Nice one. I had forgotten about that. It’s a good description of his process. Here is the link to Nick Whitmer’s page on the E whistle. It requires a Gen F whistle head and a 15/32" brass tube and a 7/16 dowel to make one. Oh, and a drill. K&S Engineering make the brass tubing. It can be purchased here as well as hobby and craft shops. Dowels should be a hardware store item. This is probably more work that modifying an Eb to play in E but it is an alternative.
No it would not. It’s easy for us to think that because a scale in one key has full step, full step,etc intervals that the distance between the holes that play those intervals between the notes are the same. They are not. You have to shorten the tube a little bit at the bottom and the top. After that the Eb and E scales are close enough that you can just adjust/file the holes to tune. I haven’t tried this project yet but I’ll put it on my list. If/when I get to it, I’ll report back with measurements.
I’ve played that whistle, and it’s nice. However, it will be easier to convert an Eb to an Enat because you can use the existing tube, which saves a terrific amount of trouble.
I made one with Nicks measurements and a 1/2’’ tube. If a person is set up to machine thin brass it is less trouble than changing an F tube. Also have a low E using the per cent method. Got lucky that time and did not have to change any holes.
I did some quick calculations for converting an Eb to an E scale based on what has been written about the Bb to B modification using a percentage strategy. You don’t have to take a lot of length off from either end of the original Eb tube to get started.
Off the top of the tube - 8.76 mm
Off the bottom of the tube - 4.15 mm
Then check the tuning on the holes. That’s where I’d start anyway.
I’m a newbie whistler and I was just wondering what lathe, drill bits, files, dremel and other workshop equipment you’d recommend for starting out on this wholesome and inexpensive hobby. Oh and I guess I’ll need a couple of boxes of existing cheapie whistles to customise too…
Start by tweaking whistles till your happy with them and your in control of what they do.
When I made my first wood whistle I only had a drill press and a DIY lath. It took fours hours to bore the first one and now about thirty minuets.
I have a Burke aluminum low E that is a real gem. It is tunable and has delrin lining in the head so it warms up easy and it is really light because it is made out of thin walled aluminum. It is easy to blow all the way up into the second register and it has a little complexity to the tone. The price is 240$ but it is a high quality instrument that you won’t have to upgrade later. ww.burkewhistles.com/home.php?cat=275
I have a high E tube that I bought with my Sindt E/Eb/D set but I play it with a Hoover white cap head on it. Mack can also make you a white cap with one of his tubes for a reasonable price. http://mackhooverwhistles.com/order_whistles.html
Like others have mentioned playing in the G position on a B whistle is also a good way to play in the key of E.
That’s oddly nice to hear you say that you love B and E. I’ve always had an irrational dislike of those two keys, in the major. Can’t imagine why. they just seem wrong to me.
I’ve just made a B whistle (good for playing in E) and I love it - I’ll get a Bb body and possibly an A body made for it soon
I have a high E whistle (shares a head with my D whistles - it is nice but so far have not had much call to play it (also have C and Eb bodies - D, Eb, E work best the C is fine but different, probably needs a larger ID for my tastes)
I have not got as low as low E yet - well I did make a low D but it needs work, well really redesigning… soon!
I have thought about a low E myself. It would have closer hole spacing than a D and for many tunes in D or G the fingering would not be too difficult. Although I am intrigued by the new Kerry low D. If it addresses the issues it claims to then I might buy one when they become available.
I had a thought at lunchtime … if I can take a “C” whistle and convert it to a “D” simply by enlarging one hole and drilling a second, wouldn’t the same work for a “D” to an “E” ? … can’t see any reason why not !
Enlarge the original “G” hole to G# and drill a fresh D# hole at the top of the tube … voila
Sweetone in E anyone?
The tune “Star of the County Down” (at least the version I’ve got) doesn’t use C# or F# when played on a D whistle, so, with a D whistle in hand, move all your fingers “up a hole”, leaving the bottom one clear and having LH1 on bare metal, an try it again … behold, the same tune, but up two semi-tones … it’ll give you an idea of how the whistle would sound as an “E” before taking a drill and file to it.
