One of the greatest pleasures that I have found through being a part of this board is meeting the many skilled and enthusiastic whistlers, tweakers and craftsmen out there. About 3 weeks ago-just before the board crashed, I received my very own custom-made Copperhead on a Feadog Mk3 tube.
C&F member Raindog fabricates these copper fipples and uses a molded composite plug. He will fit them to your old Feadog or Gen tube, or will supply a tube straight out of the box for a little extra. He’s done quite a bit of tinkering with his fabrication process and blade angle and I believe that he’s come up with a great modification for those that love the bright “metal” as opposed to “woody” or (plastic) sound. Some have also called this a more “traditional” sound, but that topic has been debated at length elsewhere.
Now, I’ve been responsible for some favorable comments and recommendations on Susastos for their great range and volume, but I really didn’t know how much I MISSED the brighter, chiffy sound that a brass tube produces, ‘till I played my Copperhead. I simply love it.
Although the weight of the head is substantial, I quickly got used to it, and it also forced me to use a flatter angle and a correct grip for balance.
It has a really SOLID lower register, with greater volume than any of my other metal whistles, and jumps with little effort or wind between octaves. Thinking about the air requirements, perhaps that is what makes it’s response so nimble. Playing simple rolls and ornaments on it just sound crisper and neater. Good, pure tones up and down the scale, with the upper octave quite loud enough without being piercing. The head position is adjustable for tuning, and although mine arrived a little sharp I think I’ll just make my Susato-playing friends tune to me!
The only less-than-enthusiastic comments I have about it is that it does take some care- keeping it polished- because it is not lacquered. But it sits like a jem on that plain Feadog barrel, and is worth a little extra upkeep. Care and feeding instructions were thoughtfully provided.
In a head-to-head comparision it doesn’t have the quite the volume of my old cannon-bore Susato, but I have come to the conclusion that, for me at least, tone color and voice is sometimes more important.
As for any faint copper taste from the fipple, reportedly he’s working on a aluminum model, which I would very much like to compare when it is ready. Perhaps a Copperhead would work with a wider tube for even more volume (Maybe from a Mellow D?) but I love mine just as it is.
You can contact the maker at [raindog1970@hotmail.com] or find him here in these hallowed halls.
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