Eric the Flutemaker/Bamboo whistles

WyoBadger · Post by **WyoBadger** » Mon Oct 16, 2006 8:04 pm

Has anybody played whistles by this gent?

http://www.eriktheflutemaker.com/Pennywhistles.htm

He's got a couple sound clips, but of course any whistle can sound good on a ten second clip with reverb backed up by several string instruments.

While we're at it, is there a reason no one seems to be making whistles out of bamboo tubes? Just curious.

Tom

King Friday · Post by **King Friday** » Mon Oct 16, 2006 8:16 pm

I asked Mr. Wanderer about them a while ago but he said the second octave is pretty weak. The bamboo tube is pretty cool, but he loses a little street cred with me on account of the Susato mouthpiece.

tomcat · Post by **tomcat** » Mon Oct 16, 2006 10:17 pm

i agree the susato fipple takes something away but the blues whistle and a minor flute are quite fun

IDAwHOa · Post by **IDAwHOa** » Mon Oct 16, 2006 11:49 pm

He could not answer some basic questions I had about his whistles, like was the d whistle above or below middle C on a piano.

Guidus · Post by **Guidus** » Tue Oct 17, 2006 12:55 am

WyoBadger wrote: While we're at it, is there a reason no one seems to be making whistles out of bamboo tubes? Just curious.
Tom

Bamboo looks cool and smells nice when burned, but it's not an easy material to make whistles with. It's fibrous and it tends to split too easily. My experience, at least.

Wanderer · Post by **Wanderer** » Tue Oct 17, 2006 5:28 am

In fairness, I haven't played one of Erik's whistles in a few years.

But it's basically a susato mouthpiece (unless he's changed vendors) on a bamboo tube.

I do have a fully-bamboo whistle here that I got from an import store. I think it came from India. The tuning leaves a lot ot be desired.

littlejohngael · Post by **littlejohngael** » Tue Oct 17, 2006 5:48 am

I've had good experiences with his bamboo flutes (standard flute in F and a Poet's Flute). So as far as tuning, I'd trust it. Don't know about the fipple, though.

crookedtune · Post by **crookedtune** » Tue Oct 17, 2006 8:43 am

I bought a G Major flute from him. Perfectly tuned, and very nice for the small price. I can't get too excited about a Susato head on a bamboo whistle barrel, though. I just don't see the point, personally.

markbell · Post by **markbell** » Tue Oct 17, 2006 11:14 pm

I have one of his flutes - mezzo G, and I like it quite a bit. I'm still working on improving my embochure, but the sound of the bamboo flute (and it's tonality) are pretty good to my tin ears.

Mark

Bretton · Post by **Bretton** » Wed Oct 18, 2006 7:31 am

I had a bamboo D whistle of his, but it's been about 5 years...

I remember it being a pretty loud whistle and having similar characteristics to a Susato (due to the mouthpiece), but with a mellower 2nd octave. It smelled nice. I remember liking it, but don't know what I'd think of one now...I hadn't played many higher end whistles at that point, just Susatos, Generations, etc...

-Brett

Stormowl · Post by **Stormowl** » Thu Oct 19, 2006 11:49 am

Actually, it's THIS man who's all to blame for my current WHOA!!!

I saw his flutes at a local fair a couple of years ago, and decided to buy one to try. I was already playing NAF then, so figured it would be a good next step.

I can't seem to get a consisten embrouchre for the flute, so never got too decent at it. I WILL say that he had some great customer service tho...my flute cracked about two weeks after I'd bought it (we had a VERY rainy season for fair that year) and he promptly replaced it no questions asked when I emailed him about it.

But while I never got decent on his flutes, it got me started on whistles...and I'm sitting here right now waiting on my Viper Low D to arrive!

Not sure how good his whistles are...but he does a good job tuning his flutes from the little I've seen.

WyoBadger · Post by **WyoBadger** » Thu Oct 19, 2006 8:37 pm

Thanks!

T

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Eric the Flutemaker/Bamboo whistles

Eric the Flutemaker/Bamboo whistles

Re: Eric the Flutemaker/Bamboo whistles