Sterling Silver Copeland Low D SOLD!

Azalin · Post by **Azalin** » Fri Jan 03, 2003 10:46 am

Jessie,

Well, I was talking about people with average money like me, based on a situation where you have to think if you're really going to play a whistle before you buy it. Sorry, I should have specified this. As usual, it turns into a personnal matter, and now we know everything about your current life situation. I was just thinking out loud about why the whistle wouldnt sell that fast, and gave my theory on the matter.

Bloomfield,

Hmmmmm, really? From my personnal experience, the low whistle, and it's low air requirement, isnt going through at all when it's a noisy session. I'm not talking about lotsa instruments, but lotsa people talking around.

jim_mc · Post by **jim_mc** » Fri Jan 03, 2003 11:01 am

Two years ago, this whistle would have been gone a couple of days ago without a word of discussion. Money's a little tighter for some of us, so it's taking a little longer to sell. Does that mean it isn't worth the asking price? Hell, no! It's worth every penny. Who cares how useful it is. It's a beautiful, hand crafted instrument made from a precious metal and I'm sure it sounds lovely. If I didn't have a wife and kids, mortgage, car payments, etc., I'd snap it up even if I could never played it anywhere but in my basement.

As far as collecting goes, people collect all kinds of useless things. I know a guy whose baseball card collection could put my two kids through ivy league colleges. He never played baseball after little league, and all he does with the cards is show them to friends every once in a while. Still, it seems to give him pleasure, so who am I to criticize. As long as he pays his taxes and takes care of himself, what he does with what's left over is no ones business but his own.

I'm impressed that Jessie has worked hard enough to amass such a fine collection. She's a fine whistler and a gorgeous singer and a great contributor to the community of Irish music (yes, even beyond this board). So quit your carping. And someone please buy this thing soon. My wife will be absolutely furious if it ends up at my house!

JessieK · Post by **JessieK** » Fri Jan 03, 2003 11:01 am

Az, that's a cute way of not standing behind your position (saying you should have specified that you were referring to "average" income or normal people, as you seem to imply). I am so not rich, but whatever. Yeah, I talk about my life. There are worse things. Anyway, it aggravated me that you said that to spend a lot of money on a whistle (and pay extra for precious metal) means that one is not serious about Irish music. It was, and still is, hogwash.

Edit: Thanks for the support, Jim.

[ This Message was edited by: JessieK on 2003-01-03 12:05 ]

Azalin · Post by **Azalin** » Fri Jan 03, 2003 11:11 am

Jessie,

I don't see how I'm not standing behind my position, but if you do that's fine. It's funny that people will always end up gettin' angry at objective comments, but what's even more interesting is that instead of giving your thoughts cooly, it will turn out into a "don't-do-that" discussion, like Jim-the-wise and his "So quit your carping" comment. Anyway, 2003 will be a good year, I can feel it.

Loren · Post by **Loren** » Fri Jan 03, 2003 11:13 am

Yeah, I'm with Jim: Instruments by their very nature are simply luxuries to all but the professional musician, and we have scant few of those posting here, so what's the freakin' problem? Why is it that when someone wants to sell an unusual and expensive instrument around here all they get is grief? Or at the very least people jabberin' on about why whistle x isn't worth the extra cash? Sheesh.

Hey Jessie, send that low d back to Copeland for some fancy engraving and then put it back up for sale, that'll really give the loonies something to rave about.....

Loren

JessieK · Post by **JessieK** » Fri Jan 03, 2003 11:14 am

I don't generally feel anything cooly. Just not the way I am.

I'm over it.

jim stone · Post by **jim stone** » Fri Jan 03, 2003 11:14 am

I'm playing a Copeland low D in
various venues--two days ago I played
in a New Year's Day session including banjos and pipes.
Also I play each Thurs in an immense room with all sorts
of instruments, mandolins, banjos,
where much of the music isn't celtic,
but blues, rock, you name it. The
Copeland low D does fine, in my
experience. It isn't a flute; it
has a beautiful sound
that is flutey without being
a flute. It does something
in sessions a
flute doesn't do, something
worth doing, I think.
It can be played very fast. Best

Aodhan · Post by **Aodhan** » Fri Jan 03, 2003 11:16 am

discussion. Money's a little tighter for some of us, so it's taking a little longer to sell. Does that mean it isn't worth the asking price? Hell, no! It's worth every penny. Who cares how useful it is. It's a beautiful, hand crafted instrument made from a precious metal and I'm sure it sounds lovely.

