I received a new whistle today I ordered on ebay. Total price including a leatherette case and shipping was $9.99. I am very impressed with this whistle. It has no brand marked on it but it looks like a Susato (a knock-off I’ll bet) I was expecting this whistle to be a piece of junk because of the price and having no name marked on it. The seller says it is a Product of Woodnote. It is actually the easiest whistle I have ever played, and I have a good many whistles both inexpensive and high end. The problem I had when I first began learning was squaking the whistle. My wife is just begininning and has the same problem. We could both play this whistle cold right out of the packaging and the notes were clear as a bell. No squaking from either of us. I realize I am no judge of quality or proper sound. But this whistle seems to me to be a very good inexpensive whistle for a beginner. I have been thinking of getting my grandsons a whistle and I may get them one of these because they play very easily. 
part of me wants to congratulate you on finding a whistle that works for you… i am happy the whistle works so well for you and your wife. hope you derive many years of pleasure…
another part of me is sad for the Kelishecks (not sure of spelling, but they are the makers of Susato whistles)… another family of artisans undercut by a foreign manufacturer who has stolen the hard work of the artists… ain’t pursuit of the almighty dollar a wonderful thing…
be well,
jim
Pops, can you possibly post or point us to a photo of the whistle, or give us the eBay link you used?
Not to get too political … And none of this is directed at you, Pops. You’re just the honest customer. But I’m more or less with Jim on this. See:
https://forums.chiffandfipple.com/t/smart-brand-whistle/79827/1
Woodnote is another Chinese company making cheap, exact knock-offs of Yamaha recorders and fifes - and now apparently Susato whistles. Like the “Smart” whistles which came up recently in a different thread, from Jinan Smart Music (Shandong), who also make “Yama(kaw)a” recorders. 
To repeat my previous remarks:
I’m sure the Kelischeks are struggling in this economy like everyone else. They’re a very small American company, and now their main product is under assault. It seems that they’re responding with their new less expensive Oriole line, and I’ll leave the intellectual property issues to the lawyers. But I’d guess a good way to destroy yet another innovative small maker is to support possibly illegal direct knock-offs. Any maker could be the next target. I’m sure they’d love to capture the beginner’s market, and vendors like Hobgoblin abet the process by carrying the products.
FWIW, I did notify Mike Kelischek about the last “Smart” thread, and had no reply. So maybe they’re not concerned. And I certainly have no vested interest in Susato, except that I play their whistles.
I’m gonna guess this is what was referred to. I have a D and a C on the way just to see what’s what with them. My guess is that they are the same product as the Smart. I’ll say more once they get here and I have a chance to play and otherwise dissect them.
And before anyone gets upset at me for buying these just let me say that I’ve owned more than a couple dozen Susatos in the last twenty years and don’t expect to stop buying from the Kelischeks.
Feadoggie
I forget, Feadoggie … Did you already get hold of a Smart whistle for comparison?
No, I’m pacing myself. I had seen these first, thought they’d be here by now. The Smart will follow. I expect these are popped out of the same molds (Jinan?) and branded (or not) as required by their distributors.
Feadoggie
Frankly, I wish I had not said that it resembles a Susato or anything else. My post was strictly meant to help new whistle players find a whistle that would encourage them to play 
Of course … But it’s also new information, and it’s good that you brought it to everyone’s attention. 
You shouldn’t be concerned about mentioning anything as far as I am concerned. By the way is the link I showed above the whistle that you bought?
Woodnote has been distributing recorders that are from all accounts identical to the Yamaha models and at a lower price for some time now. It has been postulated that Yamaha at one time contracted out the manufacture of their recorders to another company/country to reduce their costs. And while many retailers state that Yamaha recorders are made in Japan some would say that has not been the case for years. Players on other forums have also suggested that Smart recorders are in fact made by the factory that produces the Yamahas and are their own brand. Woodnote happens to be getting their recorders from that same factory from what I’ve read. Some counties do not share the respect of rights concerning products and patents that others do.
