Susato - No!

[IDAwHOa]

And customer relations are very important in business.

There are several products (including whistles) that I will not own because of the business practices or ethics of the companies in question. Could be the greatest thing since sliced bread and if you can't deal with or trust the provider....... :roll:

[peeplj]

I've actually had very good service from Susato. They have always been prompt and courteous.

I would hesitate to view postings on a message board as being any kind (or any reflection on) customer service, unless they were a response to a specific problem, question, or complaint.

The initial post on this thread is, in my opinion, the one that is questionable. It seems awfully close to trolling to me, and apparently it was successful trolling, at that.

--James

[RonKiley]

I like my Susato. It plays well, is in tune and is loud. However, I play my Humphrey, Alba or Feadog more often than any of my others. In fact I probably play the Feadog the most. The reason is these whistles have a sound that I like. The Susato has a different sound. Sometimes though I play the Susato because I am in the mood for the Susato. You pays your money and takes your choices or vice versa. I have said before and I think it is quite true. A good whistle is the one you enjoy playing. That may change from day to day.

Ron

[Azalin]

Well, I personally don't see any trolling done on that first message, but I guess there might be some truth in this (trolling) since so many people seem to think that way. He didnt use uncivilized language, didnt say the instrument was "playing like sh*t", and it's my vision of things that subjects like this should be allowed to be brought as long as it's done with respect and with valid arguments. I guess if that first message was trolling then I'm one of the biggest troll here, 'cause I love to speak my mind and will honnestly tell the truth, but I'm trying to do so politely.

[StewySmoot]

After a recent conversation in a session with a number of whistle players we came to the conclusion that...that little thumb nubbin is generally very irritating.
Quistle

I tossed my Susato nubbin out after I learned how to hold the whistle.

But of course I wasnt sitting in on a session with other whistle players.... like you were.

[BillChin]

For whatever reason Susatos seem to attract more negative energy on Chiff than most other brands. This thread has been relatively civil. However elsewhere on this board I have read any number of jokes about Susatos, and many posts with inflammatory language--that is a lot to take and continuously turn the other cheek.

This sort of post I find extremely unhelpful. Point to specific posts; object at the time; say good things about Susatos. But what are we to make of this "there are some around who have bad energy about Susatos"? You turn it into some big conspitorial and irrational thing.
...

I found two relatively noxious posts (not Bloomfield's) in ten minutes of searching and forwarded them to Bloomfield via PM. I'm sure a longer search would bring up more. I believe that publishing them here would only serve to bait people who have already demonstrated what I consider bad taste and little control over their temper. Bloomfield may even defend the slant and content of those posts, and that is fine--he is entitled to his opinion, wrong as it may be

I will say that the conversation has gotten more civil in recent years, and that over 95% of the posts that I glanced at that were negative on Susatos were civil. They stated their reasons, opinions, facts, and observations and did not cross the line.

[FJohnSharp]

More random Sausato facts:

The most exhilerating sound I've ever made with a whistle was with a Sausato. I was on vacation, and my son wanted to swim in the hotel pool late at night. We were the only ones there and it was a big, room with lots of odd angles and there was this perfect reverb and I sounded great. Even my son, who hates the whistle, thought it was good.

I don't play my Sausato much, because it's too loud for practicing in my house.

I had one phone conversation with Mike when I bought my whistle and I have to say I found him short and seemingly barely tolerant of my questions. I would hesitate to call again.

I would, though, happily buy another Sausato. In fact I would have stopped in when I was driving to Florida but it would have been a 6 hour detour and I wasn't up for it at the time.

[Dale]

Ironically, both the post that started this thread and Mike's angry response suffer from the same problem, a kind of failure to take into account the subjectivity involved in appraising whistles.

The declaration that Susatos are "bad" whistles is pointless. They sell well and they have plenty of fans and they can't all be wrong.

And Mike steps in to claim someone has bad taste and to behave as though it ought to be objectively clear to everyone that Susatos are categorically good. As I've said, with my special gift for stating the obvious, there's not a whistle on the planet that every player likes. Not Copelands, not Burkes, not Abells, not Overtons. None. I'm in a position to know that's true. There's just no need to get one's knickers in a twist over this.

