I recently bought a used Abell D in blackwood. Up to this time, all my whisltes have been metal or pvc. No wood, except a couple cheap bamboo whistles.
I’m hoping for some guidance about care. I’ve already been swabbing it out after use. Straightforward enough. It’s recommended to oil these with almond oil–inside and out. So, considering that I’m totally new to wood that needs caring for, I’m wondering what those of you who have Abells (or similar wood whistles) do to keep these up–the actual mechanics of applying the oil, what “brand” you use, etc. I’m especially interested in how you go about oiling the inside. Other suggestions for care–things you do that seem to work well?
I have two swabs – one to take out the moisture after I play, the other to oil it. I use grocery brand pure almond oil, though some people will spike it with a capsule of Vit E per oz of oil (get a seperate vial and mix the two and store it. I use a clean napkin to oil the outside, then a few drops on the swab and run it up the tube a few times.
In an ideal world, you swab your instrument out after every playing, and oil it about once a month, then store it in a container that has some amount of humidity.
Before you oil the whistle, let it dry out for a day or so: you don’t want to seal that extra moisture into the wood with the oil.
I use a bamboo chopstick to oil my whistles. CAREFULLY split the small end for a distance of an inch or so. You can use this slit to hold a small piece of cloth with the almond oil. Don’t use huge amounts of oil-- just enough to give it a bit of a shine. On new whistles, I put a lot in there, let it sit for a while, then swab out the excess. With blackwood, you won’t need a lot, or need to do it very often…
Mostly I just soak mine in Castrol 20W50 for a good day or two now and then, seems to keep things well lubed. Works just as well for the Turbo and Non-Turbo models.
Paul and Tyg, this is just the advice I needed–specifically how to follow the general instruction at Chris Abell’s website. (I note that I’ve seen both of you helping other folks with questions like these rather consistently. Good folks you are, indeed.)
Loren, mine is a turbo model. The Castrol 20W50 worked wonders. Helps a ton with the reels, but the amazing thing is the rich, dark tone it’s given my whistle on the slow airs.
Fun is one way to describe it. I played for nearly three hours straight when I first got it. Felt a bit tired. Later that evening I called my neighbor over with his guitar and we played for about an hour. Loved it.
Day two–loved it even more. Each day since, discovering more about it.
