I’ve been a little hesitant to show you guys what I’ve been up to lately, only because well, I’m not sure at all how
you will react. I have taken two things that I love very much - arts and crafts, and playing the whistle - and
combined them in to what you see in the photos. I may sell these whistles if people like them enough, and
one of my underlying goals is that I’m am thinking this is a fun way to expose kids to musical instruments
and learning to play them.
The photos are of some whistles that I bought (two generations and a feadog), and then painted and decorated
in themes - fairy, dragon and pirate. They are all D whistles, and still play well after I finished everything. I have
some other ideas that I’ll flesh out later, but for now these are the first three I’ve done.
So… do you like them, or am I going to get trounced here for tampering with them??
I think that means you like them? Yay! Yes, I am a girl and I love bling, but for some reason that skull makes me very, very happy. It’s actually a brass base covered in real silver - I got it from my local bead store, which has some of their stock custom-plated in silver and copper. The eyes are Swarovski crystals, as are the other gems.
On the fipples, well, I used something that I hope will be okay - it’s a color spray that was made to recolor plastic items. I felt it was the only choice I had to color the fipple the way I wanted, and still have the color stay on plastic. It seems to be okay right now in my playing so far. No weird smells, my lips aren’t going numb or anything, and there are no marks on the fipple - not that I’m trying to chew on them or anything, but I want to make sure the paint doesn’t, well, chip off. That would be bad and I would have to abandon the idea of coloring the fipples, or just buy only brass whistles with black fipples, like Dixon.
Yes, I have been eyeing the ren faire market for these, as I have booths at the large California ones already. : ) I haven’t seen anyone else doing this, so I might have a good shot at it. I also just set up an Etsy store, since it was really easy to do, and makes it easy for folks to look at the photos. Here’s the link: http://www.etsy.com/shop/whistlemagick
One of my next airbrush techniques to learn is flames, and then… I want to paint realistic flames on a whistle. You’ve read my mind, mutepointe!
Ah, OK. But if the spray is paint-like and not a dye of some kind, and is applied to the blade and inside the window (as it seems), that could have a serious effect on the voicing and playability of the whistle, no? Fun bling is perfectly fine, but not if it compromises the musical integrity of the instrument, IMO. That would be my concern with tampering with the heads.
I think you’ve done something pretty original and creative and it will definately appeal to lots of people, although not necessarily those here.
I know my kids would love a whistle that looks fancy. I can’t keep my 10 year old off my Harper for exactly this same reason - it has a pretty pattern on it and looks like a whistle an elf might use.
Definately go on Etsy.com to test your market and don’t forget Pintrest.
I’m rethinking that part - the thing is, I love the Generation sound, and unfortunately the Feadog I bought recently doesn’t sound as clean to me. I also would really like to do different color fipples to go with the different design themes, but I also know that you have to be really careful in how you treat them, because I do understand that the fipple is really what gets the sound right. I am also looking in to using Dixon brass ones with the black plastic fipples, because I could get them wholesale and the price wouldn’t be so high for my material cost. I love the Dixon sound the best, of all the cheaper brass whistles.
I have put the whistles up on Etsy - the store name is Whistlemagick - but I don’t have a Pinterest board… I’m getting a little over-saturated with these things, and occasionally have to take long breaks from Facebook, so I’m very loathe to get into Pinterest.
Infernaltootler - would your kids be interested in a decorated whistle, if it had less “stuff” on it, which would then bring the cost down?
I’m also designing a simple display holder for them (hubby is working on them), where two hooks made from copper are held in place by a rectangle piece of wood with routed edges, and the copper hooks are bent to show off the whistle in a horizontal position - it won’t be expensive, and it’s more for those who would buy the whistle as a piece of art, besides being able to play it.
I’m getting ready to make my first whistle here! I am going to use all PVC and see what I can do with that. My intention is to use paint as well to make them prettier to look at.
I really like your whistles! I think they are a great idea for kids because, if it gets them playing and they sound pretty good, eventually they will move onto other whistles and possibly flutes.
Here in Alaska we don’t see many of these so I had little exposure when I was younger. We get taught a lot about Native Alaskan instruments and dance but besides that we see a lot of the more common instruments.
I’d really like to spruce up some PVC whistles and paint some scenes on them. Alaskans love anything with say, the Northern Lights on them, or forget-me-nots.
So I love what you’re doing! Let me know what you learn as you go so maybe I can put that knowledge to my own use. I’m also a girl and love sparkly things! ^.^
You might want to do some research on what type of paints will actually stick to PVC/CPVC before you get very deep into things. I’ve tried PVC whistles/flutes in single colors using dye or paint. Krylon makes a PVC formula which sticks. Other paints I tried did not.
Oh yeah, as I was looking at instructions and information about PVC I had read it’s tough to paint them because they are non-porous, or something to that effect.
I figured I’d give it my best go. I have some slight experience with woodburning so I had wondered if I could try to etch into the whistle some design. I’m not sure if etching the body would affect the sound though.
So much to learn. I’m still learning how to play! I do love creating things and I’m sure even if I make a few duds it will be a worthwhile experience that I will come back to in later years. I’m in college right now and am about to declare a double major! I may not have much time to expand my whistle making, or playing, skills for some years.
Though, I was considering simply changing my major but now I can’t decide. I suppose you can’t go wrong with two majors. Though, if I could learn to make really lovely whistles I might not need any majors.
Edit: I realize carving/burning aren’t the same things. Hehe. I would like to try my hand at both and see. I was also thinking once I layed down a coat of paint on the PVC perhaps other paints would stick to the original coat better than onto the PVC itself.
Very pretty indeed! Maybe I should have you do this to my Walton LBW so it would have at least one redeeming quality. 
I thought that whistles couldn’t look any better after they came out with the pink feadog, you proved me wrong! 
