For as long as I can remeber now, we’ve had a bamboo whistle in B, that says “Made In India” on the front. I recently started playing around with it, and as I tried different things with it, it started to dawn on me that it is the best whistle I’ve got. In tune through both registers(to my ear anyway), it’s well balanced through both octaves, and there’s no trouble switching octaves, but it isn’t to easy either. Its ‘just right’. I can hit step-ups on this thing cleanly without tonguing. It’s got a lovely, breathy, round tone, that works great for slow airs. It’s not to loud nor too quiet. Another thing I really like is that I it holds pitch well, meaning that I can vary my breath pressure and still hold a note.
The only things I don’t like: the bottom note isn’t as solid as I would like. However, I’m used to Susatos, which I’ve heard are stronger on the bottom note than anything. Also, I haven’t found a way to cross-finger the C-natural.
Anyway, the reason I’m bringing this up is because I’m interested in getting one of these in concert pitch D. However, I expect the quality control on these whistles is non-existent, so I’m wondering what experiences the rest of you might have had with these whistles. Are these things normally junk and I’ve stumbled on a gem?
I picked up a Bb that plays about 20 cents sharp but in perfect tune with itself (with a bit of filing on one hole) for 50 cents at a garage sale, and I love it.
I was in India for years. There are
some really good whistles sold there,
but they’re often not imported to
the USA. Occasionally something very
good slips through–it just turns
out right. It helps to go to a place
where lots are sold and play em,
if you can. What happened to you
is maybe a one in five probability,
or worse.
I have a good made in India low G bamboo whistle painted in black, bought on a whim from a flea market in Mauritius.
It’s breathy and soft, and perhaps gets a tiny bit flat higher up in the 2nd octave. Nice and smooth, though I hardly play it.
Thing was, it was the only one there in black, with the decal “Import [or was it Export?] quality” on it. The rest were natural unpainted bamboo. No decal. All were unplayable except this one.
[ This Message was edited by: tuaz on 2002-09-12 04:37 ]
I’ve got 3 fairly decent indian wood or bamboo whistles in various keys (d/b/low g) that I’ve picked up over the years. But, to get them, I had to paw through a lot of really crap whistles in the at local ren-fairs. So, I’d say that much like Generations, if you got a good one right off the bat, you’re lucky indeed.
I’m reminded of the year I got a decent D. I sat outside the shop and played a few tunes on the thing, and this kid of about 12 years runs up all excited like and says all breathless “did you get that here??” (pointing to the shop). I told him I’d gotten the only good one in the shop, and ended up selling it to his mom for what I paid for it. I’d have felt terrible if a kid that excited about a whistle got a crap one.
Here’s mine. My mom got it at a Cherokee holiday festival for the boys, but once I figured out what it was, I absconded it.
The person at the festival called it a Native American cane flute. My three year old took it out in the yard and left it and it rained on it. It’s a little split down at the bottom, but still sounds ok to me.
I think they tune them to a bit higher than A:440 in India. I have some Indian tinwhistles and flutes, and they are (mostly) well in tune, but not to A:440.