And the “Irish Flute” business has its pretenders too.
So this may just be the whistle version of what has been going on in the recorder world for some time. I’m just curious how close the Smart/Woodnote whistle is to a Susato. The difference here, as far as I can state it, is that the Susato is, according to the Kelischeks, presently made by them in Brasstown North Carolina, So these imported whistles would be shameless knock-offs if they measure up.
Feadoggie
FWIW, it looks like Woodnote have a 6 year old 1-post blogspot page. The listed website link is non-functional.
Yep. And
Recorder forums have been discussing Woodnote and Smart brands for some time. Discussions are similar to those that occurred on music recording technology forums about ten-trwelve years back over the influx of imported microphones resembling classic models. History repeats itself.
Feadoggie
The website was abandoned sometime in 2009/2010 according to the Wayback Machine.
Feadoggie,
Yes, that is the same whistle.
The same whistles are being made available in the UK as well. Has anyone else bought one yet?
The same whistles are being made available in the UK as well. Has anyone else bought one yet?
… I don’t have one of their whistles, but I do have one of their “Yamaha-lookalike” fifes. Although they are externally visually very similar, they are dimensionally and constructionally (marginally) different. That’s not to say one is better or worse than the other, but one might argue that the Ferris fife is simply manufactured to look like a Yamaha, but not a to be a direct copy. It would be interesting to know if this is also true of their whistles in relation to the Susato instruments.
Thanks, Kypfer. I’ve also seen the fifes on eBay from Woodnote and Smart. They’ve been available for some time now, maybe not as long as the recorders though. I haven’t bought one. I really don’t “need” another fife.
When I have the Woodnote whistles in my hand I’ll be able to compare measurements against the Susatos that I have here. Then I’ll do the same with the Smart when it arrives.
Feadoggie
I received the C/D Woodnote whistles today. I am traveling this weekend so I do not have time to do a detailed review today. But I will say that they are physically different from the Susatos I have here (slightly older models). I’ll say more when I have time to play them a bit.
Feadoggie
Attending the NAMM show yesterday, I came across the Jinan Smart booth. Naturally, I stopped to have a go on the Smart whistles, D and C. I’ll post comments over on the original Smart whistle thread, with a link from here.
Link: http://forums.chiffandfipple.com/viewtopic.php?p=1056048#p1056048
I had an hour to play a C and D pair Woodnote whistles today along side a pair of Susato Kildares. Here’s my take on the Woodnote compared to the Susatos. The Woodnotes cost me $9.99 each including shipping. I remember that the first Susato Kildare D and C whistles I purchased many years ago cost $12 and $14 then. They now run $43 MSRP each. So that’s a big cost gap. Of course one is made in the US and the other is not. My interest was just to see how similar or different they may be to each other.
Design and Construction - There is a definite resemblance between the Woodnote and the Kildare. From a few feet away you probably could not tell the difference between the two. The overall design of the two whistles is quite similar. If you have seen the pictures of the Woodnote or Smart whistles on eBay then you’ve probably done the double take. The heads are made with a similar layout. But there are differences, some obvious and some subtle. The head on the Woodnote has flat sides and that is the most obvious visual difference between the two brands. More subtle differences include a marginally wider but lower windway on the Woodnote. And as you would expect from that, the Woodnote has a marginally wider window. The depth is similar. The sides of the window on the Susato are not straight up and down but angle out from the window. The Woodnote has straight sides. The plug on the Woodnote shows the same tab and slot at the bottom of the plug to keep it aligned just as on the Susato. The overall length of the upper head is similar. But the Woodnote has a slightly longer beak undercut which feels less stubby than the typical Susato beak. The socket end of the head shows that the Woodnote allows for just a little more travel than does my Susato. But that may have changed on more recent Susato models. The top of the Woodnote body has deep grooves combed into the plastic – no o-rings. The fit of the body in the Woodnote head is good and does not slip or stick. Bores are similar. The bodies are of similar length, physics being what it is. Hole sizes are similar if not identical (I’ll measure them some other time). I would think that whoever designed the Woodnote whistle had a good look at a Susato before they made their molds.
