The thing about our friend Bogman is that on many occasions, on various different threads and forums, has made statements along the lines of ‘whistles won’t clog if played properly’ suggesting that it’s ‘improper’ playing that leads to clogging. But I’ve never seen him explain what he means by this, that is, say precisely what it is that these other players are doing (or not doing) which leads to clogging.
That link above is interesting because Bogman offers (for the first time I’ve seen) some possible explanations, such as people coming from Highland piping having more success with Overton-style (Goldie) whistles. Thing is, my first instrument was Highland pipes too! But still Overtons clog on me.
People have made statements about ‘warming up’ whistles to prevent their clogging, but as I’ve said, a whistle left in the car for hours on a hot Southern California summer day (well over 100 degrees, in other words more ‘warmed up’ than is possible by the human breath) clogs exactly the same as one at ordinary room temperature, in my experience.
I’ve owned several Overtons over the years, the first one around 1980, up now, and they all clog on me. I’ve owned other makes that never clog on me, same player, same environment, such as Burke and MK.
It is telling, when somebody posted a video clip of a top Irish whistle guy (was it Davey Spillane?) performing live on a Low Whistle, that he was constantly putting his finger over the windway and blowing to clear out the windway. Surely this guy knows how to play ‘properly’!
In the Highland pipe world we have the issue that the reeds are strongly affected by the amount of moisture coming into the bag, and every piper knows whether he is a ‘dry blower’ or a ‘wet blower’ or somewhere in the middle. I’m a very ‘wet blower’ and I put out more moisture than most people, so it comes as no surprise that I will clog a whistle that somebody else may not.
I just have to pick and choose what makes of whistle I use, simple as that.
Question for people who own Goldies and Overtons both: are they similar, or different, regarding clogging? Since I’ve only had experience with Overtons, I’m in no position to speak to Goldies, unless they are similar in this regard.
BTW about Bogman’s observation there that Scottish players usually play Goldies and MKs, and rarely Burkes, I will say that in the Highland pipe world the pipes that people choose usually depends on region, and this appears to be more about availability than the nature of the instruments. So here in the USA one often sees American makes such as Gibson, MacLellan, and Kron, but these are very rarely seen outwith the US. Likewise one doesn’t often seen ABW Dunbars here, though they’re common in their home country of Canada. In Scotland one sees a large number of pipes by small ‘boutique’ Scottish makers that one very rarely sees here in the USA.
This would make me expect to see many more Burkes being played here than elsewhere, many more MKs being played in Scotland than elsewhere.
