How many whistles are "too many"?

skywatcher · Post by **skywatcher** » Thu May 30, 2002 6:49 pm

Hey!
I need opinions here, folks. I know that it's like pulling teeth to get them out of you, but what do you think?
How many whistles ARE "too many"?
Thanks!

Loren · Post by **Loren** » Thu May 30, 2002 6:53 pm

You don't want my opinion!

Loren "I used to own well over a hundred and didn't think that was too many" B.

AnnaDMartinez · Post by **AnnaDMartinez** » Thu May 30, 2002 7:02 pm

No such animal...what if you sit on one? Or loose the one in the car, on in the john, or by your computer? Or if you want to give one away?

_________________
Let it shine! Anna "Dances with Weasels" Martinez

[ This Message was edited by: Anna Martinez on 2002-05-31 19:06 ]

Teri-K · Post by **Teri-K** » Thu May 30, 2002 7:14 pm

Now here's a can of worms. You'll probably get as many variations in answers as there are members. My opinion is a couple of D's and one each in any other key you find necessary. At least that's what works for me. I have 3 D's, 1 Eb, 1 C, 1 Bb, 1 A and a low D. Of course, there are a few carcasses here and there left over from surgery. Some people have multiples of each key. Whatever works for you, I suppose. Because I stick exclusively with a whistle I like, anything else just collects dust - waste of money and an instrument in my case.

Teri

vaporlock · Post by **vaporlock** » Thu May 30, 2002 7:21 pm

One metal, one PVC and one wood...in every key!

Oops...edited because I forgot conical and cylindrical bores!

Oh yeah, sweet, medium and chiffy.

...and of course soft, medium and loud.

Uhhhh....no, you can't have too many whistles!

[ This Message was edited by: vaporlock on 2002-05-30 21:23 ]

[ This Message was edited by: vaporlock on 2002-05-30 21:29 ]

blackhawk · Post by **blackhawk** » Thu May 30, 2002 7:32 pm

[quote]
On 2002-05-30 21:14, Teri-K wrote:
Because I stick exclusively with a whistle I like, anything else just collects dust - waste of money and an instrument in my case.

Which is the one you play exclusively, Teri? (you knew someone would have to know that)

As to how many is enough...it's one more than I have. And when I get my new order from Shanna Quay, one more than that. And when I get my new Parky that I ordered last week, one more than that. And when the Overton I ordered gets here, one more than that. And...

Teri-K · Post by **Teri-K** » Thu May 30, 2002 7:41 pm

On 2002-05-30 21:32, blackhawk wrote:

Which is the one you play exclusively, Teri? (you knew someone would have to know that)

Exclusively in each key (sorry, should have been a bit more clear). That's why multiple whistles in each key are wasted on me. My absolute favorite whistle is a Generation Eb. I have a Sindt D and A - everything else in the "high" range are Generations. Oops .. edit: the D Generation is a hybrid of a Clare body with a Generation head.

[ This Message was edited by: Teri-K on 2002-05-30 21:52 ]

Otter · Post by **Otter** » Thu May 30, 2002 9:32 pm

Skywatcher,
asking how many whistles are too many on this message board is like asking a drug addict if he has too much money for his stash.

Basically we all suffer from various degrees of whistle addiction and further more, we are all in denial (me included). so:

Don't listen to us. WE CANNOT HELP YOU!

You may have too many whistles when you spend more time looking for whistles than actually playing them.

You may have too may whistles when, at a session, you are well outplayed by a someone who just pulled out a generation brass and whose main instrument is a fiddle.

Otter

skywatcher · Post by **skywatcher** » Thu May 30, 2002 10:15 pm

My husband used say that I had too many whistles...until HE started playing them!
Cheers!

The Weekenders · Post by **The Weekenders** » Thu May 30, 2002 10:26 pm

I have too many that I don't like anymore since I got my Burkes. The C Brass is awesome for airs. Alpro D worked out really well during the hot spell we're havin in Bay Area.

All of my Feadogs got crummy after I unglued em. I guess I'm supposed to sandpaper em? i really was fond of them because they were my first whistles from way back when I managed a music store.

Anybody have this exact solution? They sound reedy where they used to be stable. I used beeswax to seal em good but they sound awful now.

They are the very oldest Feadogs.

I know, read the archives: but most is Gen tweaking. Come to think of it, they sound crummy now too especially the Eb.

Is there a pattern emerging here?

I sincerely believe that most WHoa is initially caused by the fact that people keep hoping for a better one among the cheapies. By then, they're hooked. Then they find out about good ones and get all worked up about it.

