Ralph Cook Low D Whistle:
Review by Dale Wisely
Ralph Cook Low D, PVC, $75. Tunable and nontunable models available.
(Update 2/13/98: I understand that Ralph is not making tunable whistles at present. I also understand he is working on the design of a Low E and perhaps some other keys
Ralph Cook started experimenting with a Low D whistle design about a year ago and has recently started offering his handmade whistles. Ralph says that he wanted to solve some of the most common problems with the existing Low whistles. He wanted to make a Low D that was affordable, sounds good through a range of two octaves, and was easier to play for someone with small or normal-size hands. At this writing, Ralph has started making the instruments and I am proud to own #003, which Ralph sent me for my feedback.
The whistle is cylindrical made from single piece of PVC, unique design with a curved lip and windway and a hardwood plug. Ralph builds a small "wall" on three sides of the window, for stability of tone. These whistles are designed for regular/small hands, and are finished in black lacquer. Ralph tells me that both tunable and nontunable models are available, handmade and individually voiced to play in tune throughout the range. The nontunable model is prettier, although both sound the same. Each whistle is signed and dated, and bears a serial number.
I'm impressed with this whistle. It is reasonably attractive in a Zen, minimalist kind of way. The sound is slightly warm/mellow. (My new-model Howard D is somewhat louder.) As is usually true of whistles, you have to be careful on the low D note not to pop up to the next octave. This one, however, still produces a fairly strong low D note, relatively speaking. If you are careful on the attack, you can bring up the volume a little once the note has started sounding. It does in fact play very nicely throughout the entire 2-octaves. Regarding the range, I'd summarize by saying, good on the bottom, very good on the rest of the lower register, very good top register. Because there is no serious weakness anywhere in the range...it's overall very, very good.
I play a new model Howard Low D a good bit. I like it, really, but I find it "slow" in the low end. By this I mean, sometimes the note attack on the low end is slow. I gather you have to wait for your breath to fill up the air column or something like that. Ralph's whistle is much more responsive. One can play this instrument reasonably fast.
The real achievement here, however, is in the finger holes. More often than not, particularly on cylindrical models, Low Ds have large holes which are spread pretty far a part. This makes the reach really tough. It's the reason most Low D players play with their fingers straight, covering the holes with the middle part of each finger. I've never gotten used to this technique. On Ralph's low whistle, the holes are still somewhat large, but he has reduced the spread significantly, which makes it easier to completely seal the holes with your fingers and I had no trouble playing it with the conventional technique using the ends of my fingers. I think Ralph Cook has really hit this just right with this design.
In see the Ralph Cook Low D as the best possible choice for someone seeking a good quality affordable instrument. It is ideal for a beginner, but I feel it would also be a good addition to the collection of more experienced players. I believe it compares very favorably to the Howard D. (I think the Howard has a more "assertive" volume, but this one is much easier to play). I think the volume is a tad soft, but, again, the real innovation here is Ralph's solution to the troublesome fingering problem of most Low Ds. I'm very pleased to have this whistle in my collection.
1/12/98 Here's another review submitted by TinWhistle Table frequent visitor (and my bud) Julian.
I wanted to say that based on your testimony - which has always been
most reliable - I did indeed obtain a genuine Ralph Cook whistle! Not
only is a a true gentleman, by his correspondence, but the whistle is a
pure delight. My own, number 23, has a beautifully warm tone, and
although it plays with the ease of a whistle, the sound seems to combine
the best timbres of a flute and a clarinet - hitting sharps and flats is
easy of course due to the very manageable size if the holes. Although
there IS some adjustment to be made from playing a smaller whistle, the
slight bevel that Ralph places on the holes makes it much easier to get
a good seal and eliminate squeaks. Transition from one octave to the
next is very smooth and predictable - no sudden surprises. And the
design is so well thought out and executed! As you said, it is beauty in
a Zen style - and, call me warped if you will (everyone else does) but
the whistle even has a friendly "feel" to it, making it enjoyable to
handle. To protect the lacquer, I did carefully add two coats of
satin-finish MinWax clear urethane spray, because I expect this
instrument to last me a lifetime. Really. And since his whistles will be
sold, in future, through some select music stores, and the demand for
them will increase, my own suggestion is that anyone who can manage to
get one should do so at once! It is a solid investment, and I have been
as delighted with this as with one of your other suggested whistles, the
cane whistle from Song of The Sea. I just wanted to give you the
perspective of a beginning whistler on the Ralph Cook Low "D", so you
would know that the qualities of the instrument are as greatly
appreciated by a novice as by a long time player. Thanks so much for
steering me and your other readers to this whistle. As always, you have
done a great service which is truly appreciated.
Chris Laughlin's review:
I JUST got this whistle a couple of days ago so I'm new to it and you should expect another more comprehensive review in several days time once I get a better feel for it, but overall I think this is a great whistle. As has been said already, the design is really beautiful in a minimalist Zen sort of way and I like it a lot. The guy who said it had a "friendly" feeling was right. I was a little bit afraid that playing a PVC whistle was going to be strange and unnatural but I really like it a lot and the tone is great. There isn't a whole lot of breathiness, and the tone is warm, round, and robust (for lack of a better word). It is also quite easy to play, despite holes which I still consider to be huge despite what others might say (the E hole practically swallows my finger). Newcomers to low whistles beware: people really aren't exaggerating when they say the holes are huge and the stretch between the hole is strenuous. You really have to recondition your hands to get used to playing one of these. I find that I can play the top three holes with the pads of my fingers, although I prefer piping fingering. The lower three holes MUST be played with piping fingering (using the midsection of the fingers).
(Chris is right that it is better to play this way, but it is possible to use the pads on that hand, IMHO--DW). Anyway, I really love this whistle and recommend it to everyone out there, especially as a first low D. My only real complaints, which aren't too substantial, are that the volume isn't very loud and it takes a good deal of work to be assertive in the lower E and D. Got $75? New to low whistles? Buy this baby!
Price $75 ppd in U.S.(as of 1/98). Available from Ralph Cook, 831 Cedar Lane NW, Poulsbo, WA 98370. E-mail address is:
cook22@earthlink.net.Also being distributed by Tayberry Music and by Song of the Sea.
NOTE: The Tin Whistle Table is a non-commercial, non-profit, no-money-making kind of a deal. I occasionally receive whistles from people at no cost. I do not make agreements of any kind to receive whistles for free in exchange for anything
.