I've added clips for the Bb and A whistles, and replaced the previous clips to repair some sound quality problems. They're available at the same location:
The whistles were recorded with no effects except slight EQ (3db roll-off above 12 MHz). No compression, so the relative volume between notes and octaves is preserved. The clips are normalized to -3 dB, with a bit of reverb added to compensate for a dead room. The distance between microphone and whistle was about 1 foot.
Equipment: Shure SM57 microphone, Behringer Xenyx 802 mixer, SoundBlaster card, Sound Forge software, and DC-Art for reverb.
And now a few words from MTGuru Laboratories, home of the famous Whistlemark test. No whistles were harmed in the testing of the GG whistles, though several were poked and prodded to the point of peevishness.
Physical Features
Honestly, I was surprised by how nice these whistles look. The matte-finish off-white PVC is more subtle than the usual shiny white tubing I expected. The fit and finish is excellent, with no rough edges. Finger holes are slightly chamfered for comfort, and the hole spacing is comfortable for standard grip even on the A whistle. The fipple plugs of either white Delrin or black polypropylene look good and fit well. There is a small bit of glue extrusion visible inside the fipple windows next to the plugs, which doesn't affect the overall appearance. The whistles are lightweight, but feel solid and comfortable in the hands.
The D whistle is made of 16 mm OD tubing with a 13.5 mm bore, while the Bb and A use a larger 20 mm OD tube with a 17.5 mm bore. These dimensions are basically the same as the corresponding Susato whistles. All are non-tunable, one-piece tubes in their current design.
Probably the most distinctive feature is the mouthpiece beak, which is cut at a straight angle of ~45 degrees, roundly pointed at the tip, and with a fairly sharp edge. This was a concern at first, since an accidental movement of the whistle in the mouth or at a crowded table might cause some damage. But in practice, a bit of precaution is all that is needed, and the beak is comfortable at different playing angles. Still, a flattening of the tip might be an idea for future GG whistle designs.
Acoustic Features
To my ear, one way to describe the tone and playing characteristics of the GG whistle is to place it halfway between a Generation at one end, and a Susato at the other. Volume, timbre, chiff, breath, backpressure, responsiveness - all fall in the middle between those two.
Volume is medium; louder than a Gen for session playing, but not as dominant as a full-throttle Susato can be, especially in the upper register. The octaves give the impression of being nicely balanced, even at the top of the range. The bell note is solid and clear and speaks easily.
The tone is open and round like a Susato, but with a smoother, breathy complexity that blends well with other instruments. The considerable chiff is between the "hard" chiff of a Susato and the "chirpy" chiff of a Gen, and softened by the overall timbre.
Breath requirements are moderate, with considerable backpressure allowing for a surprisingly large dynamic range and "push", but at the cost of some intonation issues (see below). Responsiveness is excellent throughout the range.
Players who expect a good choice of cross-fingerings won't be disappointed. C-nat oxxooo is solid and in tune. And for A tunes, very usable cross-fingerings for G# xxoxxx and g# xxoxox are available. The high c' and d' fingerings speak easily and in tune.
Tuning and Intonation
I mentioned that the GG accommodates a relatively large range of breath pressure, with a corresponding range of both volume and pitch. Unlike many whistles that seem to want to be played at a particular level, the GG remains responsive from close to whisper quiet up to maximum breath and projection. But the consequences for tuning and intonation can be tricky.
As a session and performance player, I often push my whistles to a level above their median capacity, to bring out certain inherent qualities of tone and chiff. However, applying this technique to the GG whistles, I found that I tended to play consistently sharp by as much as 20 to 30 cents relative to A440. This can be heard in my GG whistle clips, and is confirmed by analysis using Terry McGee's RTTA software.
Backing off the pressure to a point closer to minimum can, in fact, lower the overall tuning to A440, but at a cost of tone and projection. And this "sweet spot" in the breath range is different for each whistle (D, Bb, and A).