I want out frankly. I want Burkes in enough keys so I can accompany any singers key choices then maybe 1 cheap key duplicate except a healthy crop o' Ds for philanthopy's sake (Weasel lady has me thinkin that way).

Workin on it but the plastic is melting in my pocket from StevieJ's two year obsession. Low whistles and fancy stuff beyond Burkes is far in future, I think, unless I get a raise.

Take it easy Skywatcher. Spend $100 for a Burke (or other premium) D and learn to play well (if you don't already), along with records and stuff. You can chase cheapies all you want if you have the time but I wouldn't do it again.....

A suddenly serious Weekenders......

Cayden · Post by **Cayden** » Fri May 31, 2002 2:19 am

About the above, on tweaking, I supplied a few of my D whistles with a tiny blob of bluetack, just in the corner on the inside of the 'window' to make the windway about 1 mm narrower. It's a variation on the theme of match-sticks, blow dryers, inserted guitar picks and the likes but it works a treat. The Oak sounds absolutely gorgeous now and the treatment even knocked a Susato into sumission, it plays nicely balanced and with decent octave now. Why bother getting an expensive one while learning so I still wonder. And by the end of the day, you end up playing only the one.

Loren · Post by **Loren** » Fri May 31, 2002 4:18 am

On 2002-05-31 04:19, Peter Laban wrote:
And by the end of the day, you end up playing only the one.

Here we go again.....

Whistles are much like guitars, for the most part they all sound and play a bit different from one another, and therefor each one provides a different playing and listening experience. For many people, the accomplished players and not so accomplished alike, it's simply FUN to have a bunch of different sounding instruments to play. You do understand FUN don't you Peter =;^) And yes, we know YOU don't think it's fun to own or play a wide variety of whistles, but it's different strokes for different folks then, isn't it? Some might even say that's what makes the world and interesting place.

Playing one whistle all the time is like drinking the same brand and vintage of wine everyday - even if it's a great wine, tasting the same thing, day after day, becomes a bit boring. How can you appreciate something really great if you don't occasionally have a taste of the mediocre or downright horrible? In fact, how is one to know and appreciate a really fine wine or whistle (expensive or not) until one has tasted many wines and played many whistles?

This whole notion of playing nothing but a single cheap whistle, day in and day out, strikes me a bit like an artist lifting his pallet loaded with different colored paints, and then using only the red paint, day after day, year after year.....how monotonous. Certainly stunning art can be made with nothing more than a graphite pencil, and no amount or variety of color makes up for poor technique, or lack of inspiration, vision, and creativity.....but why limit oneself unnecessarily?

Whistles are, relatively speaking, quite cheap, so why not experiment and try as many different ones as you can? Where's the harm as long as you realize that like anything else: It's not the hardware but the player who will make or break the music.

Granted Peter, some people are averse to change, others just prefer the comfort of the same old shoes day after day....but then often a new pair of shoes will feel much better than the old pair, once they're broken in - Unless of course a person is just too stubborn to give up that crappy old pair long enough to give new shoes a try....

Shoes, wine, art.....oh yeah, whistles! I guess that about covers it

Loren

[ This Message was edited by: Loren on 2002-05-31 06:28 ]

Walden · Post by **Walden** » Fri May 31, 2002 4:19 am

On 2002-05-30 20:49, skywatcher wrote:
Hey!
I need opinions here, folks. I know that it's like pulling teeth to get them out of you, but what do you think?
How many whistles ARE "too many"?
Thanks!

538 (unless you're building a collection).

Wandering_Whistler · Post by **Wandering_Whistler** » Fri May 31, 2002 5:20 am

On 2002-05-31 06:18, Loren wrote:

Granted Peter, some people are averse to change, others just prefer the comfort of the same old shoes day after day....

Wait a minute...doesn't Peter own a newish Sindt? I think he's just in the WHOA closet

Greg

Cayden · Post by **Cayden** » Fri May 31, 2002 5:21 am

Loren, while I wrote I realised it could open up the whole discussion again but it is not something to do again, points have been made by all sides. I did actually say there is no point in buying an expensive one while learning. I think you will agree with me there, it gives you time to learn the thing without spending a lot of money and will give you an idea where you want to go next.

By the way, I was in Custy's yesterday. I ncomes woman 'want tinwhistle, oen with a blue head, They are good aren't they' 'Yes' goes Frances Custy, pulls one out of the jar on the counter, wraps it 'they are the best, ll teachers here use them. That's 6.30 thank you'. Two minute job.

Different ways. And I am not trying to open that discussion again. Please NO.