There's the rub. I can afford the instrument, but I am at a level of playability that doesn't justify my purchasing it. Right now I am busy rationalizing the purchase of a poly flute.

It's a beautiful instrument, and one I would love to have, but I don't play well enough to justify it. Now in a year or two...

You'll keep it just for me, right Jessie?

Aodhan

JessieK · Post by **JessieK** » Fri Jan 03, 2003 11:33 am

On 2003-01-03 12:16, Aodhan wrote:
I am at a level of playability that doesn't justify my purchasing it.

You'll get over that in time.

Edit: Seriously, for me, a beautiful instrument can inspire better performance.

[ This Message was edited by: JessieK on 2003-01-03 12:34 ]

Bloomfield · Post by **Bloomfield** » Fri Jan 03, 2003 11:36 am

On 2003-01-03 12:13, Loren wrote:
Why is it that when someone wants to sell an unusual and expensive instrument around here all they get is grief?

How many pages were there of raving about this whistle, and people cheering Jessie on?

Or at the very least people jabberin' on about why whistle x isn't worth the extra cash? Sheesh.

Has this even come up (except maybe in Az's last post)? Whoever it was suggested that the reason why the whistle wasn't selling was that people would be tempted to get a flute instead, not whether the whistle is worth its price.

... that'll really give the loonies something to rave about.....

Hehehe.

I still think that Jessie has "seen it so many times" that she felt jumped upon before she actually was. But so what. Whatever the reason is that this whistle hasn't sold (and it will sell), I don't think anybody believes it isn't worth the price.

_________________
/bloomfield

[ This Message was edited by: Bloomfield on 2003-01-03 12:37 ]

JessieK · Post by **JessieK** » Fri Jan 03, 2003 11:39 am

On 2003-01-03 12:36, Bloomfield wrote:
I still think that Jessie has "seen it so many times" that she felt jumped upon before she actually was.

Yeah, perhaps.

chas · Post by **chas** » Fri Jan 03, 2003 11:58 am

On 2003-01-03 12:33, JessieK wrote:

Edit: Seriously, for me, a beautiful instrument can inspire better performance.

I couldn't agree more. I felt like I had to become a decent player in order to justify the investment in high-end instruments. I would've played about 10% as much in the last year if it weren't for Weasels, Burkes, and the like.

Ridseard · Post by **Ridseard** » Fri Jan 03, 2003 12:28 pm

Seriously, for me, a beautiful instrument can inspire better performance.

Very true, even for "folk" musicians. I once saw a fiddle which had been lovingly crafted by an "old time" fiddler for his wife, and it was the most gorgeous instrument that I have ever set eyes on in all my 64 years on this planet. I think that many people who are in love with music are appreciative of beautiful things in general, and to them the musical experience may be greatly enhanced by the visual attractiveness of the instrument. It's only natural that this should be so, IMHO.

Loren · Post by **Loren** » Fri Jan 03, 2003 1:17 pm

Ditto for me: I practice on the flute way more now that I have the Olwell, it's just so damn good, not to mention gorgeous.

Same thing with my Abell and Overton Whistles: Having had a ton of other instruments, I wasn't nearly as motivated to practice and play on most of them, except for that damn Copeland Nickel C that Jessie has now........

Loren

DrRichard · Post by **DrRichard** » Fri Jan 03, 2003 2:04 pm

On 2003-01-03 12:33, JessieK wrote:
Edit: Seriously, for me, a beautiful instrument can inspire better performance.

There's certainly some truth to that (and I certainly can't argue about it, because you very specifically were referring to you!). That said, I think it's an interesting topic to consider the general statement.

I know that when I used to teach (Sax) I would specifically ensure that my pupils did not have "top of the line" instruments. They should have instruments that worked well, but, by experience, I found that the students who learned on $5,000 dollar saxes never really learned to appreciate them, and tended to be stunted in the maximum level they made.

When a student was ready I would encourage them to buy a new horn, and the enthusiam from that new horn would propel them up and over the next level, does that make sense? I've seen similar things with high-end flutes. So, I used better instruments when the time was right. I guess it depends on skill level; in the hands of an artist, it's certainly true that a better instrument will inspire a better performance, but I am not sure about an excellent instrument in the hands of a beginner.

Not sure how much of that holds true for whistles... Just wondering out loud, I guess.

Richard