Encounter at tonight's session with a "Susato lookalike"

Whistle
1

Just back from tonight’s session, and an interesting encounter with a plastic “Glenluce” whistle. This is the well known whistle that tries to be a Susato lookalike and goes under a number of names.

The results of my encounter were not particularly positive.

I was handed it to try out and quickly tuned it (the joint had to go out quite a way), and then started a set … but no. The A part was OK, however with the B part, going into the second octave, it was horrendously flat and I bailed out. I quickly swapped whistles at a breathing point. The only one that was available in front of me right then was my Susato Oriole. It hit the notes just fine and rescued me from all the shocked grimaces around the table.

OK, I thought, lets have a look at this. Blow it into tune? Not a chance, it hardly moved pitch in the second octave, certainly not into tune. The only option was to have it sharp in the lower octave and flat in the second. Which kind of worked, as long as no-one else wanted to play along.

The whistle is quite nice in other ways. I found it easy playing and responsive. It played easily right the way up to the top notes and was not overly loud (it is a reasonably loud whistle overall). It sounds quite nice … on its own. Get it with other instruments (and other whistles!) and the problems begin.

As an aside, there were three of us that played whistles tonight, a few times playing at the same time. There was a Generation/Susato (me), a Shaw, and a Sweetone. Playing together was quite harmonious (none of us are beginners), until this plastic whistle got involved.

The owner confirmed that she had the same problems with the whistle (she wasn’t playing whistle tonight but a fiddle) and really wanted to know whether it was her or the whistle. The consensus was that it was the whistle.

My verdict? If you want a cheap plastic whistle that plays surprisingly nicely, is pretty nimble and has a quite pleasant open sound AND you’re not too bothered about the tuning AND you never wish to play along with anyone else; you might find a use for this whistle (try to find some positives Andrew!).

For myself (and this whistle’s present owner). It’s a firm no.

2

I’m familiar with that tat from Ebay

https://www.ebay.com/sch/619/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=glenluce

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Apologies if you covered this in your OP and I’ve missed it …

… would it have been possible to play the ting into tune by backing right off in the lower octave? I have one or two whistles that are like that …

4

I have a Glenluce & a Recorder Workshop, both the same, but the RW was about half the price of the Glenluce.
Good enough on their own, & OK for their price, but heed the above about not playing with others.

5

No, it’s a good question..

One of the things that (pleasantly) surprised me was that it is a much more gently blowing whistle than I had been led to believe. Or, rather that is how I seem to remember comments.

It seems to have quite a small window of operation, in that it was not really possible to back off the lower octave much. It just plays where it plays.

6

It was a whistle I really wanted to like. Louder than a Generation, more whistley sounding than a Susato, didn’t have a particularly “stiff” upper octave, all in all an easy playing whistle. Now, if they sorted out that tuning issue …

7

I much prefer the Susato Oriole or even more so the Susato “Dublin” model – the one with the white plastic tube. Not as loud as an Oriole. But if we’re talking about good plastic whistles, nothing beats my Parks Ghost whistle. Simply amazing and hand-made, which shows. But it also costs six times as much as one of those Susato clones.

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The Susatos themselves are not expensive and are a small family run company here in the States if I am correct. The play in tune and with plenty of volume. The Sweetones are cheaper and seem to blend well in sessions if you are short on cash. I am not experienced with the old standbys like untweaked Generations, but I am not sure why we need to be be positive about a whistle that plays poorly. :smiley: If you take the top off and plug all the holes you could use it as a straw, seems like the most positive thing I can say about a look alike whistle that won’t play in tune. :smiley: One more object for the landfill.

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“expensive”, as was observed in another thread, is a relative term. Around £60 for a D plastic whistle ain’t all that cheap.

These Glenluce whistles are literally not Susatos. Even if they’re made to look a bit like Susatos (hence my lookalike comment, which in reality is beside the point for anything other than identifying what I was writing about), everyone knows that they’re not. Even the dogs in the street, as the saying goes, know that they’re not Susato whistles.

Everyone evidently also in includes you. So why present these whistles as an either/or choice set against Susatos?

Every whistle that is manufactured is in some way in competition with Susato. What is it about the manufacture of these Glenluce whistles that causes you concern? Why, as a British person, should I care whether they’re made in the USA or China?

If you read back, I think you can easily tell that I was not converted by these Glenluce whistles. Noting that they have other aspects to their existence than a dodgy upper octave is simply factual. Telling myself to “be positive” was just a light-hearted comment on the fact that I considered this to be a fundamentally flawed instrument for my purposes.

