Susato difficulty

stevetcm · Post by **stevetcm** » Wed Mar 22, 2006 1:56 pm

Thanks Wanderer, these sound like words of wisdom to me. Think I'll put them away for a while.

Tommy · Post by **Tommy** » Wed Mar 22, 2006 3:05 pm

Please send unwanted Susato's to me.

cutterpup · Post by **cutterpup** » Wed Mar 22, 2006 4:33 pm

Tommy wrote:Please send unwanted Susato's to me.

I'll take whatever Tommy doesn't want

peeplj · Post by **peeplj** » Wed Mar 22, 2006 6:57 pm

fearfaoin wrote:Well said, Wanderer.
Now that I think about it, when I started Clarinet, I only made screechy
noises. It took me years to get good enough to have a reasonable
tone on a student instrument, much less on an expensive professional
model Clarinet. The same seemed to go for the other instruments and
players in the band. But, you don't see people asking why Bundy only
makes crap Clarinets. Instead, people actually expect to practice a lot
before being proficient.

This is a great post! and very true.

For two reasons: for some reason, whistle players seem to think that, as long as they get the fingers and tongue doing their thing, they should be able to "just blow" and the whistle should "just work."

I don't think I'm in a minority in feeling that it just doesn't work this way.

Also, in every other kind of wind instrument, there are beginner's instruments, intermediate instruments, and performance-grade instruments. Only in the beginner's instrument is ease of play much of a consideration in the design process. In intermediate and advanced instruments, the design goals are projection, tone, flexibility, and intonation--by the time you balance these variables against each other, you don't have much room left to tweak for ease of play. And, also, there is the assumption that by the time you get an $8000 instrument, you have put in the time and effort to have earned it and will have the experience to be able to master the thing.

Whistle is different, in that many very advanced players perform and record on very inexpensive instruments, and even the most expensive whistles would be considered very inexpensive when viewed by any woodwind or brass player. $400 will buy you about the best whistle made, but it'll only buy the cheapest grade of beginner's instruments in just about all other winds. (The other exception is the Irish flute, ironically: you can actually get a lot of flute for $400 if you do your research first.)

My point?

Some instruments, you just have to put out the time and effort to grow into them.

If you don't, that's not the instrument's fault, is it?

--James

WhistlinBob · Post by **WhistlinBob** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 6:31 am

Susato whistle are darn near indestructable and yes a little difficult to master but once you get a feel for them they are a great session whistle
they can be very loud sometimes this is needed in a large session I like them and will continue to use mine

p.s. being on a fixed income they are a great value

gonzo914 · Post by **gonzo914** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 7:29 am

The only problem I've seen with Susatos is that they do not come properly aged. I bought one four years ago when I first started playing the whistle. It was my first whistle that wasn't bought in a toy store. But when I played it, the upper octave as loud and piercing and unplayable, and when I played "Danny Boy," it frightened the children, so I stuffed it in a drawer and got a Dixon.

I got that Susato out about two years later and found it had improved considerably, but still didn't sound as good as my Dixon. So I put it away again.

And now, just a recently, I got it out again, and I'm happy to say it's finally ready to be played. And I'm playing it more and more. I like it a lot. I'd get another one, but I don't want to wait another 4 years to age it, so I'll have to look for a use, or rather, pre-aged one.

It would be nice if Susato aged them for us. You know, put them on a pallet and store them in a cave for four years and then sell them. They could even stamp the vintage on the barrel, so then we could say "I've got an '06 Susato. I wish I could find another one from that year." Or "Is that an '04? That was a great year." Or "I hear this is going to be an excellent year for Susatos, so I'm going to buy a dozen and lay them down for another four years. They should be really good in 2010."

peeplj · Post by **peeplj** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 7:35 am

And now, just a recently, I got it out again, and I'm happy to say it's finally ready to be played. And I'm playing it more and more. I like it a lot. I'd get another one, but I don't want to wait another 4 years to age it, so I'll have to look for a use, or rather, pre-aged one.

Too funny!

I needed that chuckle!

--James.tar.gz

P.S. I don't think it's the whistle that improves through aging.

SBS144 · Post by **SBS144** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 8:02 am

"Word of mouth" can be as damaging to any business as helpful. Having said that, in my own inexperience I bought a mid priced whistle and had trouble with it. I went to the maker, and found them to be very willing to work with me on an issue I had. In my case, it's inexperience with the whistle. I put it down and after playing some inexpensive whistles, can now appreciate what I have in the other. This certainly isn't the place to air issues, but rather with the maker. I have heard Susatos be played beautifully. Not at all the sound some people tend to associate with them. One of these days I will have a Boston baby grand piano....but that doesn't mean I can make it "sing".....YET.

fearfaoin · Post by **fearfaoin** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 8:18 am

peeplj wrote:--James.tar.gz

Feeling compressed?

peeplj · Post by **peeplj** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 8:21 am

fearfaoin wrote:
peeplj wrote:--James.tar.gz
Feeling compressed?

I had to gather up all my loose bits and pieces first.

--James.tar.gz

Crysania · Post by **Crysania** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 9:03 am

Well, when I was on the search for the right whistle for me, I came across someone on here selling a SB D (with lovely etchings and all) and decided to give it a shot. The moment I played it, I knew I found the whistles for me. It is NOT difficult to master -- if you know what you're doing. Unlike some whistles, I've found it takes a bit of an embouchure to work with the high register. The whistle has a lovely amount of back pressure, which was perfect since I was used to that (as a clarinet player). Since buying that SB D, I've gotten Susatos in VSB D (a lovely sweet whistle indeed!), C, Bb, A, G, and low D...and I'll buy more as time goes on!

I really don't understand the whole "the instrument should sound perfect out of the box" mentality. No instrument does. You have to learn to work with it. Even when I got my professional model clarinet (after playing for several years), I had to learn how to play THAT instrument and it wasn't perfect at first. Each whistle is unique. Learn to play it. I think giving up and calling the whistle "perverse" is a very sad thing indeed.

~Crysania

Mitch · Post by **Mitch** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 9:34 am

I like Susatos. I am impressed by the precision of the moulding, the sound is the Susato sound - not everyone's cup of tea for sure but I like agressive instruments

but most of all I appreciate the engineering. I like the little thumb-rest and mostest bestest is the engineering in the key-button thingies - very simple, functional, elegant and so handy on the low D!

stevetcm · Post by **stevetcm** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 11:17 am

Hi Crysania, I'm not giving up by the way.

peeplj · Post by **peeplj** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 11:22 am

stevetcm wrote:Hi Crysania, I'm not giving up by the way.

Good on you!

The Susato can take some time but it's time well spent.

--James

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