Thoughts on cheap wooden whistles?

Patrick · Post by **Patrick** » Thu Jan 23, 2003 6:29 pm

My wife and I were recently discussing wooden whistles that are available today and it got me to thinking. I have a few, but it seems there is a particular niche not being filled. Where are the decent-playing $20 wooden whistles? You can get a decent student recorder (Hohner, Gill or the like) for that range of cash, so it isn't that manufacturing them would be prohibitive, I think.

I own the only cheap wooden pennywhistle I have seen for sale - a Cooperman (yeah, they make wooden whistles, too). It looks quite pretty, but the fingerholes are huge, the tone is poor, the playing is difficult, and the bottom D is amost impossible to play. It was $12 from the company and worth about half that, mostly for the novelty factor.

I am borrowing a Hungarian whistle (I think that's where it is from) that is hugely better. Sadly, I don't think there is any place to buy them in the US. The owner told me that it was about $5 US when he got it. I really like this whistle, but I wish I could find a source so I could buy several and make them suit me better. Even if given this one, I would not modify something I could not replace.

So, am I out of the loop here, or are there really no decent wooden whistles readily available for less than Ralph Sweet charges?

-Patrick

Zubivka · Post by **Zubivka** » Thu Jan 23, 2003 6:51 pm

There is such one, maple wood, made by Adler in Germany.

I understand Ralph Sweet can supply them in the US, but I've seen them in other mail-order stores. Note Sweetheart Whistles specify they revoice them.

Pity their Whistles page http://www.sweetheartflute.com/whistles.html is the only one out of order at the present time...

[ This Message was edited by: Zubivka on 2003-01-23 19:54 ]

Jerry Freeman · Post by **Jerry Freeman** » Thu Jan 23, 2003 7:59 pm

Oh, well. I guess I'll have to wait 'til I can afford a good wooden whistle.

_________________
"This (manifest world) is full, and that (unmanifest source from whence it springs) is also full. Fullness comes out of fullness. Taking fullness from fullness, all that remains is fullness."

[ This Message was edited by: Jerry Freeman on 2003-01-23 22:26 ]

Patrick · Post by **Patrick** » Thu Jan 23, 2003 8:19 pm

I was sort of looking for a cheaper one than that, too. Not that I feel the market should be flooded with substandard products, but I would like to see a source of a simple wooden whistle. Along the lines of what the Clarke whistle is, but in wood. Just a basic, cheap, decent instrument.

I have played one of the Adlers like what you pictured and was unimpressed. As I understood it in the past, Mr. Sweet is revoicing a different model than you pictured (the one called the Lark whistle on the Expensive Whistles page on the C&F main page). I have not tried that kind. And for the price difference between the revoiced commercial whistle and a standard Sweetheart in Maple, I'd pay the little bit extra. Just for having a handmade instrument, you know.

Thanks for posting that, though. I have to go over and look again... But I can stop any time.

So, how come there aren't oodles of cheap wooden whistles?

-Patrick

MandoPaul · Post by **MandoPaul** » Thu Jan 23, 2003 9:25 pm

On 2003-01-23 21:19, Patrick wrote:
So, how come there aren't oodles of cheap wooden whistles?

Market.

Recorders sell in vast quantities compared to whistles, so it's worth someone tooling up a factory in China (or equivalent) to do it.

Blackbeer · Post by **Blackbeer** » Thu Jan 23, 2003 10:15 pm

Hey Patrick there are lots of them but they are made out of bamboo. I got one the other day in D that sounds super and it was something like 3 dollars. I know I just got lucky but there are a lot of people making good ones in bamboo for 10 and 15 dollars. I have never played a good wooden whistle so I don`t know what they are like but the bamboo ones do have a unique sound whitch I like very much. I think its a lot to be asking for when you think of the work involved in getting suitable wood and then tooling up to make enough whistles to justify the expence. The nice thing about the bamboo whistles is that while they are pretty cheep and can be very well in tune they are still hand made. I like that.

Tom

fatveg · Post by **fatveg** » Thu Jan 23, 2003 10:30 pm

I've never come across a cheap bamboo whistle I liked (but I haven't tried many). I have to say, though, that I LOVE my cheap SpiritSong flute I bought for $20 at Portland Saturday Market.

<img src="http://www.dreammask.com/images/SSFlute_2.jpg">

His website doesn't seem to be working en ce moment, but his details are:

SPIRIT SONG FLUTES
John Wydysh
P.O. Box 5314
Portland OR 97208
503-788-5724
http://www.spiritsongflutes.com

Hand-crafted and fine-tuned bamboo flutes, didjeridos, saxaflutes, pan pipes and shakuhachi; plus CD's of flute music.

