Short arms, big whistle?

[drumbent]

I just got some 32mm plumbing pipe and with a bit of 'cut and shut' have created a whistle somewhere about low G. I need to trim it to length and make tone holes, but I can get a low G out of it that my tuner will recognise, and an octave overblown that is a little sharp. It wont be pretty, or reliable, but it will test my ability to physically stretch to a low A, which is a prerequisite for stretching financially to a low A.

For my copper pipe Bass A (my preferred term, since to some "Low" means anything below the usual soprano D or C size), I found that even with my long arms and fingers holding this beast out in front of me was not going to be comfy for very long. So I first put a 45 angle in the top third of the tube, which was OK, and made it easier to transport:



But then I moved this joint up below the beak (and put a straight connector in its previous place), and it feels great. I barely need the neck strap, but it does help:



Tip of the day: I've not yet found a store that carries 1" pvc connectors (for a Low C I'm working on), but the same size in copper works just fine, though it does clash with the off-white pvc...

Mark

[DrPhill]

Cool idea. What size/spacing holes did you get. I think a bass A will be beyond my physique, though a low D is comfortable.

[drumbent]

Cool idea. What size/spacing holes did you get. I think a bass A will be beyond my physique, though a low D is comfortable.

The spacing is pretty big. As mentioned in another post, I'm able to use standard grip (not piper) and cheat a bit by using my pinky to reach the last hole (I'm very used to wind instruments that require four fingers for the right hand, so easy to get used to). The top three holes are each about 2 and 1/8" apart, as are the 4th and 5th hole. The last hole is a bigger jump of 2.5" from the fifth. Yeah, most folks will have trouble with that. Perhaps an experiment is needed using thumbholes in place of two of the front holes?

Mark

[DrPhill]

Perhaps an experiment is needed using thumbholes in place of two of the front holes? Mark

Another good idea. I will see if that helps. There may be a problem with holding the thing - I use my thumbs a lot for support, The dreaded 'neck strap' may come into play....

Yesterday I taped over T1 and B1, and found that I could make something akin to music with the restricted note range left to me. I was surprised by the clarity and tone of the second octave - all the way up to TOOTOO (T = tape ), a little disappointed with the strength of low A.

[DrPhill]

[ Perhaps an experiment is needed using thumbholes in place of two of the front holes?

Works for me, though I need to figure a bend at the top to reduce pressure on my wrists. I am not sure that I will be able to work the thumbholes fast enough for a jig . I can stagger through 'Amazin Grace' ( a cheat since the low A does not figure). It seems a bit weird to make a musical instrument. Even one as rough as this.

DrPhill, it looks like you are on the right track with the 32mm pipe. That should be in the right neighborhood for low low Bb, A and G whistles.
Betcha can't make just one!

You might win that bet Feadoggie. And with a bent coupler there will be a join to allow multiple bodies for one mouthpiece. It may all be a distraction from practising playing, though.

[Feadoggie]

You might win that bet Feadoggie.

Have fun, DrPhill. Let us know when you go back to buy the 25mm pipe.

Feadoggie

[drumbent]

Perhaps an experiment is needed using thumbholes in place of two of the front holes? Mark

Another good idea. I will see if that helps. There may be a problem with holding the thing - I use my thumbs a lot for support, The dreaded 'neck strap' may come into play....

Yesterday I taped over T1 and B1, and found that I could make something akin to music with the restricted note range left to me. I was surprised by the clarity and tone of the second octave - all the way up to TOOTOO (T = tape ), a little disappointed with the strength of low A.

Yeah, one would most likely need a strap to help hold since the thumbs would be busy. I find the strap pretty handy anyway, because a 1" dia. copper tube that's almost three feet long is not light. And yes, the lower notes will always be a bit soft, unless one could make really big holes, which would then need keys to cover them properly.

Mark

[drumbent]

[ Perhaps an experiment is needed using thumbholes in place of two of the front holes?

Works for me, though I need to figure a bend at the top to reduce pressure on my wrists. I am not sure that I will be able to work the thumbholes fast enough for a jig . I can stagger through 'Amazin Grace' ( a cheat since the low A does not figure). It seems a bit weird to make a musical instrument. Even one as rough as this.

No, I can't imagine jigs on a keyless Bass A. And yeah, making a musical instrument kind of amazes me as well. I've used mine in the dance classes I do music for, and everyone is "they sound lovely, and oh you MADE them?!".

DrPhill, it looks like you are on the right track with the 32mm pipe. That should be in the right neighborhood for low low Bb, A and G whistles.
Betcha can't make just one!

You might win that bet Feadoggie. And with a bent coupler there will be a join to allow multiple bodies for one mouthpiece. It may all be a distraction from practising playing, though.

Bent or straight, a coupler is indeed very handy for that (both for multiple bodies and as a distraction from practicing playing):



In the above case all low D whistles but different tunings.

Mark