WTT - Goldie low D

[retired]

This time a different approach - I have a fairly recent Goldie low D that may be similar to Michael McGoldricks in back pressure - closer to hard than medium - I can play it fine and it can really be leaned into - very expressive whistle. I would like to try a medium blower to see how that suits me. If you have a medium blower and you'd be interested in a temporary trade (we could make it permanent if we both agreed) please PM me. Those wishing to make extraneous comments are more than welcome to on my previous thread.

[Goldie]

Hi, just to let you know. Mike McGoldrick plays a soft blowing Low D of mine. If you got the instrument from me directly and I said, that it plays like Mike's then what you have is a soft blowing whistle for what I make.

Cheers
Colin

[Mikethebook]

Colin's post makes this interesting. Did you check inside the bottom of your Low D and find the number that describes the height of the windway, and therefore if the whistle is soft, medium or hard blowing? If your whistle is indeed like Mike McGoldrick's Goldie . . . and therefore a soft-blower (0.97mm), that means you're looking for an even softer blower which puts you in the same boat as me. I love my soft blower but am aware, as I mentioned on the other thread, that Colin has made (perhaps only to order) very soft blowers of 1.1 & 1.2mm and one of these days I want to talk to him about how they would play. Presumably they would have a very relaxed upper second octave (rather like Reviols, O'Briains and Lambes) but a much less solid fundamental, and require more breath. Nevertheless I'm intrigued by the possibility.

[retired]

Somehow or other, from previous threads I've mistakenly come to believe that Mike McG. plays a med/hard Goldie - thanks Colin for straightening me out on that. Mine has a windway height of .8 mm. When I bought it used from a member here he said it was a medium blower -oh well - the whistle really plays very well in tune and ergonomically it's a delight to handle - the hole size, space and finishing are just right for me. When fully warmed up the tone is delightful. Very expressive whistle that I can really lean into and linger on a note without running out of air. But when playing faster tunes - in the second octave, I occassionally have a brain f*rt and fall back into the first octave accidentally because I'm not pushing hard enough. I've adapted and it now only happens when I've been playing for some time and am tiring - so - I'd love to try a medium blower. I'm not selling this whistle until I have another Goldie I prefer. There's just too many positive things about it. As a side note, I did the toothpaste thing and it helped noticeably.

[Mikethebook]

While I love my soft blower I would also like to see what a hard blower (or even a medium) is like though I can't imagine I would be able to play it above second octave G. I guess you can adapt but I'm a relative beginner and struggle to play cuts and rolls on second octave B even on my soft blower. Maintaining second octave pressure on a hard blower must be a major challenge. But the ability to use less air is a great advantage especially on slow airs.

Interestingly, Colin told me most of his piper customers like McGoldrick, McSherry etc go for soft blowers. And Davy Spillane's whistle is apparently very free blowing. I guess I need to grow bigger lungs.

Good luck with finding the right person to swop with. I have a second soft blower, a non-tuneable I've been considering selling but its really a medium you want to try isn't it . . . and I guess you are in the USA, right?

[Randalf the Red]

Mine has a windway height of .8 mm. When I bought it used from a member here he said it was a medium blower

Patrick,
I believe that would make yours a hard player (blower). While ordering a low C from Colin Goldie this afternoon he played several whistles for me over the phone. I asked him about the windway heights and he said his soft blowers had a height of roughly 0.97 mm, his medium blowers roughly 0.87 mm (I say "roughly" because one he played for me had a windway height of 0.85 mm), and his hard blowers are roughly 0.80 mm.

In a previous conversation, Colin told me Brian Finnegan actually prefers hard blower Goldies like yours.

Hope that helps!
Randy

[retired]

Thanks Randy - just listened to some of Brian Finnegan's recordings - sounds just like me (not) ! Mike TB - I think the name 'hard blower' may throw people off - I have zero problem with the first octave and you can hold a note for a very long time. Interestingly, in the second octave I have no problem with the upper notes G A B Cnat. - It's only the second octave D that I was occassionally falling out of and rarely the E, and spending more time concentrating on keeping the pressure right has basically eliminated the problem. At this time after spending a great deal of time on a few low D's I'm of the belief that a 'hard' blower is better suited to slow tunes and an easier blower suited to faster tunes (for me). I had hoped to have just one goto low D but that's looking more like a compromise now.

[Raggle Taggle]

Can anyone tell me if there is any relation with the windway height of the Goldies (soft, med, hard) to the volume of the second octave? Am I right in thinking the harder you have to blow to hit and maintain the second octave the louder it would be?

[retired]

I think Colin Goldie could best answer your question - his email address is posted on his website.