Lastly. Sweatheart whistles are cheaper than Susatos. So what? The Glenluce instruments are not Susatos and they’re not Sweathearts. I’m not sure why you brought them into the discussion in this way? Is it to imply that the cheap corner of the market is already covered so no-one else ought to bother? Good luck with that endeavour :smiley:

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I have two Recorder Workshop whistles, a D and a C. The C I bought first and it was a nice whistle, so I then bought the D, thinking that it would be OK - big mistake, it was a piece of s**t, the second octave was unplayable.

David

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The Recorder Workshop whistles are the ones with flat sides to the head. This was one of those with a round head. As far as I can tell, these Glenluce seem to be the same as the Woodi whistles and cost a bit more tnan the Recorder Workshop ones.

Interesting that you say that the C Recorder Workshop whistle was in tune. I wonder whether this could be true of the Glenluce/Woodi ones too? After all, the C is a different whistle.

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:smiley:

Yes, it is true it is a complex discussion. I guess my round about point was 2 fold: It is a shame that people put their good money down for something that might ultimately discourage them while there are options available that could get them going. Yes, $60 is not all that cheap, but if you are spending $10 3 or 4 or 5 times to find a good inexpensive whistle (as many of us may have done) you might be better off to go to a tried and true.

From my personal experience decades ago my 4th and at that time most usable to me whistle was a Susato. I had without any experience or advice purchased a Clark in C, which was in C and a bit whispy for my ear, then a Generation D and later a Feadog after I figured out D was where I wanted to be, which also proved to be uninspiring. It was Susato that finally got me going until I knew enough to purchase what became my forever whistles.

(The above experience was in the stone age when the internet was not yet a thing, and paper catalogues were my go to places for information. And catalogues did miraculously lead me to Mr. Copeland and Mr. O’Roirdon, and later this forum to Mr. Sindt.)

Along the way I purchased Sweetones for my kids and found them pleasing and in tune. They fit the inexpensive niche nicely when I had to come up with 3 objects at once which in the hands of children might be lost damaged or destroyed. I mentioned them as an inexpensive recommendation since I have personal experience with them and have heard them very credibly played in tune in sessions. Again, experience or opinions I mention in my rambling comments are often intended to add a layer to a discussion. Lots of folks read the C&F posts to learn. I know I did.

The second point about where it was made and who made it seemed relevant to me since the inexperienced may think if something looks like something it will play like something. The folks that make Susatos have spent a great deal of time perfecting their product to their satisfaction. They have filled a quality relatively inexpensive niche. I would assume look a-likes would only discourage others from trying the real things.

I think, over all, I am attempting to agree with your opinions in your post. Sorry if I offended. :smiley:

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I have played a few Oriole clones and did not care for them. The Susato I play now is the Oriole C. To my ears, it sounds like some of the wooden whistles I have heard. Some people don’t care for the sound of wooden whistles, however. The Oriole C is very pleasant and suits my needs and taste well. I don’t like the D as much.

14

I bought a Susato Kildare in D many years ago. It’s shocking to think that I bought before some of the people I regularly play with were born. Like you, it was in those far-off days before the Web. I probably bought it at a folk festival, but I don’t remember. In the end, it was too loud for what I wanted (playing along in local sessions), and it disappeared at some point (still in the dim and distant).

Wind forward and after a few whistle purchases and trying out other whistles, and I’m still mainly with the Generation whistles I’ve always played … but I have and use a Susato Oriole in D. Why? Because when I play outside, my Generations are usually just too quiet, other whistles don’t like breezes or cold, and the Oriole just doesn’t seem to care. It simply plays, and loudly too. For that, the trade-off in playability (and the occasional funny grunt) is worth it and the Oriole gets played a lot; though not at home, in sessions or on stage. It was on the table at the session because it had happened to be still lurking in my melodeon case … honest m’lud.

The point? It’s that there is not a whistle that will suit all circumstances, and I often find the discussions where people ask for a general recommendation of a “good” or “the best whistle” a bit odd. Recommendations mostly seem to revolve around what the responders happen to play, and though they’re probably all fine whistles, there’s a wide disparity in styles and no real consideration for the actual needs of the poster. For instance, I play the Oriole a lot, but I wouldn’t recommend it to some unsuspecting beginner who’s learning at home.

Oh, and no real offence. Message boards are often crude ways of communicating :slight_smile:

ps. The Sweetone. Yes … I bought one just before Christmas, for no particular reason other than curiosity. I owned one once long ago and since they’re cheap and people ask about them, I thought I’d get one. It’s OK. I wouldn’t particularly steer people away from them, and I think they’d be fine for beginners. Relatively quiet, easy playing, sweet and in tune etc. Still, personally, I prefer my Generations (old and new style).