(I have no connection with him other than have spent $20 on a cool little flute!)

Bagfed · Post by **Bagfed** » Thu Jan 23, 2003 11:11 pm

http://www.flautissimo.de/instrbody.php4?serbez=80

I might have to whoa one of these myself.

fatveg · Post by **fatveg** » Thu Jan 23, 2003 11:20 pm

On 2003-01-24 00:11, Bagfed wrote:
http://www.flautissimo.de/instrbody.php4?serbez=80

I might have to whoa one of these myself.

I don't speak much German (except "keine fleisch danke") but this line made me smile:

Der Klang ist wie erwähnt recht whistle-mäßig "chiffig", lässt sich aber auch fokussieren. Im Vergleich zu z.B. einfachen Generation Whistles ...

Makes me wonder, is ther a http://www.chiffigundblock.de !!!

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[ This Message was edited by: fatveg on 2003-01-24 00:22 ]

elliott · Post by **elliott** » Fri Jan 24, 2003 1:22 am

I had a wooden whistle, but it wooden whistle ...

chas · Post by **chas** » Fri Jan 24, 2003 7:23 am

I have a Weltmeister; it may be the same as those on the Adler-Heinrich page, it's definitely different from the one Zoob posted. I was initially lukewarm to it, but now I never play it. It's horribly out of tune, cracked, and is just about unplayable above the high-F#.

Yes, an inexpensive high-quality wooden whistle would be a wonderful thing, I just don't know if it will happen. The best thing to do would probably be to rent some time on a CNC or whatever someone like Adler or Moeck uses for recorders. Since it's already tooled to make mouthpieces, barrels and finger holes, all that would be required would be some reprogramming, or if they use a duplicating lathe, making a good prototype.

Walden · Post by **Walden** » Fri Jan 24, 2003 7:34 am

I believe it was Gary who posted a link to Elderly Instruments' $5 wooden recorders. He bought one and redid the holes as a whistle, I think. Anyway, I found the same model at Cedar Creek Dulcimer Shop in Branson, and looking at the quality of the things, decided not to buy one.

I'd like to get ahold of one of those cheap Cooperman wooden whistles, even though I've heard nothing but horror stories about their tourist-shop model fifes and whistles (I've owned two Cooperman D tinwhistles, only one of which ever gave any tone at all).

Roger O'Keeffe · Post by **Roger O'Keeffe** » Fri Jan 24, 2003 9:56 am

I hope and pray that the Pakistani chamber of chair-leg turners and borers isn't monitoring C&F.

Patrick · Post by **Patrick** » Fri Jan 24, 2003 11:30 am

The whole subject came up as we were discussing the Society for Creative Anachronism and music in the group. While most SCA folk wouldn't be bothered about a modern whistle (they don't mind Nike sneakers with a medieval outfit, why mind a metal and plastic whistle?), there are folks who would like to look better. So, we were thinking "why isn't there an obvious source for a simple, all-wood whistle that plays decently?"

The simple bamboo flutes are a very pretty instrument and can be even cheaper than $20 if you look for them. Thing is, it is hard to just pick up a flute for the first time and start noodling out tunes. You spend the first few times with it just trying to get a note, then two notes in a row. Having the fingering down from the whistle should really speed the beginner, but I wouldn't have stuck with it if a flute had been my first instrument.

The cheap bamboo whistles would be the likely choice, and if you look hard, you can find them by the dozen for something like $5. But, I was sort of hoping for a plain wood item that would be a little more attractive and consistent than the bamboo whistles. I tend to think of anything over $20 as being in the expensive category, and I wanted something that the average cheapskate would be willing to shell out for.

So, I wonder if this is a market niche that could be filled. I am thinking in terms of one-piece whistles with a fairly simple profile and so on. hmmm. If I were a whistle maker, I might think about it, but I'm not. I was just hoping y'all would have a line on something I was missing.

Thanks for the replies, though!

-Patrick

Kar · Post by **Kar** » Fri Jan 24, 2003 12:06 pm

Speaking of this, I actually bought one of the Lark In the Morning "expensive" $50 wooden whistles, but I got mine for $30 because it was their last one (seems they are discontinued), and after playing it for a while, realized I prefer metal whistles. If anyone wants my Lark whistle for $30, I'll be happy to sell it. Comes with cleaner/oiler brush as well! I've only had it for a couple of weeks, and just played it a very little.