[Pete D]

There was a survey at this forum within the last 3 months, or so, questioning peoples’ appreciation of Susato whistles. When I last checked it…most whistle players liked the Susato! Myself not one of them.

I bought 1 D Susato whistle at about $35. I’ll never buy another. IMHO, one word to describe Susato D whistles is “harsh.” Additionally, I found it difficult to play as moving to upper octave required significant amount more energy.

[rh]

IMHO, one word to describe Susato D whistles is “harsh.” Additionally, I found it difficult to play as moving to upper octave required significant amount more energy.

certainly when i play mine it sounds harsh. but one of my favorite whistlers, Sean Ryan, has played a Susato for years and it sounds as sweet as sugar in his able hands.

hey, to each his own, i've got a number of high end whistles and pretty much just play the Feadóg most of the time.

[Pete D]

concur

[IDAwHOa]

The most exhilerating sound I've ever made with a whistle was with a Sausato. I was on vacation, and my son wanted to swim in the hotel pool late at night. We were the only ones there and it was a big, room with lots of odd angles and there was this perfect reverb and I sounded great. Even my son, who hates the whistle, thought it was good.

Just think how much better it would have sounded with a REAL whistle!!!!!



Hey, I saw the opening and took it.

[FJohnSharp]

Additionally, I found it difficult to play as moving to upper octave required significant amount more energy.

This can be said of an Overton, too.

[FJohnSharp]

Just think how much better it would have sounded with a REAL whistle!!!!!



Hey, I saw the opening and took it.

I didn't own one at the time.

[ninjaaron]

I am a beginner with a susato Low D. I can't say anything about there soprano whistles.

I am not a beginner to the whole music deal however. After spending many thousands of dollars on guitar gear, and just as many hours using it, I would presume to know something about good and bad instruments in generaly.

My susato Low D is decidedly a "good instrument". I don't consider it a great instrument, but it preforms a lot better than a lot of 'beginner' guitars which cost two or three times as much.

The main dividing line that I have found between good and bad instruments boils down to one single factor: Does it play in tune? My Susato is very, very in tune in the keys of D and G, which is all you could ask from almost any whistle of this sort. Some of the other crossfingerings are a little off, but they are close enough that it doesn't ruin the tune.

The second most important factor that makes an instument "good" is this: Is is responsive? can a decent player make it work the way it aught to?

Susato does quite well in this catagory as well. The holes are quite large, but not overly difficult to cover. They are very easy to bend on, which I think is great. To it's discredit, it takes a whole lot of air in the second octave and flips down easily, which is irritating.

A third factor is Durability. Good instruments are reliable. Nothing really needs to be said here. Susato has the market cornered in the durability department.

The next catagory is sound. To my ears, it doesn't quite have the same magic as some of the more expensive whistels, but that is fairly objective. It Does NOT sound like a Recorder. I have a tenor recorder, and it is much more agressive and chiffy. I like the sound because it cuts well outside. I play outside a lot, sitting around with my friends. I also jam with a lot of musicians using amplification (I'm not an Irish trad player really), and it's power is appreciable in that setting. The sound gets through the mix. It passes this test as well. All casual observers think it sounds great. Great enough that I had to record a track in a song off the cuff for whipping it out in some guys home studio (not that I minded).

The last catagory that has an effect on the quality of an instrument is the asthetic. The looks of an instrument effects the way you play it. I've seen it a thousand times. It goes into the showmanship aspect, which is pretty important in the rock scene, of which I am a part. Susatos are definetly not stars in this department. The don't look horrid. Nice black low profile, but the metal whistles are generally more pleasing to the eye. Seriously, I've had this mistaken for a "tricked out recorder" everywhere I go (this probably has to do with the fact that I don't run with the Irish scene). That's irritating. It doesn't look bad, but it could be a lot better. Then again, almost no "beginner" instruments look super cool.

Over all, My susato Low D passes the "good instrument" test with very good marks, a couple of minuses, and boatload of reliability.