I lurk often but have never posted, but I have a question I am sure can be answered here.
A year or so ago I bought an Oak D ‘cheapy’ whistle and really enjoy it. I am now considering purchasing a ‘high-end’ whistle and have found one that LOOKS good and seems to have some favorable reviews, but I guess I just need some more encouragement before taking the plunge.
The whistle I have been looking at is the Sweetheart Professional Model. I really like the looks of this whistle (at least in pictures, have never held one), and like the idea of a ‘wood’ whistle without the maintenance of wood whistles. The sound and tone sound very good on the samples provided on Sweetheart’s website. The price is also a little lower than the highest-end whistles that I have been researching, which is a big draw also
If you really MUST avoid wood maintenance this is a terrific whistle. In fact, it’s a great whistle anyway. It looks very much like wood because it mostly is. It plays clearly and strongly. You can also buy a second fife head for it which is really cool.
I had one before it got lost or stolen. I liked it a lot. The bell note (D) was too low. The whisle needed a bit cut off the end. Ralph Sweet didn’t seem to agree. Maybe that’s been fixed now.
I have two, and they’re great instruments. I can’t recommend them highly enough. They are relatively loud, but the tone is lovely, even well up in the second octave.
Those are great Whistles, I have played a couple and the more I think about it the more I realize how much I like them. I am actually thinking of getting one as I like wooden Whistles but I don’t play them consistently enough, but I have no money anyway.
I have a Sweetheart Professional with the optional fife head (bought it for the fife head). I’ve tried a couple other wood whistles and own a couple Thin Weasels.
The Sweetheart is sweet for sure. It plays great, it’s well made, it’s pretty, and it’s right in tune - and there will be no maintenance (except to grease the cork and store it in two pieces). It’s also loud, more so than a Thin Weasel and even a Reyburn.
I have only one small issue with the Sweetheart Professional. To me it has a tone that reminds me of a Yamaha Plastic recorder - perhaps something to do with the laminate and high density of the Dymondwood. You might check out a Burke Composite which to me sounds more like wood at about the same price as the Sweetheart.
I had the same fear about maintenance as you did, but I bit the bullet and bought a Thin Weasel some time ago. You will develop a theraputic relationship with a real wood whistle that makes the extra expense and effort quite worth it. I feed it, I care for it, I play with it - it changes and responds - it’s like a puppy without the poop thing going on.
Personally I like the Thin Weasels, though I know there are many other great wood whistles available. Some day I’ll have to try a Busman.
I played my Sweetheart Professional for a while last night, after I’d finished practicing on my favorite Thin Weasel.
You can ignore my tiny quibble about the tone of the Sweetheart Professional - given that it plays so dang nice, the intonation is spot on all the way through 2 octaves, the volume is strident yet balanced through 2 octaves, and the optional fife head adds more fun to the mix…
this is a terrific whistle. In fact, it’s a great whistle anyway. It looks very much like wood because it mostly is. It plays clearly and strongly. You can also buy a second fife head for it which is really cool.
