What whistles have you tried where you can change the head between different bodies/keys?
I was looking at the Susato Kildare offerings and they look pretty good. Any others (economically priced) come to mind?
Also, dose nayoe here slip back and forth between a whistle/piccolo with interchangable heads?
I’ve owned the Kildare model with the S-series bore in keys from high E to the A. I started out with a set in D,C and Bb with one head. It was quite workable. Over time I bought more heads. I also have a set of Water Weasels in , Eb, D and C. Erle Bartlett made/makes Syn whistles in a set from E down to Bb (I think!) which is a real bargain, IMO. And there are others I have owned in similar sets as well. One thing you should know is that the head will work best with one body, usually the one whose tube bore delivers the most optimal length to bore ratio. The others keys will be quite playable though. You may notice a lower key whistle is a little weaker than the others or that the higher key whistles may require a bit more effort to hit the high notes. In the case of my Kildares the low A was really weak (IMO) and the high E was a real bear to push the high notes out. I lived with them for a while until I could buy other whistles. Susato was aware of te compromises they had made too. You will notice they no longer make whistles in those keys with the S-series bore. Still the savings over buying separate whistles will be worth it and you may not feel that you have compromised anything at all. So go for it.
I have owned several Dixon tunable polymer whistles. I had the flute/piccolo heads for the high D/C and the low D. I did not find the piccolo head to be useful at all. But then again I owned several other (better made) fifes in D, C and Bb.
Hope that helps.
Feadoggie
Feadoggie,
That’s an excellent point on the optimal length to bore ratio. Does this effect whistle/flute head instruments to? The instrument I have in mind are the Dixon Duos.
I’m also noting that the Duos have the same head for different keys. Which keys are optimal for each head (high whistle, Picc., Low whistle, and Flute) IYO?
Thanks,
Mike
I make whistles from 1/2" cpvc pipe in C, D, Eb and E - I find that the D, Eb and E to all work about equally, the C is different, a little weaker which can be compensated for by finding a head (or making one) which is a little ‘edgier’ or has a little more buzz to it. Words are hard to find to describe what I am trying to say - you really have to listen and play. At any rate what I am saying is that one can fine tune a head to work ‘better’ with different bodies (different in keys) but it is possible to pretty close with one head and a few close keys. And of course ‘better’ is in the ear/hands of the player and different folks will differ on which is better!
I would expect there to be even less compromise making a fife v whistle head - but I’ve never done it so I’m probably wrong. Flutes (and fifes as well?) have a space between the embouchure hole and the ‘cork’ - many whistles have none or a smaller space - this will effect tuning in various ways and so the design of the head will have to take this into account making the whole process trickier and more prone to greater compromise. All pure conjecture on my part though somewhat informed.
1 - Susato D/C/Bflat
2 - Syn D/C/Bflat
3 - Water Weasel Eflat/D/C
All are pretty cool with no problems.
Others are all 2 bodies to a head - O’Riordan D/C and Bflat/A (super)
Abell delrin D/C (also great)
Water Weasel Bflat/A (great as well)
Parkhurst D/C (lovely unique eye candy as Dale has said)
I tried someone’s set of 8 bodies on a head (Syn) and thought that stretched beyond the point of compromise and thus diminishing returns.
Philo
I have The Water Weasel C/D/Eflat and A/Bflat, as well as Susato C/D. I think the Susato works much better with the C head.
As far as the Weasels, Glenn made his PVC whistles out of what was available, but for his wooden whistles, each key was a specific diameter, and it shows. The D wooden and plastic whistles are quite similar, but the C and E (I also have an E PVC whistle) are entirely different beasts. The C has a much fuller sound, and the E doesn’t scream at the top of its range the way the plastic one does. Similarly, I found the A whistles to be quite similar, but the Bflat wooden to be a much more versatile whistle than the plastic one.
Lots of good observations and comments here.
At one time Dixon products were a real value in the US. I have been a fan of Dixon whistles. Exchange rates have changed that a bit over time. I have to place a caveat on my experience with the Dixon low D DUO. I owned two of those sets but they were both early examples. The flute heads had no lip-plate. I had low D and Low C bodies with the same tube size. They were not particular easy to play. Tony Dixon has re-designed that flute head on the current Duo. I have little experience with that design but it seems to be a great improvement over those I owned. The low D whistle is a nice whistle, IMO. I would still recommend a Tipple flute as a more rewarding alternative to the cylindrical Dixon low flutes.
I also have owned the piccolo head and used it on D and C Dixon whistle bodies. I didn’t like them. These had the lip plate and resembled the current product but that’s just an assumption on my part. I have not run into one to try since then. I was also playing Sweet folk fifes and a Healy fife at the time. The Dixon wasn’t providing anything new or improved over those good instruments. Dixon may have improved the piccolo head too. I just don’t know. Jem offers a piccolo/fife at a good price that could be an alternative.
I wouldn’t take my experience with these to be advice on not buying the Dixon Duos. All of us have different lips and expectations. If you can find the Dixon Duos at what you think is a good price you should try them. The Susatos represent good value as well and you can always buy individual heads later on if you get tired of swapping out bodies. I also wouldn’t shy away from D and C whistle sets offered my most makers.
I make whistles and fifes from PVC/CPVC too. When I first started out I assumed that I could just use the same design for the fife as the whistle. I made the fife heads so that the center of the embouchure hole matched the position of the edge of the whistle’s labium blade. And you can get a fair instrument out of that effort but there are adjustments/compromises that have to be made to get the best out of each instrument. The “upstream” space in the flute head does help with the tuning of octaves. So I’ve found it easier to make the well-tuned fife over a well-tuned whistle. But that could be my embouchure playing tricks on me. YMMV!
Feadoggie
I have Freeman C/D set that works well. I’ve had to swap heads between tunes at a bluegrass session when we went from a G tune to an F tune. Since then, I’ve scribed the tubes at the nominal in-tune position so I can at least get close when I slap the head on the other tube.
You could always go better than PhilO and get the full Syn set -A, Bb, B, C, Db, D, Eb and E - 8 bodies and 1 head - it covers a multitude of sins 
David
No thanks .
I already have a multitdude of sin 
. 
Michael
Or causes a multitude of sins. 
Hi Whistlin’ Will
In my case you are so right.
David