I have an identity crisis:
What do you call someone making bodies for existing heads?
For my own amusement i started to make different whistle bodies for my recently acquired Burke DBSBT. i really love the way it sounds and plays, and i figured i could use 9/16 x 0.014" KS brass tubing to make exchange bodies, in a series of keys from perhaps Eb to C or B, and also experiment with thumb holes.
Since i use an existing head (and barrel) i don’t think i can call myself a whistle maker, but i am not a tweaker either. So what?
Confused -
Hans
PS: anyone done it and can share tips on Burke hybridisations?
Hmmm, that doesn’t make you a body snatcher but maybe a head hunter. You’re using brass so your not a plastic surgeon either. So, Body Builder seems to be the most appropriate, not that I want to “pump you up” or anything.
The tradition of of mixing parts is a well documented one on this board. The results are sometimes called Frankenwhistles. But the villagers don’t complain much at the results. A few of the whistle makers around here probably started off by making their own bodies for existing heads or heads for existing bodies. I started off making bodies. Then you figure out how to make the head - it’s not brain surgery. No stormy nights or lightning are required either! You are on a slippery slope however.
Some whistles designs make it easier to knock out bodies in different keys. I started with Howard low D heads and made bodies in other keys. Then I moved on to Susato Kildare high whistle heads. Susato even sold un-drilled bodies at one time. After that Water Weasels beckoned. I know a few people have done bodies for those. More recently I tried making bodies for my Sindts (the C natural thing). There were plans available that used Sweetone heads on home made copper bodies that were called the “Bloody Hand” whistles a while back too. You can learn quite a bit about tuning and whistle design from such exercises.
The Burke is one whistle for which I have not considered making other bodies. I just kept buying more complete whistles in each key I need. Mike Burke uses different diameter tubes for each key and scales the other components up/down to work properly. That’s one way he preserves the playing characteristics of his whistles over the entire range of keys he offers. One thing is that you are starting off with a really good head and nothing ab-normal or “Abbey someone, I think” as Igor (Marty Feldman) once said to young Dr. Frankenstein in the Mel Brooks movie.
It sounds like you are happy with your results, so that’s great.
Buying a set of properly scaled Burke whistles seems ideal, but i can’t afford this right now. So my “body building” efforts are done partly out of economical choice, partly for the adventure. And the Burke is designed so neat, that swapping the body tubes is efficient.
