Chiff & Fipple Says BRING 'EM ON!

Well, here we are on the Fourth of July, Independence Day for those of us in the U.S. (and, of course, "Boxing Day" for Canadians--the day when Canadians celebrate prizefighting, their national sport). What more patriotic way to observe the 4th here on chiff & fipple than with the words of our own President George W. Bush, from his press conference this week:

"There are some that feel like if they attack us that we may decide to leave prematurely. They don't understand what they are talking about if that is the case. ... There are some who feel like the conditions are such that they can attack us there. My answer is, bring 'em on."

Now, for those of you who have your mouse pointer poised over the "unsubscribe" button, knowing that on this, our nation's birthday, I am going to make a subtle slam at our President, rest assured I will not do so--knowing, as I do, that as much as we all did it during the Clinton administration, it is no longer permitted. (Besides, I am way too busy trying to pick out an appropriate birthday gift for our nation. I mean, what do you give a country that has everything?) Instead, with the Commander-In-Chief's "bring 'em on" comment in mind, I would rather pay tribute to the men and women of the U.S. Secret Service. These dedicated public servants are, of course, charged with protecting the President from both violent threats and the ever-present threat of counterfeit money. (No President will ever have to worry about some thug passing them a fake $20 bill.) Due to the continuous 24-hour details of crack Secret Service bodyguards, in addition to the world's most elaborate security systems at the White House, the Presidential Ranch in Texas, and Air Force One, the President can be assured of the most thorough and sophisticated personal protection available in the world. So, if our enemies do, in fact, "bring 'em on," we can all be certain that our President will be well-protected.

I'm Dale Wisely and this is Chiff & Fipple's 6Hole Theory: PostStructural Tinwhistle Journalism for the New Millennium.

Thanks again to the people at Howard for donating four Howard Low D whistles and special thanks for an anonymous donor who pitched in a fifth Howard Low D. The following Chiff & Fipple members had their names drawn from the hat in a special ceremony here in Birmingham.

Alas, no Chiff & Fipple member won the Miata this year. So it goes. My special thanks to these winners and to eight other chiff & fipple members who donated to the Crisis Center.

The whistle Kathy is reviewing is the ALBA Soprano D Practice Whistle. http://albawhistles.com

I am in love this little Soprano D whistle. I have not been able to put it down. On the Alba website, Alba whistles are referred to as Alba aero phonics. That name suits them very well. They have a distinctive look to them. The whistle is made of aluminum alloy and has a brushed satin finish look to it. It is one solid piece of aluminum tube. It is non tunable and it has a clean and neat appearance. This whistle is lightweight. It has a burgundy-colored tufnol fipple that looks like the finish on a car that has that “sparkle paint” on it. The windway is curved. The window is different than any window I have ever seen on a whistle. It is a rectangle shaped hole, with the long part of the rectangle going downward, not across the tube and has been machined (my son called it fluted) so that a lower layer of the metal is still there on the bottom half of the hole. The holes are very neatly cut and I find no trouble with sealing the holes to get a solid sound.

This little whistle is so sweet! It is the easiest whistle to play, and it doesn’t clog. Well, maybe a little bit after I have been drooling into it for an hour or so or if I haven’t warmed it up before playing. I have put in more playing time since I got this whistle than I have with any other whistle I own. I have hauled it around in my purse and in the car and it looks as new today as it did when I got it last month. It is a very responsive whistle and the sound is very nice, not shrill. Alba calls it a practice whistle because it is quiet but I don’t think it’s all that quiet. It isn’t real loud either, but I was out on the front porch playing the other evening and the neighbor across the pond and 2 fields away (about 350 yards) told me she could hear me playing. I think maybe it might not be heard if you were to take it to a session. Both the bottom octave and second octave are strong. I find that I do have to purse or tighten up my lips a little when I get above the 2nd octave g to make it pop up there.

hi

i'd like to subscribe free email newsletter concerned with dentistry.

thanks!

rachel

This list has been a source of excellent information and advice on all aspects of flute building. Such topics have included the acoustics of woodwinds, placement of finger holes, ergonomics, wood and metal turning, computer modeling, and more. Such discussions have included all sorts of flutes, from simple-system Irish flutes to shakuhachis, ocarinas, and
whistles. Many discussions have also related to reed pipes.

This being said, there have been increasing difficulties in the administration of this list--for various reasons--and many of
you have become frustrated at not being admitted.

In view of the forgoing, it is with mixed feelings that I would like to announce the formation of the Flutemakers mailing list. This new list will continue the mandate of the original flute-
tech list, and is likewise a moderated list. Archives are available on the Yahoo website, and file uploading is enabled.

Technical details are as follows:

Website: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/flutemakers
Subscribe: flutemakers-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Post message: flutemakers@yahoogroups.com
List owner: flutemakers-owner@yahoogroups.com

Your first legitimate message after joining will qualify you for unrestricted posting (this is an anti-spam measure), with the exception of those with whom we are familiar from other lists
who will be instantly admitted.

As owner and moderator I will be the Undisputed Dictator, responsible for striking spammers and flamers from on high; free speech will be curtailed only for the sake of good manners and will be done at the sole discretion of said Dictator. I am
also pleased to have Pete Kosel helping out as co-moderator and only Occasionally-Disputed Dictator.

