Whistle prejudice

chas · Post by **chas** » Wed Feb 05, 2003 11:09 am

Getting back to prejudices, among my prejudices wrt whistles:

(1) I like whistles with breath requirements that are not extreme. So, Clarkes and Shaws are out for taking vast volumes, while Overtons are out for taking too much pressure.

(2) I like wood.

(3) I prefer a full sound, not a thin sound.

(4) I like a little chiff, not too pure, not too chiffy

And, on the Sweetone issue, I'm anti -- it plays and sounds like a watered-down Clarke to me, and I'd just as soon have my Clarke full strength.

Blackbird · Post by **Blackbird** » Wed Feb 05, 2003 5:51 pm

I spent quite a bit of time with my elfsong, but haven't been playing it at all for a couple of months. It clogged so easily that I became frustrated and even when cleared, it sounded very thin and strangled. Sort of like the elderly ladies in the church of my childhood, (to continue the voice analogy) but not so warbley.

Redwolf · Post by **Redwolf** » Wed Feb 05, 2003 7:34 pm

On 2003-02-05 18:51, Blackbird wrote:
I spent quite a bit of time with my elfsong, but haven't been playing it at all for a couple of months. It clogged so easily that I became frustrated and even when cleared, it sounded very thin and strangled. Sort of like the elderly ladies in the church of my childhood, (to continue the voice analogy) but not so warbley.

I'm willing to bet you've got some little fragment of something caught in the windway. That's the only thing I can think of that would make an Elf Song sound "thin and strangled." Maybe there's even a rough bit of wood in there that's giving you grief. Have you considered talking with Sandy and asking her to take a look at it?

As far as the clogging goes, the trick is to get the whistle thoroughly warm. It will clog like crazy until it gets to the point where the mouthpiece no longer feels cool against your upper lip. I usually blow through mine for a couple of minutes, play it a bit, then clear it with a pipe cleaner (rather than just blowing it out). After that, it simply doesn't clog at all, unless I let it get cold again, and the sound is as full, rich and complex as you could wish.

Redwolf

Soineanta · Post by **Soineanta** » Wed Feb 05, 2003 9:28 pm

Just my half a cent...
All whistles, much like people, vary individually. You can say that Whosawhatsoans are really snobby, or that Shabooty whistles really suck, but neither can be completely true for all of them. There are always exceptions. My point is we should try not to generalize. It's understandable to talk about a certain really bad Shabooty you have, but to condemn the entire brand and its maker is wrong.
(Especially on a board like this when whistle differences can get pretty heated!)
*flees bearing Swiss flag*

cowtime · Post by **cowtime** » Wed Feb 05, 2003 9:54 pm

If I had to pick my favorite whistle?
It's gotta be the Burke Brass Pro Sessions. It gets twice the play of any of my other whistles, is always in tune, never clogs.

I vote a thumbs down on the sweetone. Bought one once, gave it away, hated the sound of the thing.

Wombat · Post by **Wombat** » Thu Feb 06, 2003 1:42 am

On 2003-02-05 22:28, Soineanta wrote:
My point is we should try not to generalize. It's understandable to talk about a certain really bad Shabooty you have, but to condemn the entire brand and its maker is wrong.

If we don't generalise, we might as well give up discussing kinds of whistle altogether. Of what interest to others would it be if 'My Shabooty stinks' was understood to have no implications whatsoever for how others might find other Shabootys?

I think you have a point here. There are exceptions. Standardization is less than perfect. But, as it stands, it's overstated to the point where that message gets blurred to the point of being almost unintelligible.

peeplj · Post by **peeplj** » Thu Feb 06, 2003 6:52 am

Well, if you say "all Shaggoth whistles suck," then that could open you to much more liability than if you say "I've personally tried fifteen Shaggoth whistles, and none of them played well," I would think that at that point you (and Dale) are much safer from anyone ever taking you to court over your words.

Also, there's an honesty issue here. If you buy one or two whistles, and they are horrible, I think you can say exactly that: "I have tried a couple of Shoggoth whistles, and they were bloody dangerous..." but I don't think it's a good idea to say "Shoggoths is they are so bad they cause nightmares" from having played a couple of whistles a few times each.

Just my $.02. If I had more time, I could probably word it better, but I have to get ready for my morning drive over the Plains of Leng to get to work.

Cthulhu ftagn!

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

Wombat · Post by **Wombat** » Thu Feb 06, 2003 9:37 am

Don't let peeplj's modesty fool you: he's got this point exactly right. To say something of general interest we have to generalize. But we should generalize cautiously and our generalization should never be presented more emphatically than the evidence to hand warrants. That way people learn from our experiences but they carry away the most useful message possible that our experience justifies. Over time, that approach also garners greater respect than the over-the-top and overly hasty generalizations.

Ridseard · Post by **Ridseard** » Thu Feb 06, 2003 12:02 pm

Actually, the particular may make more of an impression than the general. For example, I may pay more heed to a post which states "my Shaggoth sucks" than one which insists that "all Shaggoths suck", because I suspect that the latter may have been inspired by a dislike of Shaghorn Mike's personality.

