Hoover whistles

[viejomc]

I'm posting a plug for Hoover whistles. A day does not pass that I don't pick up my Hoover Low F or Low G and lean back in my chair and wind down after a long day at the office. They require very little air, which is a challenge for me because of a huge lung capacity. I'm relatively new to whistle compared to most of you, but I've listened to so many clips of high end whistles that seem to lack the expressive qualities of my Hoovers.

Master Piper John Cairns wrote a tune that is on the Master Piper's CD called "A Love Song For Deborah Anne." With his permission to record his tune, here it is on my Hoover Low F:

http://www.silbealabanza.com/audio128k/ ... reverb.mp3

[slowair]

Very nice job on the tune.

And I'll second the plug for Mack's whistles. If you've got a cheap whistle lying around, order up a Black Top for it. You'll be amazed! Mack won't quit until he gets you a whistle that you love.

Mike

[Dazzle1]

Thirds on the plug

D

[Mr.Nate]

I have a whitehead on a feadog body that is one of my favorite whistles.

Nate

[peteinmn]

Me too. I have a number of Mack's whistles. I love the sound. He provides great value for the bucks. He's also a real gentleman and a heck of a good guy to work with.

Mack even has other talents. Scroll to the bottom of this page http://home.bresnan.net/~mackhoover/announcements.htm to see a recent non-whistle project and click here http://www.silbealabanza.com then top right corner under video clips to see and hear what it sounds like.

[riverman]

I agree. I have a Hoover whitehead on a Feadog body. The whitehead provides the purity, the Feadog retains its huskiness. Also, I asked Mack to make me a quiet whistle--and he didn't mess around! It is VERY quiet, perfect for those mornings when full whistle volume would be unwelcome at best!
No matter how fine a whistle you own, you deserve a quiet whistle from Mack for hotel rooms, mornings and civilized behavior!
Also, you will not meet a kinder man than Mack. Even though I am only buying a whistle, I like to have a friendly relationship with the maker. Mack certainly provided that!

[barbuck]

And I agree with all the above. Mack made me a set of 3 PVC whistles with his faux wood finish, in F, G, & A that I got just before Christmas. I had asked him for certain characteristics, including a little extra volume & a stronger than usual low end. The A & G have replaced my other whistles for most of the songs we play in those keys, and I use his F for one of the two songs we play in that key. (The only reason it didn't replace the other is that my Chieftain Gold F has a certain haunting tone that fits the song too well!)

Beautiful looking (esp. for PVC), great tone, and the hole spacing/size makes them (at least for me) easier to play than many other whistles in those keys. And Mack was a pleasure to deal with.

[alespa]

I fourth and fifth that motion!

[Tom Dowling]

In addition to seconding ViejoMc's well founded views on Mack's fine whistles, this is as good a place as any to acknowledge the fine technical support, fellowship, encouragement and guidance these two fine gentlemen have provided me--in Mack's case for a few years now and in ViejoMc's, for the the past few months. And, I suspect that my circumstance is not an isolated one. Mack was instrumental in getting me in touch with ViejoMc when I first started recording at home, and it would be hard to put a value on the good advice and support he has given me, including mixing, editing and, in general, polishing up the first tune that I have had the nerve to put up on Tinwhistle Tunes.

Thank you both and thanks to C & F for being there to make it possible for connections like these to get made.

Tom D.

[shengjie]

I just ordered a Low G Whistle from Mack. I agree that he is a nice guy to work with, even asked about his previous customer who is from my country. Looking forward to the whistle, and definitely not my last order.

[Byll]

Mack is a treasure. He has enriched my life, both personally and professionally. We have been through non-tunable aluminum, CPVC, Whitecap, and Blacktop instruments, together. In front of me, at my school room desk as I write, are two old CPVC veterans, one with large tone holes, one with small...and a thoroughly amazing Blacktop/old Clare nickel-bodied frankenwhistle, which could not exist in this world without Mack's ministrations...We all need to sit down and consider just how much Mack has given to the world of whistles, and to many of us, individually...

I salute you, Mack.

Byll

[loy]

Viejomc, What a great job on that tune! It has been a favorite of mine since I heard it about a year ago, I am sure Mr. Cairns would be proud of your take on it. I have just ordered a "Tweeked" Clarke whistle and instruction book and cd, (hope I picked a good one to start with) I really like the voice of your hoover so went to his web site,I like the idea of it being quiet as I can practice at work and at home at nite, if I get the hang of it I most surely will order one of them, again thank you for the inspiration. Loy

[markbell]

Mack is a rare treasure, indeed! I had the honor and pleasure of spending a weekend enjoying his hospitality and his workshop. Here's my photo essay of a low E whistle being built, for those of you who haven't seen it yet: http://www.geocities.com/whistleandsqueak/hoover.html

Mark

[tjs]

Mack is botha gentleman and highly articulate corespondent. I have Black Tips from A down to Low D and love every one. If you want to get a really GREAT wgistle, get the LOW G Black Tip.

Good Job Mack!

[greg]

ive only been playing about 6 months but im up to 5 whistles all of them hoovers i had an acorn and a burke dasbt that just didnt grab me but ive loved all the hoovers my current favorite is the d brass narrow bore the second otave is so easy to play and the sound is incedible keep it up mack!