My new Syn came from Gaelic Crossings today. What fun! Nifty tooter…hard to believe it’s only $38!
Redwolf
I didn’t know that Gaelic Crossings was selling Syns, can you please indulge us with a Synful review. Also, that there were new sins available.
Have fun and enjoy your new whistle.
MarkB
I love new whistle days! I am in anxious anticipation of 2…and every day, all that arrives is boring flat stuff…
As soon as I’ve had a chance to get to know this new toy, I’ll review it. I need to do a review of my Burke too (otherwise known as “my preciousssss!”), but every time I sit down to play it I get all misty eyed and can’t put it down long enough to type anything!
Yes, Gaelic Crossings has Syn Ds in stock.
Redwolf
Redwolf, does yours have the engraved “Syn” and the key on the barrel?
I got my original Syn D from Gaelic Crossings, and the barrel is plain. I’m not sure if the engraving is a later addition, or only done when you order a multiple-key set. The set I got from NorCal (D-C-Bb-A) is nicely engraved, hence the query.
Dana
Piccies of the aluminum and lancewood whistles and some comments here:
Yes, mine has the engraving.
Redwolf
Redwolf, have you ever tried a Syn in wood?
You played my lancewood at Tony’s, didn’t you, Redwolf? I seem to remember that.
Yes, I did. It’s a beaut!
Redwolf
I’m afraid I’m a repeat Synner… after getting the E to A (E/Eb/D/C/Bb/A) set I just had to get another C/D set to keep in my briefcase for impromptu opportunites to Syn.
Yes, they all have the engraving at the top of the barrel.
If these inexpensive instruments sound and feel this good to play (though the A cannot be pushed very hard at all) I can only imagine what the wood ones must be like.
I know I love my rosewood Kung Superio soprano and alto recorders for their feel and their sound…
Yes, the A tube is a real limit setter, but doable. The one I received was pretty off in the OXXOOO fingering. I could not find a fingering to make that note work. Works great as a straight A whistle though. DISCLAIMER: Erle does NOT say this is the best key at all for this configuration and only provides it as an inexpensive way to get a feel for that key.
The wooden Syn’s are a real joy to play. I played I. Ron Wood on the tour and currently have a D and C in Lancewood. Matt has sent me his Teak set to try out. They are all quite different beasts, but being individually hand made I think that is acceptable and understandable.
The lancewood is quite dense and the teak very light and airy so conventional thought might indicate a difference in sound. What I have found out is the variability comes primarily from the head area and that it is not as drastic a difference as one might expect. Each of the heads I have do have differences but this is mainly in the amound of breathyness and what I call growling (that subtle little rumble or bubbling noise, you DO hear it in some of your whistles, don’t you? 
).
Without serious test equipment, it appears to my wifes ear (hey! not that she isn’t serious test equipment! 
) it does not matter which tube goes on which head, the sound does not change all that drastically. For example one of my heads plays pretty pure and without a bunch of breath noise and no growl. With my lancewood D tube it sounds quite similar to when I put the teak tub on as well.
I will post more if I discover anything new over the next couple of years with the teak set.
funny, ha ha ha . . . ha . . . hey, wait a minute . . . did you say “year”? 
I find that 0XX X0X and 0XX XX0 both work pretty well, but I try to half-hole the Gnat (“Cnat”) fingering when I can. For airs, all three choices are simple enough - for fast pieces, I sometimes forget and use the 0XX 000 fingering (but if it’s fast enough, it isn’t quite as noticable).
The Bb tube works fine with the 0XX 000 fingering, though.
If you want some of the unusual keys, or just want a really good whistle for a good price, it’s hard to beat a Syn. Just don’t expect too much volume from the Bb or A tubes 
(I have other good, loud, whistles for those keys, anyway)
No, I said YEARS!!!
ha, ha, haaaaa 
My A tube is also rather sharp with OXXOOO. I have been back and forth between OXXXOO and OXXXXO and right now think the latter is more in tune. The others all seem to be fine with OXXOOO for that note.
I’ve already begun substituting the Syns for my recorders where it makes musical sense in our weekly outing for Saturday evening Mass and such. My wife played her Celtic harp and I the Syn A in a medley of hymns (all but one based on old Irish tunes) during the candle lighting for our All Souls Day service. Nice combination, but I kept wishing I could get a bit more out of it. Next year if we do that again I’ll have to use the Susato (sorry).
The wooden Syn’s are a real joy to play. I played I. Ron Wood on the tour and currently have a D and C in Lancewood. Matt has sent me his Teak set to try out. They are all quite different beasts, but being individually hand made I think that is acceptable and understandable.
The lancewood is quite dense and the teak very light and airy so conventional thought might indicate a difference in sound. What > I > have found out is the variability comes primarily from the head area and that it is not as drastic a difference as one might expect. Each of the heads I have do have differences but this is mainly in the amound of breathyness and what I call growling (that subtle little rumble or bubbling noise, you DO hear it in some of your whistles, don’t you? >
I think I know whereof you speak… I’ve only played the second, D/C set a bit but it’s not any more different from the first one (for those two keys) than my two Susato Kildare high D’s are from one another. And the little individualities go with the particular head when I swap them, just as you have experienced.
In recorder circles there is frequently a debate about different woods (and other materials) and sounds, but makers point out repeatedly that subtle dimensions in all aspects of the windway and blade have FAR more influence over variations in sound than the material. The fact that my two Susato D’s are different in response and to a lesser extent other sonic characteristics just says how subtle the physical differences can be and still matter. Very small indeed.
But all in all I am still amazed at how nice these hand made instruments are, while being quite competitve with plastic ones in price.
I wonder if Erle will make bigger aluminum ones someday. My Susato G and F (low) are darn near unplayable for me between the diameter of the second-to-last hole and the wide space between it and the last one - especially on the G. And I could really USE a G for some of my liturgical music…
If Erle did they’d have to be larger bore than the current aluminum ones or they’d be more limited than the A.