All of my whistles are cheapies: Feadogs, Clarkes, Meg, a Clare (I think). I LOVE LOVE LOVE
cheap instruments. I can load up on 'em, have enough to have them underfoot and still pick up another one or two without worrying about She Who Must Be Obeyed, AKA The Supreme Authority over All Living Things at our house!
Believe me, when you have an urge to buy another real, live musical instrument it’s nice to be able to do it without thinking. If I wanted to get another set of Highland pipes I’m looking at a grand or more, and another archtop guitar will set me back about 1800 bucks. (Before y’all get out your fr=flamethrowers and tell me I can’t get a decent archtop for less than 5 grand, it’s an Eastman, from China.)
(Not my joke BTW but that of the composer of the hornpipe, and I picked it up from Bloomfield’s constant use of the expression)
This forum must have matured or something. If you had expressed these sentiments at the turn of the century there is no way your post would have gone unanswered for 12 whole hours. People felt seriously threatened by the idea that anybody serious about playing the whistle might like cheap whistles.
Ironic because at the time nearly every serious whistle player was playing cheapies (other than low whistles).
I’ve rediscovered my love of my 2 piece clares…with their original heads on (I also have a Hoover whitecap for them). I have 2 - one for the backpack and one in my flute case - and sticking with only one whistle has been good…especially since the cheapie beak shape on the clare is ideal for picking up flute afterwards. Granted, I’d not strayed too far from cheapie land (a susato and a Dixon trad).
It’s funny, but by sticking with the clare as my only whistle it’s tuning idiosyncrasies have disappeared. Lovely whistle, nice voice, and well in tune now that I’m a better player.
My first post here…it had to be in the cheap whistles area thread! hehehe
I’m new on this, my first ever whistle arrives tomorow by mail, it’s a Clarke Celtic Whistle… a cheapie then! It’s really great you can get an instrument for so little money…i am a electric bass player too, so i’m really not used to cheap stuff
I’ve got all these expensive whistles I almost never play. Then I have my car whistle which is a much dented but still playable Clarke Sweetone and my main house whistle which is an old Walton Mellow D that I’ve had to revoice at least twice.
The other two I play a lot are a Hoover PVC that I have to handle carefully so as not to risk scuffing Joannie Madden’s autograph and this elderly rolled tin thing with a molded head that might be French and might be military.
The great thng about cheap whistles is that you can take them anywhere and not worry about risking something in which you have a major investment.
The most satisfying whistles are the ones that cost absolutely nothing.
Piece of grey piping lying in the grass on the disused railway line - possibly the end post of a section of temporary fencing. Result (together with a bit of old broom handle for a fipple plug) - one low E whistle (sold) and one low F with lots of resonance in the lower register; one of my favourites.
Sections of copper piping in brother-in-law’s skip following loft conversion. Result (curtain pole offcuts as fipple plugs) - 4 low G whistles (3 sold) and an embarrassed wife.
I love those cheapies! Most expensive ones are a Jerry-Freeman-tweaked Sweetone and a Dixon trad. I just love the down-to-earth sound. No high-tech for me.
Hello, I’m new here. My clarke stopped working this morning, after having been played several hours a day for the last 5 years. I picked it up and the wooden block fell out. Put it back together and made it playable but it hasn’t got back it’s old tone and it keeps squeaking on the E. Tweakers out there, is there any help for it? I am currently in mourning.
So now I’m after a new whistle, and quite quickly so that the old one can retire gracefully and doesn’t have to fall apart in public. Glad to know there are people out there who think the cheap whistles are great. New whistle is not going to put me out of pocket too much and the clarke ones are reliably good, if a bit on the quiet side (and don’t have natty golden diamonds down them any more, yippee!). Or should I try another type?
Sylvie
Um, yes and yes. The reason your old dear sounds funny is that simply squeezing the old block back in doesn’t really assure a good fit. SOMETHING has caused either the metal to spread OR the block to change shape. Seriously - are you one of those who sometimes bites down when playing? Pressure could cause either or both problems.
I have some really old Clarke-type whistles of the Calura and Eagle varieties. Drying has shrunk the fipple blocks to the point where they leak air and sound whispery/squeaky. I’m hesitant to do it because of their age (before or just after WWII) but I’ve often wondered if removing the block and either soaking if for several days or just reseating it with a bit of paraffin to seal the round sides (NOT the flat site) might help their tone.
As for trying something new, even with cheap whistles - heck, ESPECIALLY with cheap whistles, part of the joy is trying several to find one or more you prefer. You’re using a very traditional type with a conical tube and woden fipple plug. You really should try one or more plastic-fippled whistles. You can find both conical tubes like yours, especially from Clarke, and any number of cylindrical tubes, many for under ten bucks. If you know any other whislers, do it even cheaper - ask them if you can try theirs. I’m sure some would worry about the sanitary angle (a simple alcohol wipe will solve that), but I’ve never refused anybody’s request to try one of mine - even the expensive ones. I don’t imagine I’m all that unique.
Ain’t it great to know you can buy a whole new instrument for about what your guitar-playing buddy hands over for one string?
That is definitely one attractive feature of the whistle! I’ve definitely bought sets of strings for my mandolin, dobro, and fiddle that cost more than the price of one whistle. And the cost of all 10 whistles I’ve accumulated since last fall is less than a third of what I paid for my mando…and about a quarter of what I paid for my dobro. Crazy! Yep, I definitely appreciate a good cheap whistle!
My Clarke gets a lot of playing. However, I really love my Alba whistles. You haven’t really got a whistle until you own an Alba, in my opinion anyway.
Lovely whistle, nice voice, and well in tune now that I’m a better player.