Guido specifies that he tunes his whistles to d = +10 cents for a good overall intonation. And I agree that a slightly sharp whistle is a good compromise anyway, as many sessions may tune slightly sharp. But I suspect that the GG whistles are tuned using a low level of breath pressure that more "advanced" or aggressive players might find too restrictive in order to remain on pitch. And a tuning slide adjustment is not currently available.
In short, this tuning issue is the only real reservation I have. Solo players and living room noodlers will not be bothered, and will enjoy the dynamic flexibility. But beginners with rudimentary breath control and ear training may find it difficult to play at consistent pitch. And advanced players may have to exercise care to play in tune with other instruments.
In any case, I've agreed to share my tuning data with Guido as he continues to refine his designs.
Inter-note intonation is variable but generally good, and within the profile of many other whistles and ITM winds. The posted sound clips are an example of the good results that can be achieved.
The Low D
Being primarily a high whistle player, I didn't really test or review the GG low D whistle included in the tour set. In general, it seems to share the positive characteristics of the higher whistles, with a complex breathy tone and a bit on the quiet side of volume. The tube size of 25 mm OD is identical to that of an Overton. I did find the hole spacing a bit of a challenge. For example, the Overton 5-6 hole distance (edge to edge) is 33 mm, where the GG is 42 mm. This may be a stretch for players with smaller hands, but dedicated low whistlers can probably adjust their piper's grip to accommodate the longer reach.
Summary
The GG whistle is a very nice whistle at a very nice price. Anyone who has thought about making one of Guido's DIY whistles but who, like me, has the mechanical aptitude of a ham-handed monkey, can now acquire one ready-made, and very nicely made indeed. The larger whistles from A down to low C are a real bargain and, extrapolating from the whistles at hand, could stand up to other far more expensive offerings in their class.
For players of small-throated Generation style whistles interested in trying a full-throated, larger bore instrument that retains much of the familiar ease and response, the GG is an excellent choice. And fans of full-throated whistles will enjoy the complex tone and chiff, and well-behaved session-friendly volume. And, of course, the price.
A big thank-you to Guido for making the tour whistles available for testing, and for offering his construction plans and finished instruments to the C&F community.
MTGuru wrote:
...
But I suspect that the GG whistles are tuned using a low level of breath pressure that more "advanced" or aggressive players might find too restrictive in order to remain on pitch. And a tuning slide adjustment is not currently available.
...
Thanks a lot for your review, MTGuru! Your opinion and suggestions are precious.
I confirm that when I tune my whistles, I try to employ an average (rather than low) level of breath pressure. This choice is based solely on my own playing experience. I played my whistles in sessions, on stage and on a recording with no tuning issues; but surely a tuning slide would be a very welcome option. I should be able to add it in the near future.
I've also decided to cut the pointed beak of the mouthpiece as per your suggestions. Now the sharp edge is gone, and the mouthpiece has a more common appearance. As time permits, I'll update the pictures.
Guidus wrote:
I've also decided to cut the pointed beak of the mouthpiece as per your suggestions. Now the sharp edge is gone, and the mouthpiece has a more common appearance. As time permits, I'll update the pictures.
I think this was a concern I too raised when I reviewed the Low D, Guido? It's an easy fix, of course. Also, do you remember my suggestion for an easy way to effect a tuning slide?
Cheers,
Jem.
Great review, MTGuru.
I respect people's privilege to hold their beliefs, whatever those may be (within reason), but respect the beliefs themselves? You gotta be kidding!
jemtheflute wrote:I think this was a concern I too raised when I reviewed the Low D, Guido? It's an easy fix, of course. Also, do you remember my suggestion for an easy way to effect a tuning slide?
Cheers,
Jem.
Great review, MTGuru.
You're right Jem, it was one of your suggestions. I also moved the top hole upwards to fix the C# and made a longer mouthpiece.
I'm a bit embarrassed to admit I don't remember suggestions about tuning slides, apart the obvious one - "Guido could easily offer a version of this whistle with a tuning slide and alternate bodies". The problem I haven't fixed yet with PVC tuning slides is that they keep shrinking and tend to get stuck. I'd need to run a 1-week long experiment and check the long term results. This will be done this summer.
