Dremal and now the whole thing plays in tune.

So, after about $60 for the instrument and shipping expenses together and some additional time and materials for the whistle mouthpiece and tweaking, I now have a fully chromatic keyed piccolo whistle.

izzarina · Post by **izzarina** » Wed Jan 19, 2005 9:44 pm

this may be a silly question, but what would be the advantage to a keyed whistle?

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