I'm warming to my Susatos

Martin Milner · Post by **Martin Milner** » Wed Feb 05, 2003 8:15 am

I got a couple of Susato High Ds, a Dublin (non-tuneable) and Kildare (tuneable) about 18 months ago, but found them squeaky, jumpy & temperamental, and laid them aside for something less demanding.

Coming back to them in the last couple of weeks, my goodness how they've improved!

Which goes to show that if you leave a whistle alone long enough it'll get lonely & behave better, or just possibly that my breath control has improved and now I'm up to Susato standard.

On this flimsy evidence, I'd recommend a Susato if you have been playing a year or more (or less if you practise a lot) and want volume, but probably not to a complete beginner. The additional joy is that, being plastic, they are immune to rust, heat & cold (within reason).

Wombat · Post by **Wombat** » Wed Feb 05, 2003 8:18 am

Ah, sounds like the right time to try to sell you mine Martin.

peeplj · Post by **peeplj** » Wed Feb 05, 2003 9:04 am

Well, I like Susatos.

But I'm not one of those folks who has one perfect "whistle sound" in his head that he always tries to match.

I like having a drawerfull of whistles, with their different sounds and different personalities.

Best,

--James
http://www.flutesite.com

FJohnSharp · Post by **FJohnSharp** » Wed Feb 05, 2003 9:48 am

You know, I got mine as a fairly beginnerly level. All I had was a cheapy Feadog and getting the Sausato was a great move for me. It was easier to get the sounds I thought I should be getting and I found it fairly predictable. But, I hadn't much experience with whistle to that point. I still like mine too --as I've grown into it evenmore.

Martin Milner · Post by **Martin Milner** » Wed Feb 05, 2003 10:29 am

FJohn,

You have a good point of course. When I started whistling I basically didn't want people to hear me practising, so I was pretty timid in blowing into the thing. The Susato rewards, indeed requires, a bolder approach. The upper register, particularly G and up, requires a very focussed stream of air - not volume as such, but good pressure. Moreso than the cheapies I usually play (Generation, Feadog, Walton).

I don't dislike the sound either, as James says, different whistles for different moods. I like to switch whistles around when I'm practising, I think it helps me develop.

cheers, M

Roger O'Keeffe · Post by **Roger O'Keeffe** » Wed Feb 05, 2003 10:47 am

Shouldn't that be "Susati"?

If you're lurking, Mike, would you care to give us an etymological background briefing?

Cees · Post by **Cees** » Wed Feb 05, 2003 1:22 pm

Thou foul traitor, O once-time friend Martigorn!

You have gone over to the Dark Side!

Tahquitz · Post by **Tahquitz** » Wed Feb 05, 2003 2:21 pm

Like peeplj, I like to have a variety of sounds. My Susato sop. C sounds particularly cool played in the large warehouse space I work in...after everyone's gone home of course. It's the Ethel Merman of whistles IMO.
Makes me think..."Nooo Business like Shooow business..." with a little rhythmic restructuring might turn into a snappy jig!?

Isilwen · Post by **Isilwen** » Wed Feb 05, 2003 7:18 pm

Interesting way of putting it, Tahquitz...

On a different note (he he he), I like my Susato when I need to play loud and there isn't any amplification. The rest of the time, it's Dom and Merv (My sweetones in D and C) to the rescue! he he he.

snoogie · Post by **snoogie** » Thu Feb 06, 2003 5:20 am

I like my Susatos also and agree with FJohn. My 'regular' Susato plays a bit too loud for my family's liking.

Then for Xmas I got a VSB (in D) and love it. It has a great clear tone similar to the 'regular' bore but much quieter. While the 'regular' requires you to play boldly, the VSB rewards less air and more control on the upper octave.

Prior to that I had a Feadog and a Walton's Brass D. I was wondering if I would ever be able to play well with a good sound. These were way too squeaky and chiff/airy sounding (for my taste).

The susatos have a much clearer rounder tone that I prefer, and they are not going to empty your wallet.

-gary

peeplj · Post by **peeplj** » Thu Feb 06, 2003 8:11 am

One thing about the Susato whistles: if you have bad fingering, or sloppy playing, or bad breath control--if you have just about <i>any</i> part of whistle playing that's not firmly under your control--with a Susato, the whole world hears it.

In some ways I think they are like the Pratten model flutes in the flute world, only the Pratten can be a hard flute to learn to blow, and by the time a player achieves the volume it's capable of, he's usually well on his way to learning the other aspects of playing and is no longer a rank beginner.

I wonder sometimes if Susato's don't sometimes take it on the nose simply because they have good tone and volume from day one, so that in a beginner's hands, you hear every squeak, every sour note, every faked roll, every missed fingering.

I think a Susato in the right hands can be a wonderful whistle. Fact it, a person I've learned much about whistle playing from, especially in the early days of our little band, is Sam McReynolds, and Susatos are pretty much all he plays.

If you ever listen to "The Arran Boat" off my website ( http://www.flutesite.com/fianna/arran_boat.mp3 ), that sad, lonesome sounding, sweet-as-sugar whistle playing is just a plain old black Susato D regular bore whistle.

Best,

--James
http://www.flutesite.com

Ridseard · Post by **Ridseard** » Thu Feb 06, 2003 10:47 am

If you ever listen to "The Arran Boat" off my website ( http://www.flutesite.com/fianna/arran_boat.mp3 ), that sad, lonesome sounding, sweet-as-sugar whistle playing is just a plain old black Susato D regular bore whistle.

The plain old black Susato VSB is nice too, with spot-on intonation and a tone as pure as new-fallen snow. For example: http://pw2.netcom.com/~ridseard/london_s_x.mp3

peeplj · Post by **peeplj** » Thu Feb 06, 2003 11:18 am

By the way, I was not the whistler in the Arran Boat. That lovely whistle playing is Sam McReynolds.

--James
http://www.flutesite.com

paulsdad · Post by **paulsdad** » Thu Feb 06, 2003 4:50 pm

On 2003-02-06 11:47, Ridseard wrote:
If you ever listen to "The Arran Boat" off my website ( http://www.flutesite.com/fianna/arran_boat.mp3 ), that sad, lonesome sounding, sweet-as-sugar whistle playing is just a plain old black Susato D regular bore whistle.

Lovely sound......but think how much nicer it would sound on a Sweetone!

peeplj · Post by **peeplj** » Thu Feb 06, 2003 5:55 pm

On 2003-02-06 17:50, paulsdad wrote:
On 2003-02-06 11:47, Ridseard wrote:
If you ever listen to "The Arran Boat" off my website ( http://www.flutesite.com/fianna/arran_boat.mp3 ), that sad, lonesome sounding, sweet-as-sugar whistle playing is just a plain old black Susato D regular bore whistle.

Lovely sound......but think how much nicer it would sound on a Sweetone!

Well, I like Sweetones fine, but I would have never been able to balance the sound.

Even using a Susato, I was holding back with everything I had to try to not overpower him with the flute.

I don't know if I could play any flute (except Boehm-system) soft enough to balance a Sweetone, unless you miked it individually.

Best,

--James
http://www.flutesite.com