Just been checking back - I don't think I actually wrote to you either privately or in the public review here about tuning slides etc. Guido. No wonder you don't recall - my mistake!
Have a look at this thread on the 2nd page for a run down on my tube expansion technique (easier than your acetone one, I think, and with some joint grease I've had no real trouble with them sticking). Further down the thread (3rd page) is my method for using expanded rings of tube to make raised, adjustable offset tone-holes. (I knew I'd written it up somewhere!) I'd be interested to know what you think.
Cheers,
Jem.
I respect people's privilege to hold their beliefs, whatever those may be (within reason), but respect the beliefs themselves? You gotta be kidding!
I tried the hot air trick, but it didn't work on the gray PVC I have. It did work, however, on some black PVC I received from abroad. I guess it depends on the chemical additives. Too bad!
Guidus wrote:I tried the hot air trick, but it didn't work on the gray PVC I have. It did work, however, on some black PVC I received from abroad. I guess it depends on the chemical additives. Too bad!
Pity. I'd guess the reason your acetone expansions end up too tight is that they go on seeking to return to their orignal extruded dimensions longer - a much slower and less controllable process than the heat one. Mind you, I had some difficulties on occasion getting re-contracted heat expanded tube off the mandrel or a male tube section as it contracted too far/seized up - the trick was to keep twisting it round as it cooled and to speed up cooling with cold water, if I recall aright: however, one could always re-expand if the result was too tight (once you got it off!) and then only heat it very gently to keep control of the re-shrinking process. The plus side was that, provided you didn't damage the contact surfaces or distort the tubing other than by simple cylindrical expansion, it gave excellent seals without any need for grease, glue etc.
How does heat work on the white tube you show in all your pics, Guido (I haven't seen any ilustrations of your whistles in grey ????) and that you used for the trial Low D you sent me?
When I was using quite a bit of this stuff back when I did my flute making in it, the main brand I used was Egatube - http://www.aurigaeurope.com/partners/mk ... atube.html partly because I could get it extra cheaply from one of the local electrical factors (Newey & Eyre - a national chain) and partly because I discovered they did the very small size (16mm OD, c12.5mm ID) - not often found in DIY hardware stores and not made by all producers of such tube. It's available in both black and white - that goes for the various different brands in the 20mm and 25mm OD sizes commonly available in DIY stores. I didn't use the white, so I can't say for sure it is workable under heating like the black.
Last edited by jemtheflute on Fri Jun 20, 2008 3:12 am, edited 1 time in total.
I respect people's privilege to hold their beliefs, whatever those may be (within reason), but respect the beliefs themselves? You gotta be kidding!
I want to thank everyone for their comments, reviews and suggestions in this thread. They have been very timely for me as I hope to make two whistles (D and C) using Guido's design this afternoon. And I also hope to make a G and an A whistle this weekend.
Guido, thank you for posting your design on the internet. Your instructions were clear and your illustrations very helpful. You did an excellent job on the Low Tech whistle how-to.
MT, I sure hope I come up with whistle that can play the way yours did!
jemtheflute wrote:
How does heat work on the white tube you show in all your pics, Guido (I haven't seen any ilustrations of your whistles in grey ????) and that you used for the trial Low D you sent me?
the pipe in my pics is gray... ok, white-ish. The heat trick didn't work, I even tried boiling water and microwave oven. Nada.
A piece of pipe enlarged with acetone warped spectacularly when I tried to dry it in the mw oven... a real piece of modern art!
MTGuru wrote:
As a session and performance player, I often push my whistles to a level above their median capacity, to bring out certain inherent qualities of tone and chiff. However, applying this technique to the GG whistles, I found that I tended to play consistently sharp by as much as 20 to 30 cents relative to A440. This can be heard in my GG whistle clips, and is confirmed by analysis using Terry McGee's RTTA software.
MTGuru,
you're quite right. Yesterday we had a great and noisy session and I did my experiments. Yup, I should tune my D whistles a little bit flatter! I found that one of my models was perfect, so I'll base my future 'stouts' on that one.
Thanks a lot for pointing this out! I'll publish a note on the how-to page.
Your opinion and suggestions are precious.