Wombat · Post by **Wombat** » Thu Feb 06, 2003 12:13 pm

On 2003-02-06 13:02, Ridseard wrote:
Actually, the particular may make more of an impression than the general. For example, I may pay more heed to a post which states "my Shaggoth sucks" than one which insists that "all Shaggoths suck", because I suspect that the latter may have been inspired by a dislike of Shaghorn Mike's personality.

True, but that doesn't mean that the conclusion you are drawing isn't a qualified generalisation. The heed you'd be paying wouldn't be just restricted to caution about buying the Shaggoth that's said to suck, right? You'd be a bit cautious about ordering another Shaggoth wouldn't you?

None of us are disagreeing about substance here. Overgeneralization (and over hasty generalization) is what we're really bagging. I mean, all overgeneralization sucks, right?

kevin m. · Post by **kevin m.** » Thu Feb 06, 2003 1:13 pm

Hey James,I tried one of those 'Shoggoth' whistles,the sound it made was too horrible to describe! I much prefer Yog-Sothoths,even Nyarlathotep's anyday. But wait,I hear shuffling footsteps ascending the staircase! There is SOMETHING on the other side of the door! The doorhandle is being opened by a.. A THING! AAgghhh!!!..........(Apologies to the estate of H.P.L.).

Redwolf · Post by **Redwolf** » Thu Feb 06, 2003 1:56 pm

On 2003-02-05 22:28, Soineanta wrote:
Just my half a cent...
All whistles, much like people, vary individually. You can say that Whosawhatsoans are really snobby, or that Shabooty whistles really suck, but neither can be completely true for all of them. There are always exceptions. My point is we should try not to generalize. It's understandable to talk about a certain really bad Shabooty you have, but to condemn the entire brand and its maker is wrong.
(Especially on a board like this when whistle differences can get pretty heated!)
*flees bearing Swiss flag*

Agreed. Probably the other thing to remember is that tastes vary. If I say that Whosis Whistles suck, is it because they have a problem, or is it simply that I don't like the way they sound? I don't happen to like the way Clarke originals sound, for example, but that doesn't make them bad whistles...just not the best whistles for me.

Also, if I don't like the way a certain whistle sounds, is that an intrinsic feature of the whistle, or is there something I should know about how the whistle likes to be treated that would make it a better whistle for me? For example, if someone had just handed me an Elf Song without telling me anything about it, before I encountered C&F and learned something about metal whistles, it's quite possible I wouldn't have liked it at all, because it wouldn't have occured to me that a whistle with a metal mouthpiece might need a bit of warming up to be at its best. These instruments really are individuals, and while you can make SOME genralizations about them, the fact remains that the techniques that will get you an awesome sound out of, say, a Dixon, aren't necessarily what you need to get the best sound out of an Elf Song or an Overton.

Redwolf

Soineanta · Post by **Soineanta** » Thu Feb 06, 2003 2:44 pm

Right-o.

Of what interest to others would it be if 'My Shabooty stinks' was understood to have no implications whatsoever for how others might find other Shabootys?

I didn't mean generalizations that would be helpful to people considering trying a certain brand, like, "Shabootys tend to be very chiffy". Just that to say that all of them are terrible, etc, is misleading. Ya never know who will like what. But yes, I think all of you get my drift. Again, it was just a thought!

LeeMarsh · Post by **LeeMarsh** » Thu Feb 06, 2003 3:42 pm

I love my Big-O and its little brothers (Low-D,F,A), My brass tuning Dixon, and my Burke narrow bore composite. I love my Goya 12 string.

Love is not rational. I could give you good reasons; but, in the end, the reasons fall short. For me, music is for expressing things that are beyond words. So my connection to any instrument will be, at least in part, beyond words.

So why post about my Cosmic Drain Pipe (Overton) and how it won't tolerate timidity from me? Because in explaining to others the shape of my connection to an instrument, I also explore the connection myself.

Why would someone want to know? Maybe they will identify with the way I feel. They may need a whistle that won't let them be timid. They too might find adventure in exploring the complexity of tone I've found in my Cosmic drain pipe. Or, they may instead feel the the need for the simplicity and gentility of my Burke's tone. Or maybe they felt that way, years back, but are wandering along different paths today.

What's cool about these posts is that, either way, we musical folk connect with each other. If we can't quite get it down into words, then we can sit back and say "Yep, it's a music thing. Lend us an ear and we'll spin ya a tune or two." Followed by, "Yep that was me then," or "Yep that's me now," or "Yep, thats what I've been forseeing round the bend".

For each of us, it's about how you ...

_________________

Enjoy Your Music, Lee Marsh 

[ This Message was edited by: LeeMarsh on 2003-02-06 16:46 ]

MarkB · Post by **MarkB** » Thu Feb 06, 2003 3:54 pm

Ah! My O'Riordan Concert Set D/C in cocobolo, which I have had for seven or so years, gets worked over daily. The other whistle that I play, especially for dance tunes is a Burke Pro brass D. Those two are my main whistles.

I have a bag of Generations, Sweetones, Susatos, Oak, that I haven't touched in a few years, in many keys.

MarkB