I had a mooch around the Generation maker’s website http://www.barnhide.co.uk/ and happened to notice that they make and sell not only the Generation whistle which I (and probably most others) are familiar with (their “Flageolet” brand), but also a “Folk Whistle” in D only… (select from the drop-down menu on the left frame of their website).
Has anyone tried one of these “Folk Whistles”? If so, how do they compare with the ‘standard’ Flageolet model? (I’ve never seen one of these Folk Whistles in the music shops here in Swindon).
And does anyone have any info on their “3 Hole Folk Flageolet Nickel plated, key of D only. For folk or country dancing”? 3 holes? eh? They have no illustrations of these things on their site
It’s a good whistle–as far as I can tell the only real difference from their redtop brass whistle is the folk whistle’s fipple is green plastic instead of red.
I have played mine until the fipple started splitting; I have it repaired for the moment with superglue but I imagine I’ll be replacing it one of these days, and probably buy another whitecap to put on it.
Actually I hadn’t seen the Tabor Whistle…those Generation folks didn’t have one on their site. Hmmm, I see only two holes! Don’t tell me the third one is 'round the back?!
James, thanks for the info. Does make me wonder at their marketing strategy…different coloured fipple, different name…same whistle, different name…sigh. I just wondered if the Folk Whistle had a markedly different tone to the ‘standard’ Flageolet model.
Just a note on tabor pipes, they are made with two finger holes and a thumb hole, they are made that way so they can be played with one hand while the other beats a small drum called a tabor.
It’s a Medieval thing, sort of an early one man band.
And the other scarey thing about Tabor whistles (or more correctly ‘Pipes’) is that they are meant to be played in the 2nd and 3rd octaves-which should make you popular with the neighbours!
Last summer our local pub had Morris dancers doing their thing in the garden one evening. I was most impressed to see the accompaniment guy playing a tabor pipe with one hand and a drum with the other. As I’d never seen one of these pipes before I couldn’t figure out what the hell was going on until I saw tabor pipes on the Hobgoblin website, then all became clear(ish)…
Yeah…that’s how it’s supposed to be done. That’s the classic Morris “ensemble.” I’m not brave enough to inflict a tabor pipe on my neighbors, however, and not coordinated enough to play the drums, so it’s just me and my Susato D.
Hey Redwolf, is the whistle the only instrument in action? If so, how does it hold up against the noise of the bells, traffic, and other background noises?
