Are Copeland and Shaw the only folks making conical low whistles? Any word on a Sweetone low whistle or is that an urban myth?
Cheers,
Aaron
Phil Bleazy makes a conical low D out of wood! He sez that it is not just a flute with a whistle mouthpiece but a special design. A friend of mine here in town has one! It is easy to blow with a nice mellow tone. The holes are small and close together. The price on the website sez 275 pounds =430 dollars is not bad if you consider that the construction is like a flute that could cost from 800 to 1200 dollars! Here is the website http://www.bleazey.co.uk
sweetone urban myth.
Jon Swayne makes the occasional low D of boxwood, too.
Then there’s Yvon Le Coant, from Bretagne by St-Brieuc. It’s a three-piece (parting like a flute) design in blackwood (or kingwood), with silver-plated ferrules. Pretty heavy, but you can play it with fingertips like Bleazey’s. It is also a special bore, much less conical than a flute.
It’s my favourite, but it takes more air than the Copeland. At least the one I picked for its exceptional clarinet-like low end. Some were mellower, easier blowing.
Price was 534 Euros at last St-Chartier festival. He may have some readily made.
Yvon Le COANT,
artisan Luthier ,
6 , rue des fontaines
à Binic (22)
tèl : (00-33) 2.96.73.36.99
His site is a disgrace, and not only for lack of update, but here is:
http://membres.lycos.fr/lecoantyvon/index.htm
So, the other conical makes beyond Shaw and Copeland are all wood? Are Grinter’s whistles conical?
I’ve seen you speak highly of Yvon Le Coant’s whistles in other posts, Zoob. What’s you opinion of his other instruments… flutes, bombardes, and binious? His blowpipe valve looks interesting. I wonder if it’s very constrictive?
Yec’hed mat!
Aaron
Grinter’s whistles are wood cylinders.
NICE cylinders, but cylinders nonetheless.
Stuart
Ya–cheers, Aaron.
Wood indeed. Now, I hear more similarities between my brass Copeland and my Le Coant, like horn vs. clarinet/bassoon, than between the Copeland and another brass like Howard’s, or the Le Coant and another wood like Grinter’s. So much for the material per se.
Le Coant’s bombardes? Quite good, I hear, even if Hervieux & Glet have the #1 reputation for the beastly thing.
Flutes? Unfortunately, I don’t play the flute at all! They are obviously well-tuned, and the keywork is gorgeous, but the reputation is not there (yet?)*. My hunch is a serious flautist could buy one for its price/value, even if the head had to be adjusted, or changed… Ask on the flute board, or do a search: there was a related thread a couple months ago.
The blow valve, I don’t know. It sounds quite unobtrusive when played, and that’s what a ball should bring to a valve mechanism. Anyway, even if it doesn’t save gas, it doen’t seem to spend more, judging by the looks of those playing it… But here, the GHP crowd is very conservative. Why do I say “here” 
Now, Yvon is more into binioù-kozh, the true Breton one, not the imported triple drone binioù-braz thing. His tiny kozh chanters are beautiful.
Finally, his whistles rock. Even the most questionable–my low D with its rather high wind requirements–sound unique. The other tones have low wind requirements. I would have taken a high D, if I hadn’t already a great blackwood whistle. Instead, I picked the chiffiest G I could between 8 to choose from; recorder looks if you wish (though I’ve seen good alloy whistle players more than attracted by its shape) but its incredible reediness brings interest to this too-classic tonality. I can’t wait for the Bb (scheduled only next year, just in time for St-Chartier festival). I didn’t buy one from Swayne in St-Chartier 2003: I decided I could wait, and for the same price I’d get just as good playability, better finish, a wood selection and a more complex voice. And this Swayne was so tempting in its own sweet way…
- NB: This may have to do with Yvon’s personality, rather grumpy esp. with those who’d walk in to tell him his job, and would kick out a celebrity looking for a freebie… Also, he’ll sell only direct: dealers NOT welcome! Well, “Breton” and “craftsman” together should say it all. :roll:
Herviuex & Glet are the hot talabarder pick, eh? I only played briefly in a bagad and that was over 7 years ago. I remember our talabarders playing their reeds and bombardes.
The ball valve looks like it gives freely but GHB pipers don’t like the bore constricted like some valves that insert into the blowpipe do. I don’t know about biniou kozh, but we blow some hard reeds and need all the air we can get. I’d be intereted in trying biniou kozh but the chanter looks too tiny for my big hands.
You’re right. Conservativism is a common trait among GHB pipers no matter where they are. It usually takes a few people to try something out and nod approval before the general piping populace will buy it. Synthetic bags and drone reeds are ubiquitous but only after 10-15 years of development. A weird looking valve would have to make a big difference for it to catch on.
As for wooden whistles… I haven’t yet tried one. The Grinter Fs as played by the boys from Lunasa are pretty awesome sounding though. I would still need to try one though. I guess that’s the conservative piper in me 
.
Cheers,
Aaron
Come to St-Chartier next year (mid-July). It is announced as a Jubilee event someting to do with a George Sand anniversary).
Also, you can try out and compare Swayne, Bleazey and Le Coant whistles. And get one of the shelf with no waiting list and “blind buy”, of course.
This all if the biggest drone-instrument get-together in Europe (between hurdy-gurdies and all the sorts of European pipes from Galicia to Scandinavia) isn’t enough of a motivation to you…
I have a Grinter F. I got one when I understood Yvon did not even intend to research this tone bores, having no demand in France. However, this Grinter plays so easily, with such a balanced range I don’t regret the original lack of alternative, now. The shame is I’ve seen it commented as better than Crawford’s (like a very-very good batch, or lucky sample), while I couldn’t even begin to compare…
Yec’hed mat
Pol
I researched this in-depth some months ago, and got a great deal of advice from the flute board, including PMs.
The very clear advice was don’t hesitate to buy a Le Coant whistle, but don’t think about his flutes - they’re not up to it. Instead, everyone advised another Breton flute maker for flutes: Gilles Lehart. He’s fairly low-priced (c.£400) and his waiting list is 8-9 months - and apparently worth it (mine is due January). 