At present (four days after its inception) we have 47 members from around the world, including several well-known professional makers who are active message posters. However, all are welcome--even lurkers , non-techies, and pipers (although we
keep those tied up in the corner).

I would also like to add that it is my fervent hope that the original flute-tech list's difficulties will be resolved in the future and that the flutemakers group will one day be unnecessary.

Best,

David Armstrong
--
Owner and Moderator, Flutemakers Mailing List
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/flutemakers
flutemakers-owner@yahoogroups.com

Scooting along, minding its own business, Basenotes's car was subject to an unprovoked and high velocity attack by a large Red Deer (Cervus Elephus Moribundus).

This resulted in considerable damage to the car ... and a really bad hair day for the deer!

Fortunately, Basenotes had a miraculous escape, suffering only a minor brain storm and a particularly strong desire for a drink.

Given Basenotes' inability to take some things seriously, he was able to comfort his fellow passenger by whipping out a tin whistle and playing a somewhat spluttery rendition of that old music hall favorite, "Oh Deer, What Can That Splatter Be"...

... little did he realize that his levity under these trying circumstances would have unintended and tragic consequences.

(You gotta love this photo. A man. A whistle. A shattered windshield. A deployed airbag--DW).

In the days that followed, the tin whistle displayed signs of distress. Untoward squeaks and parps were, at first, attributed to the inability of Basenotes to play the tin whistle. However, within a week, each tune - whether Air, Reel, Jig or Rant - seemed to resonate with deep sobbing undertones. The whistle was uttering, in its own tinny sort of way, a cry for help!

The tin whistle is now in the hands of one of the most experienced Whistle Counselors in the land. No expense will be spared to help him / her / it come to terms with this experience.

If you like Chiff & Fipple, there is a very good chance you'll like basenote's interesting and funny website at http://www.basenotes.co.uk

Minnesota

VIII. CHIFF & FIPPLE TRAVEL(OCITY) ADVISORY

Ok, so my daughter is going to New York this weekend and I purchased her plane ticket from Travelocity about 10 days ago. I've used that service many times. Boneheadedly, I accidentally booked the flight in my name instead of hers. My mistake. The flight was e-ticketed. I learned of the error a couple of days ago. Short version of the outcome: She CANNOT fly on this ticket and it CANNOT be cancelled & re-issued in her name. I had to purchase a (much more expensive) second ticket (for her) and will have to cancel & re-issue the ticket in my name. I have to do that by July 5th--decide where I am going, when, and why I am going there. Something good may come of that part--more about that later.

This is not a complaint about Travelocity--it was my mistake--but a two-fold warning to my fellow Boneheads (and the rest of you). First, If you book a flight in this post-9-11 era, be sure you get the traveler's name right. Second, be especially careful booking on-line, where this kind of error is much more likely.

IX. SHAW WHISTLES TWEAKED BY JERRY FREEMAN

When I first started collecting whistles, among my first purchases were Shaws in several keys. For those of you who are new to us, it is time for a

Chiff & Fipple Review^TM

Shaw. E,D,C,Bb,A,Low G, Low F, Low D (see also Low whistles)Conical w/ wood plug. "Nickel silver". Nontunable. $25-$90 U.S. Made in England by pipe maker Dave Shaw. Shaws occupy a shadowy zone between the inexpensive and the expensive. Neither light nor dark, good nor bad. Right nor wrong. Etc. They are much like Clarkes in design, but more solidly constructed and better made. Breathy tone. Require more air than most, especially in lower keys, and this is the major downside of the Shaws, although I think the breath requirement is necessary for the unique tone. I like mine for playing slow stuff. Some players have reported that they have been able to fix the high air requirement by adjusting the airway and blade. Others have reported screwing theirs up by doing that. Not for the faint of heart, this fipple-adjusting behavior. I've developed more and more of an appreciation for these whistles over time. The Shaw Low A that I own is among my favorite whistles. Note that they make an E, a rare key for whistles. I own one.

Dave Shaw has a website at http://www.daveshaw.co.uk/

This has been a

Chiff & Fipple Review^TM

Now comes C&F Messageboard mainstay Jerry Freeman, offering a substantial tweak of the Shaw whistles. He will sell you new Shaws, already tweaked, or will tweak yours for a fee. I sent Jerry a batch of Shaws in high keys and in Low A and asked for the tweak. Jerry changes the size of the airway channel, adjusts toneholes, among other things. In so doing, he dramatically reduces the wind requirement, while admittedly altering the voice of the Shaw. The result, however, is a whistle with broader usefulness--quicker action and a fine tone-- and I am happy to endorse the Freeman Modification of the Shaw Whistle.

Prices:

Hi D, Eb & E .......... $26.50 plus $4.00 shipping worldwide
C ..............................$ 29.50 plus shipping ()
Bb ........................... $ 45.00 plus shipping ...
A .............................. $ 48.00 plus shipping ...
Lo G ........................ $ 62.50 plus shipping ...
Lo F ......................... $ 70.50 plus shipping ...
Lo D ........................ $ 86.00 plus shipping ...

For those who already have Shaw whistles that they would like tweaked, the price for tweaking is $12.00 per whistle plus shipping to return it to them after tweaking.

Contact Jerry via email, making the obvious modification to the following email address:

To read more about the tweaked Shaws on the message board go here. You may have to join, if you haven't already. And why haven't you?