I’m curious to know if anybody has a good whistle to sell in either of the above keys. By a ‘good’ whistle I mean something like an Overton, Abell or Burke but if you have something else you no longer need don’t hesitate to inquire; it’s just that not many makers produce whistles in these keys.
Now surely there’s someone out there who’s just divorced a singer who favoured Ab or Db and who doesn’t need that whistle any more.
I’m also interested in other unusual keys—F# and low E.
If you have something to offer, or just want to sound me out, contact me by PM please.
Added as an afterthought: if you own a good whistle in any of these keys and would like to recommend but not sell, I’m sure I’m not the only person who’d like to know about it. Please let us know what it is and how it plays.
I have a soprano E Elfsong and reccomend it whole heartedly, unless you got big hands.
I’ve been needing an F# and B natural whistle for two of my favorite singers for a long time but can’t afford them because only “good” (what I call expensive) makers make them. I’m thinking of mabey making my own B natural tube for my Gen Bb mouthpiece, but I can’t afford that right now either.
Do you have a good D or C whistle you could make a Db tube for?
Some good points here; thanks Cran. I too have an Elfsong high E and like it well enough to think that I have high E covered, that’s why I only mentioned low E.
I think you can get a Shaw B natural, although I don’t think Jerry sells them ready tweaked yet (hint, hint). A Water Weasel might also be within your budget. Haven’t seen a relatively cheap F# though.
Yes I do have a good D/C set for which I could get a Db tube. Abell as it happens. I have what was once a full set of Abells and the Db tube wouldn’t set me back much more than a Burke. Chris Abell now makes a B tube that would fit my A/Bb head but doesn’t make an Ab. Since I need adjustments made to that tuning slide it’s tempting to have a B tube made and fitted at the same time.
Actually, I’m not dead set on expensive whistles for any of these keys and if someone could suggest or offer something quite different from my usual choices I’d be interested to try it.
I hadn’t thought of a Shaw B, thanks for bringing it up. I can’t even get one of them right now, so I’ve been playing along with my B songs (and F# too, for that matter) on dulcimer, but I want to use whistle. I also use my Elfsong E for B songs but it’s not really the same.
I once heard somebody say you could shave a little bit off the upper end of a Generation Bb and get a B, but I’m too clumsy to try it without hurting myself.
If you’re not absolutely dead set on spending a lot, I know Mack Hoover does a lot of good thing whistles. I have had a NB and 2 whitecaps from him, and he’s not too expensive..
After my rather intensive research, the only B whistles for under $100 CAD I came up with are: Water Weasel, Mack Hoover (WC and PVC), Shaw, Syn, Susato in that order of expensiveness (I think… this is all from memory)
Syn is a good deal. I have just sent him an email ordering one head and bodies in the keys of E, Eb, D, C, B, Bb. He had said he would make any key between E an Bb, so I am assuming he would be able to make a Db. You should ask. Additional bodies are extremely cheap. (Reflecting my personal philosophy that the important part is the head.)
Mack would also most likely make a Db and Ab on request… Although you would have to ask to make sure…
I have a Burke composite low-E that’s one of my favorite whistles of all. Not for sale, but Mike usually doesn’t usually have a particularly long waiting list.
I believe I’ve heard of a Goldie Overton C#. I’m sure Colin, among other makers, wouldn’t bite your head off if you asked about an Ab, although I’m sure there would be quite a wait.
Cran, somewhere on the 'net is a recipe for making a Gen Bb into a Bnatural. Couldn’t find it in a cursory search, but I’m pretty sure it’s out there somewhere.
I have an Overton low Eb. I’ve often thought of getting a Burke as well to complement it since I play in Fm modes a lot in jazzy and progressive rock and fusion contexts. I really couldn’t be without good Ebs, high and low.
I’m really not in a hurry for the Db or Ab. Apart from the option of getting an Abell Db tube (quite tempting) Overton and Burke are the obvious choices being such consistent whistles across the keys. But for that very reason, I have plenty of them and I’m curious to know what else is out there.
I really have two reasons for singling out these keys as desirables. One is the desire to play blues in Bb and Eb which are popular with horn players. The other is the option of playing along with ease with folk and rock guitarists who tune down a half step which is quite common, especially for those whose voices can’t quite make it in D and A or those who want to use heavy guage strings and play them as though they were light guage.
Right Bill, Daniel would certainly have no problem with any of these keys. I have some modal whistles for klezmer from Daniel which I like a lot and would get more except that frequent mode changes in Klezmer make chromatic instruments highly desirable.
I’m really just trying to get a sense of what’s out there, not just to know who could make me these whistles but also to find out who actually plays them already. For the reasons I gave to Chas, I’m a bit puzzled that people don’t seem to own Db and Ab whistles. Even if you think of the whistle as preeminently Irish, it seems to me that singers can favour any key—Irish singers aren’t born with throats and voice boxes in D. Or is it genetic?
You’ll be ready for the Stratoflute before you know, my friend: all chromatic, easy playing anything from F (=XXX XXXX) to Eb (=XXO,OOOO)…
Now for jazz, I’m all set between this saxowhistle and just a low Eb…
though, a low Db (ahh… Re bemolle, WhOA on me!), that’s a thought!
I wonder if Alba would do me a Db tube for that great big-bore low C of hers? Its resonance and booming warm low end are just the thing for the musics you described…
