How do you care for and store a Burke Composite whistle?

azw · Post by **azw** » Wed Nov 01, 2006 12:12 am

How do you care for and store/carry a Burke composite whistle?

I've just gotten a Burke Composite Narrow Bore D. It sure is lightweight and thin-walled. I'm amazed that Mike can machine something this delicate.

Are these whistles fragile? Do you store them in something more substantial than a soft case?

LisaD · Post by **LisaD** » Wed Nov 01, 2006 12:22 am

azw wrote:How do you care for and store/carry a Burke composite whistle?

I've just gotten a Burke Composite Narrow Bore D. It sure is lightweight and thin-walled. I'm amazed that Mike can machine something this delicate.

Are these whistles fragile? Do you store them in something more substantial than a soft case?

Yes, they're pretty fragile. I cracked the headpiece of my composite low E once. I was carrying it in a backpack (dumb, dumb, dumb) and leaned against something. Now I keep it in a hard case.

azw · Post by **azw** » Wed Nov 01, 2006 12:25 am

Oh, that must have been a downer!

What kind of hard case do you use, Lisa?

LisaD · Post by **LisaD** » Wed Nov 01, 2006 12:32 am

I made one ... go to this page and scroll down to my post there.

http://chiffboard.mati.ca/viewtopic.php ... c&start=15

Whitmores75087 · Post by **Whitmores75087** » Wed Nov 01, 2006 5:19 pm

I have one. It seemed sturdy to me, so thanks for the heads up.

Doc Jones · Post by **Doc Jones** » Wed Nov 01, 2006 5:39 pm

I don't think you need to be over paranoid or anything but they are made of fairly rigid material so will crack or chip with concussion.

Common sense handling should be fine. PVC pipe makes great whistle cases if you want something bullet proof.

Doc

crookedtune · Post by **crookedtune** » Wed Nov 01, 2006 7:02 pm

Doc Jones wrote: Common sense handling should be fine. PVC pipe makes great whistle cases if you want something bullet proof.

Doc

No, the neighbors don't like 'em, but they're peaceful people.

FJohnSharp · Post by **FJohnSharp** » Thu Nov 02, 2006 12:58 am

A person who goes to our session kept one in her trunk this summer for three days and it got misshapen and loose around the joint. So, don't do that.

azw · Post by **azw** » Thu Nov 02, 2006 1:04 am

Thanks, FJohnSharp. That's odd and good to know. I wouldn't expect bakelite to be heat sensitive.

Doc Jones, I like the PVC tubes, too, but if you get more than three or four of them sorting through them is like herding cats!

falkbeer · Post by **falkbeer** » Fri Nov 03, 2006 9:24 am

azw wrote:How do you care for and store/carry a Burke composite whistle?

I've just gotten a Burke Composite Narrow Bore D. It sure is lightweight and thin-walled. I'm amazed that Mike can machine something this delicate.

Are these whistles fragile? Do you store them in something more substantial than a soft case?

Hi,

Just a question. I´m planning to buy a Burke myself. Why did you choose the composite over aluminium or brass?

/all the best, Falkbeer

StarrM · Post by **StarrM** » Fri Nov 03, 2006 9:41 am

Oh my. After reading this thread, I wonder if I should try to find a hard case for my new D/C set. I received them from Pat O'Riordan in August and have been taking them almost everywhere with me. (They're blackwood...sooo beautiful. He is such an artist.)

Starr

Loren · Post by **Loren** » Fri Nov 03, 2006 10:48 am

Hi Starr! Still bummed we weren't able to hook-up when I was in St. Louis a few years ago. I haven't been back since.

Your Pat O's should be fine travelling with you during the mild months of the year, just don't leave them in a hot car in the summer, and I'd think twice about taking them out and about in the winter if you can't either keep them warm, or allow them to slowly adjust to colder weather and then back to room temps - playing cold wooden whistles/flutes, or taking warm (just played) instruments out into the cold, even in a case, can lead to cracks I'm afraid.

Pat makes wonderful whistles (I miss the set I had), enjoy!

Loren

azw · Post by **azw** » Fri Nov 03, 2006 11:47 am

falkbeer wrote:...I´m planning to buy a Burke myself. Why did you choose the composite over aluminium or brass?

Hi, Falkbeer, I've never played an aluminum Burke. I do have a brass Burke, which is very nice, but I wanted the quieter sound of the composite for practicing around the house. It may also be useful when I'm playing with friends on tunes I'm still learning.

I think the quieter noise level is working out. I've gotten fewer "Can you give it a break?" requests from the family. It's also very pretty sounding and extremely easy to play.

But if I was going to have just one, I think I'd choose the brass. I like the way feels in the hands a little better. This is probably an emotional rather than rational thing. In my head, at least, the brass one comes closer to my own ill-conceived ideal of whistleness.

Ostekjeks · Post by **Ostekjeks** » Fri Nov 03, 2006 5:06 pm

Care? Besides giving your whistles love and tender lips?

Dave Parkhurst · Post by **Dave Parkhurst** » Wed Nov 08, 2006 9:06 pm

StarrM wrote:Oh my. After reading this thread, I wonder if I should try to find a hard case for my new D/C set. I received them from Pat O'Riordan in August and have been taking them almost everywhere with me. (They're blackwood...sooo beautiful. He is such an artist.)

Starr

Yes!!!!!! Yes yes YEEESSSS. O'Riordans are not readily available, and Pat's not taking orders. You mess those up and you'll be kicking yourself for many years to come.... find some kind of a hard case, please..... either that or send them to me and I'll put them in storage for you (heh heh heh.....)

Dave

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