I’ve tried several different cheap whistles over the past few months, and I really like the sound of my Oak! It’s so sweet and doesn’t make me wince on the high notes. I’m getting used to the breath control requirements; practicing arpeggios and different intervals helps.
I’m finding that it is VERY sensitive to moisture. After just a couple of songs, it starts to “rattle” until I blow and shake the moisture out. Then I just have to do it again after the next song or two. Does anyone have a tip for this?
Also, is there an easy tweak to strengthen the bottom two notes without altering the sound of the rest of the notes? I’ve already done the poster-putty tweak, although I’m not quite sure what that does.
Out of all the cheap whistles I’ve tried (generation, clare 2-pc, feadog, meg, sweetone, and the oak), the Oak is by far my favorite. Even though I have a wonderful elfsong that I love to pieces, I still use my Oak when trying something new, or just general practice. Can’t beat it in the cheap-o section, if you ask me.
I can’t help you with the rattling bit. They just seem to do that, some worse than others. Mine is not bad, it’s noticable, but it’s not distracting, and I don’t particularly mind it. Dunno about the bottom 2 notes either, I just blow softer, and they come out fine. Oaks require significantly less air than most whistles, maybe you’re just blowing too hard?
My Oak is great after it warms up. Until then it’s kind of fuzzy, espcially in the second octave. Of my cheap whistles it second after the Clare nickle. It’s a very close second.
Jon
Just chiming in - it’s my favorite cheapie, too. Though I like my Sweetones, self-tweeked Generations, Walton’s Mello D, and Feadogs enough they all get some play, IMHO the Oak (once you adjust to its air requirements) is in a whole other class.
Right now, out of over a dozen D whistles my top 4 are a couple of Serpent Pollys, a Dixon . . . and the Oak. Very different sounds, too - the Serpents are decidedly in the airy/chiffy camp, while the Dixon and Oak are in the pure/clear camp. Don’t know what I’d do if I could have only one D whistle - but if I could have only two, it’d be a Serpent and either the Oak or the Dixon.
YMMV - but of all the whistles I’ve had a chance to try so far, the only pure whistle I liked significantly more was a Burke Session Pro, at over 10x the price.
I had two oaks, a C, and a D, and didn’t really take to either of them. I sold one and gave the other away. The reason I didn’t like them was because the upper octave was fuzzy and not very clear. It very well may be a quality control issue, but the two I played were less than stellar.
Cran, how long did you play them? I’ve found it takes a while to break in a whistle…weeks, before it plays its best.
Of course, I know there is the argument that it isn’t the whistle that changes, it’s the player, and I think there may be some truth to that but I do think the whistle itself changes slightly over time when played.
You may be right on the quality control…I have read more than once of people having numb lips from playing their Oak, though this has never happened to me.
Especially in the inexpensive whistles, it seems there can be great variance from one whistle to the next in the same brand. The Oak I have is one lovely little whistle, though–mayhap I just got lucky.
Cran, how long did you play them? I’ve found it takes a while to break in a whistle…weeks, before it plays its best.
Of course, I know there is the argument that it isn’t the whistle that changes, it’s the player, and I think there may be some truth to that but I do think the whistle itself changes slightly over time when played.
I played them both for a couple months, though not at the same time (I got the D after I’d already sold the C). I’m confident the problem was the actual whistles, not me, because at the same time I got Clares and Waltons and they’re fine. The Oaks were just plain fuzzy and difficult. I did the sticky-tack tweak on both of them, and I tried sandpaper tweaking the Oak D, but it didn’t really help much.
The OAK is my favorite cheap whistle. I’ve had three of them and the only one that didn’t play so well had a very rough cut tube top (part that the mouthpiece is on). The other two had smooth cuts…not sure if this made the difference.
The bluetack trick seems to help reduce a bit of the raspiness that you sometimes get with an Oak.
I really love the 2nd octave…very unique, metallic tone. It would be nice if the lower octave were a bit stronger, but I guess you can’t have everything.
a month or two ago i sent mack hoover an oak C i had no use for. he told me he put a whitecap on it and it’s now just about his favorite C. i thought the slightly extra heft to it would work well with a better mouthpiece.
Today I did the Sticky Tac in the cavity tweak. Man does this Oak play great. I’m blown away at how good it is. Also, this week I got the Gary Humphrey Retrofit Head. I put it on a Oak tube (I broke the Oak head). This makes a great whistle, really smooth and even. Two whistles that I’d highly recommend.
Jon
My “Oakenstein” D (Oak head with sticky tack tweak on Generation brass body) is my favorite cheapo whistle by far and tied for my favorite whistle period. Great whistly sound and easy to play through both octaves. Just what a whistle should be!
Well where do ya get one o them there Gary Humphrey heads? My Whoa was over friday. But that was friday. It’s starting to kick in again. How does it compair?
I love my Oak D…I’ve been playing it for about 15 years and I have yet to find anything easier to play, and it sounds great! I’ve heard some that have a buzzy tone on the 2nd octave, but like someone said, I just try different ones at the store until I find one without it.
I know what you mean about the moisture affecting the tone, but I guess it just doesn’t bother me to have to shake it out after a few tunes. The other thing I do for that is just cover the top (what do you call that hole in the top of the fipple?) and blow really hard to clear out dust or drool or anything in the whistle.
You contact Gary on board with a PM. He goes by the name Raindog1970. If you do a search for Raindog1970 you’ll get his PM. Give him a try those whistles are great.
Best Regards,
Jon
I’ve heard some that have a buzzy tone on the 2nd octave, but like someone said, I just try different ones at the store until I find one without it.
I’m going to give one of his a try.