Since I am one of the first people here to have the opportunity to test one of Gary Humphrey’s Copperhead whistle heads, I thought I’d share my impressions of this with you all. This is not intended to be a full review but it does represent my reaction to the Copperhead, as a whistle player.
Gary hasn’t designed and made a complete whistle; what he has done is made the head for a whistle which fits perfectly onto a standard D tube, such as the Feadog tube. The Copperhead which Gary provided for me came already fitted onto a Feadog tube.
The first thing you notice when you pick up this whistle is that the Copperhead is quite weighty. Being used to other whistles with lighter heads, the Copperhead at first feels unbalanced, but I haven’t found this to present any actual problem when playing. You soon get used to the weight; once the whistle is supported in your lips, the weight pretty much becomes a non-issue. To put it into perspective - most whistles have a balancing point somewhere near the first (top) tone hole. With the Copperhead fitted, the balancing point is about 6 cm further up the tube.
What really interests me about a whistle is the way it plays and how it sounds. I am very happy to report that Gary’s whistle in no way disappoints in either of these areas. Okay, let me tell you right away, that I really love this whistle. Gary has done a very fine job where it counts: playability and sound quality. Gary can fine-tune his Copperhead to suit your own personal playing style. My own Copperhead was made for a more aggressive playing style which allows me to lean into a tune in a way which is quite impossible on a whistle like the O’Briain “improved”, for instance. The Copperhead can be played confidently and it gives a sense of security when playing; being perfectly well-behaved, it produces the notes you want it to produce, when you want them, without unwelcomed squeaks and squawks. The Copperhead makes a very responsive whistle which loves fast ornamentation. The tone is solid and clean and satisfying, with excellent consistency/evenness right up through both octaves. The bell note is as solid as can be, and better than on any soprano D whistle I’ve played.
Breath volume requirements are low, and there is a definite back pressure, especially noticeable in the upper octave where you are conscious of having to blow more forcefully. Despite the extra breath pressure, the volume in the upper octave never becomes excessive and remains in good balance with the volume of the lower octave. And as for the overall volume of the whistle, well, I would say that it is moderately loud. The presence of noticeable back-pressure when blowing into the Copperhead makes playing this whistle quite involving and helps you to put expressive feeling into what you are playing, in a similar way that whistles such as Overtons do, for example, though the Copperhead is a very different whistle to an Overton. However, like the Overton, this whistle has the feeling of a “professional” instrument.
For the asking price, you get a fantastic whistle. I doubt that with a budget of $55 you could find a better whistle anywhere. I accept that no two people will agree about what constitutes the “perfect” whistle, and choosing a whistle is a very subjective matter. You might not agree with my assessment, but my opinion is given with sincerity. I think Gary has produced something special and, when I say that I doubt you could do better for the money, I would go even further than that; I believe that the Copperhead competes well with some other whistles which cost considerably more than $55. You pays yer money, and you takes yer choice…
Gary has elsewhere pointed out that the Copperhead is made from unlaquered copper. I know that some people really have a problem with the smell and taste of copper and so don’t like copper whistles. I have to say that I hardly notice any smell of copper, when playing the Copperhead, though I can smell it a little if I turn my attention to the smell, and as for tasting copper…well, I honestly can’t taste anything, but other people might be more sensitive to the taste. The fipple plug is not made of copper, which I think helps minimise any taste…but if you think you are going to have a problem with this then probably you won’t want to try this whistle, which is more the pity. The copper itself does tarnish quickly, but it can be cleaned up occasionally, using toothpaste as a metal polish.
In his post announcing the availability of the Copperhead, Gary pointed those interested to my web site, where you can download a recording of the reel, Kiss the Maid, which was made using the Copperhead, and in case you didn’t see that post, you can find that recording here.
Mick
