The Clarke Sweetone

burnsbyrne · Post by **burnsbyrne** » Tue Oct 01, 2002 9:30 am

On 2002-10-01 11:04, Walden wrote:
On 2002-10-01 10:54, bassnwhistle wrote:

They and the Meg (I'm undecided on which one I like more) offer very good sound, especially for the money.
I haven't seen a Meg yet (other than catalogue and online promotional pictures). The local music store hasn't stocked them, though they may, they carry the other Clarke whistles. Do the Megs differ from the Sweetone? In what way, if they do? Is there any difference in the mouthpiece design?

Waldon,
I have both, a Sweetone and Meg D. They are the same size and weight. The mouthpiece is identical in design. On my Meg the color of the mouthpiece is a bit grayish rather than the jet black of the Sweetone. The two whistles don't sound the same, but very close. My Sweetone is a bit more "full" sounding but that may be because it seems to have a heavier coat of paint than the Meg.
Mike

Walden · Post by **Walden** » Tue Oct 01, 2002 9:31 am

Who is that masked Dude?!

TubeDude · Post by **TubeDude** » Tue Oct 01, 2002 9:33 am

On 2002-10-01 11:31, Walden wrote:
Who is that masked Dude?!

Chuck_Clark · Post by **Chuck_Clark** » Tue Oct 01, 2002 9:33 am

On 2002-10-01 10:42, srt19170 wrote:
I don't understand why none of the upper-end whistle makers don't make conical bore whistles.

Well, Copeland does. Unfortunatlely, the Copeland is to the Clarke as a custom built Ferrari is to a basic Hyundai, pricewise. Even without the waiting period, most of us can't or won't spend the money to obtain one.

I suspect that without special dies and machinery the conical tube is just too difficult for a small company to make, but the whistlesmiths among us would be far better qualified to comment on that one. Truth be told, I wouldn't mind seeing one in the middle to low-upper price range.

Walden · Post by **Walden** » Tue Oct 01, 2002 9:42 am

On 2002-10-01 11:33, Chuck_Clark wrote:

Truth be told, I wouldn't mind seeing one in the middle to low-upper price range.

There's always Shaws.

It seems like I recall that Bill the Serpent has expressed interest in developing a conical bore whistle. Hopefully he'll follow through and produce one.

brownja · Post by **brownja** » Tue Oct 01, 2002 9:58 am

On 2002-10-01 10:19, blackhawk wrote:
I disagree, JB. I have four Sweetone Ds and a C and they all sound great.

Maybe tone wasn't the one word, maybe voice would have better. Ya know, like a synthesizer can play the same note but can be made to sound like a piano, or fiddle, or tuba, or whatever by flipping a switch.
Well, flip the switch to "Crap" and that's what the sweetone sounds like.
Of course, i'm being facetious. And maybe I just have a bad one. A meg is on it's way. We'll see how it sounds.
Cheers,
jb

MurphyStout · Post by **MurphyStout** » Tue Oct 01, 2002 11:01 am

I'm with Brownja on this one. But I must admit that the sweetone is very easy to play and forgiving. I think it is a great starters whistle and would be a great whistle in general if you like the sound. To me sweetones sound like *&^% and they're even worse when I listen to someone else playing one. They just don't sound like a tin whistle to me. To each his own and thank god that there are so many whistles out there to chose from.

Ridseard · Post by **Ridseard** » Tue Oct 01, 2002 11:04 am

I think the Sweetone is remarkably easy to play, but the tone is so dull and uninteresting that I almost never play it.

tuaz · Post by **tuaz** » Tue Oct 01, 2002 11:06 am

They're easy to play but there's a certain hollowness or lack of body in their tone that gets to me. My Sweetone C was my 2nd whistle. Tuning was horribly off with itself.

But I suspect Sweetones are more reliably and consistently made than Megs, based on the 3 Megs I've tried.

chas · Post by **chas** » Tue Oct 01, 2002 11:20 am

I also don't like Sweetones. I don't like the sound -- it sounds a little like a watered-down Clarke, but if I want a Clarke sound, that's what I reach for. I also don't like the way it plays. I find it a little breath-intensive -- not a real airhog, but it takes more breath and offers less backpressure than I like.

I don't think the Sweetone is a crappy whistle, just bland and not to my taste. And, based on so many recommendations for beginners, I did give my niece a Sweetone when she wanted a whistle. I also gave her a Clare, which is the whistle I always recommend to beginners.

sweetone · Post by **sweetone** » Tue Oct 01, 2002 11:59 am

They just don't sound like a tin whistle to me. To each his own and thank god that there are so many whistles out there to chose from.
[/quote]
Tell us, how does a tin whistle sound?

french · Post by **french** » Tue Oct 01, 2002 12:07 pm

got a red one in "d" today. like all my whistles, i'll try to make it sound good. hope it cooperates!

actually, all my whistles sound different, that's part of the fun of playing them.

- tom

Cees · Post by **Cees** » Tue Oct 01, 2002 12:08 pm

I got a Sweetone because of all the recommendations here, almost a year ago. I find it very easy to play and like the more flute-like, sweet sound, but I don't like the extreme breathiness. So I don't play it all that much.

But I did get two for two of my sisters because they were beginners and I thought it was the best they could learn on, and they both love them.

On 2002-10-01 13:01, MurphyStout wrote:
They just don't sound like a tin whistle to me.

I find this rather funny and ironic since the Sweetone, Clark and Meg are the only real "tin" whistles!

But seriously, I know what you mean. They sound more flutey.
_________________
MCM Transatlantic Whistle Detective Agency - no case too small.
Branches in London and Salt Lake City

[ This Message was edited by: Cees on 2002-10-01 14:11 ]

Dewhistle · Post by **Dewhistle** » Tue Oct 01, 2002 12:28 pm

I find my Sweetone is best in the no-squeak area. And when I first got it, I was in transports over the ease of the second octave. If I want to work on a tune, it's not going to make any other demands of me while I learn it. But with playing it over a few months, I have noticed that it is pretty shrill... and just plain loud. I know part of that is how I play it, but I see both sides of this discussion. It is a good playable whistle but I wouldn't say it's the sound I want to share with the world.

JessieK · Post by **JessieK** » Tue Oct 01, 2002 12:28 pm

With the "modified production and budget raw materials," I think the Meg is not in the same league as the Sweetone. I ordered a few dozen Megs and a dozen Sweetones to give away to beginners, and of the 12 or so Megs I opened and playes, I liked NONE of them.

I love Sweetones. Yes, the sound is much more airy than Generations, but it is also less shrill and there isn't a buzz on some of the notes. I always have a Sweetone in my glove compartment, and I play it when I am away from home. It doesn't have the fullness of, say, my beloved Abell d, but I also don't have to worry about it, and the tone is pleasing enough.

There are other makers (besides Michael Copeland) of conical whistles: Jon Swayne (recommended), Ralph Sweet, Fred Rose (I think it's conical, but it's not in front of me now).

Jessie