I recently purchased a Sweehart Standard D in apple wood and I’m not sure about proper care and feeding…
I tend to do several short practice sessions in a day. Is it neccessary to dry the whistle after one or two songs? What is the fastest way to dry the inside? I was thinking about using a gun cleaning kit without the solvent.
I know its a sin for someone at my stage of learning to have such a nice looking wooden whistle. But, I do seem to be learning faster than predicted, the price was right, and my playing improved A LOT when I got a decent whistle.
BTW- I got a $3 Meg at the same time. I’m totally amazed at how well it plays. It would be my best whistle if it weren’t for the sweethart. The sweethart sure does look nice, but the Meg has a great price/sound ratio. I go camping a couple of times each month and the Meg will be my take-along instrument.
The textbook answer would be that you should dry it after every playing session. How you do it is less importantl, after all its not rocket science!
Bearing this in mind I have to admit that I have NEVER swabbed my Fred Rose rosewood whistle (dont tell Fred), just stored it standing and unwrapped (it is a one piece tapered beast so a touch tricky to dry…and I can be very lazy). After around 10 years it has never cracked warped or gone out of tune.
Moral of this story
1, Fred makes indestructable whistles (and I have destroyed an overton Low D!)
I forgot to mention that I live in desert area with very dry air. I know that some recorder players have little humidifers that they put in their instrument cases. Is this a good idea for someone who lives in the desert?
I use a cloth handkerchief or bandana twisted diagonally-- just twist it up in there. Then, don’t store it in an airtight case until it’s really thoroughly dry.
I use a piccolo “pad saver” which I picked up at the local music store. Just use it as a swab, don’t leave it in. It did leave a fair amount of lint when new, so it might be a good idea to wash (and dry!) it before first use. It has a rubberized tip so it doesn’t scratch the internals.
Has anyone ever heard of an instrument having trouble because of the air being too dry? That isn’t a problem on the east coast, but I live in the Mojave Desert. The whistle is exposed to 100% humidity when playing and very little humidity when not playing. Does the constant change cause a problem? Has anyone ever heard of a wooden instrument being harmed this way? Should I be keeping it in a humid container the way some recorder players do? Or am I being too paranoid?
I’ve sent whistles to quite a few people in arid climates, and have not had any complaints or repairs yet. The key is oiling the instrument regularly. The oil prevents excessive moisture absorbtion and loss.
BTW, I’m grateful for this thread, as I have an Abell C which I’ve occasionally been swabbing with a cotton r******* swab…I was unclear how necessary this might be.
If you go to the Flute forum you will find that quite a number of wooden flute players suggest NOT drying your instrument. Go figure. They also use various humidifying containers to help keep the wood “properly” hydrated.
Here is a recent experience I had. I live near the California coast and we have a Casey Burns mopane flute. The tenon is wood wrapped with waxed thread. It is normally quite snug. We recently went to Southern Idaho (Hello Doc if you are reading this) and when Renee took out the flute to play it with Doc the joint was noticably looser.
I would suggest you note just how tight any joints or ferrels you have are when you get your instrument and then adjust the humidity/swabbing routine to match how it responds to your environment. A lot of this depends on how the maker cured the wood in HIS local. If it is humid where he is the wood will naturally have a higher moisture content. If in a drier clime, then you will have to adjust to that until your instrument does.
Drying a whistle doesn’t mean getting ALL of the moisture out of it. It generally means making sure that great blobs are at least spread out, so that a specific spot doesn’t swell too much, beads don’t get into the slide or cork, etc. You certainly wouldn’t need to swab the shaft after a few minutes of playing, and the head is quite likely optional at that point too.
Another thing, I think (please correct me if I’m wrong) Ralph treats his whistles with a sealing agent, so they theoretically shouldn’t need especial care. I have a walking-stick flute from walnut (not the sturdiest wood for flutes), and it can’t be swabbed. I’d definitely check with Ralph before oiling it – that might damage the sealer.
Here’s what the little instruction sheet that came with my husband’s Sweetheart rosewood piccolo has to say:
GOLDEN RULES FOR WOOD INSTRUMENT CARE
After playing, remove excess moisture by swabbing with a soft, lint-free cloth on a slotted stick or flute cleaning rod; a recorder brush may also be used. Occasionally, swab the inside and wipe the outside with a cloth moistened with almond oil or clarinet bore oil. Cork grease may be used on joints when dry; even Vaseline or butter may be used. Prevent cracking by avoiding sudden changes in temperature, excessive dryness, and hot sun; leave the instrument wrapped in a cloth to adjust to changes gradually.
Now granted I didn’t get a similar sheet with my whistle, but my whistle is Dymondwood, and theoretically shouldn’t need any special care. Yours being regular wood, I’d say you can’t go too far wrong following the instructions that came with a Sweetheart piccolo.
