Other points this discussion has raised are beauty; craftsmanship; ease of playing; wind requirement; volume; tuning; strength; cloggability. Anything else?
On this basis I think Dr G's freely shared experiments, and the experiments of others like him to come, including those already here like Glenn Schultz, are going to lead us to new instruments made out of all kinds of materials, traditional and otherwise, at 10 times less cost than the present collection of high end whistles. Surely this can only be good for whistling?
Because of thoughtful and insightful postings like yours, Jim, I see a concensus forming here, though murkily at present through the uneasy possibility of change that's being suggested...
K.
PS: I've listened to all the high end whistles, played four, and own three. I own nine low end whistles too. I'm coming to the conclusion whistles might only be as good as the people who play them. At a recent concert a player threw his whistle over his shoulder in disgust in mid play, then snatched up a colleague's spare low end whistle, which he used for the rest of the concert with no discernible difference. He is a long time Irish whistler with many best selling CDs to his credit too. I wish I could say he threw away a high end whistle, but I never found out.
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