Materials, fit and finish - The plastic of the Woodnote is a bit lighter in color than the Susato, looking somewhat grayer or dark blue. But the material seems to be the same ABS. There is no discernible difference in weight between them. The Woodnote shows more markings from the molding process than the Susato. There are obvious parting lines along the sides of both the head and the body of the Woodnote whistle. The Susato finish is certainly smoother and more polished. The faux ring at the bottom of the Woodnote body is less rounded than that of the Susato and the plastic is a bit rough.
The finger holes on the Woodnote have very straight walls and are not finished on the outside of the tube. They are not rough feeling but are more noticeably sharp under the finger pads than the Susato which has a nice beveled edge on each hole.
Tuning – This was tough to judge. I was traveling this weekend and did not have a tuner or recording device with me. I think the Susato has good tuning. It’s one reason I have liked them over the years. The Woodnote seems similar at first but I tried an experiment where I tuned the A on each D whistle so that they did not beat when played together at the same time. Then I tested each note in sequence as best I could and beats did appear immediately. So they differ in tuning. The Susato sounds better tuned to me (but I’ve lived with Susatos for years now). Not a great analysis but enough to say they differ. I play the cross-fingered C natural with a OXXXOX fingering on the Susato. The Woodnote seemed quite flat with that fingering and OXXOOO sounded better. Again this is without a tuner to check either.
Playability – They play similarly overall. Each seems to use the same amount of air and require the same push for the second octave. The Susato has a slight but noticeable (to me) edge in response. I attribute this to the shaping on the holes. I’d be surprised if many other players would feel this as a significant difference.
Timbre – The tonal difference between the two whistles is fairly noticeable. The Susato has a unique sound. Many don’t like it. They say it sounds plastic-ish or recorder-ish. That description is lost on me but I recognize the Susato sound as its own. It sounds smooth to me. The Woodnote lacks that smoothness. It has an edge. It’s not bad at the low end but it becomes more pronounced as you go up the scale. The top of the second octave is not pleasant to me. I did a little blind test where I was handed a different whistle with my eyes closed and I could easily tell which were the Susato and which were the Woodnote. Again not very scientific but there is a difference there.
So, I still like the Susato. That’s not going too change. The Woodnote isn’t a flat out stinker (I’ve played worse) but it’s also not something I’d recommend to anyone. At the Woodnote’s price point, I’d rather recommend a Gen, Feadog or Sweetone. It’s not a direct substitute for a Susato Kildare. Maybe it’s a whistle to take camping if you don’t care if it melts in the camp fire or to go kayaking and ends up in the ocean when you dump the boat. It is loud and could serve as a signal whistle if you get lost and could handle a tune or two as well. You decide.
Feadoggie
My C whistle arrived today and I like it as much as the D. I am not a talented musician and I realize my opinion is probably worth less than nothing. But for the benefit of beginners (since I will probably never advance beyond “beginner”) I will give my opinion anyway. I have a Generation C, Walton’s Little Black Whistle D, Walton’s D in brass, Acorn D, two Oak’s in D, 2 Megs in D, a Clarke’s Sweetone, and Clarke C with diamond patterns. As a beginner I can say that I find all of these to be EXTREMELY difficult to play. If I had not purchased a Burke and a Busman I would have given up long ago. These two fine whistles make learning fun. But my experience with the Woodnote whistles is that they are very EASY to play. I personally suggest that someone who is just beginning who finds the list of “accepted” inexpensive whistles difficult to play might want to give one of the Woodnotes a try before giving up. I do own a Susato but it is a Low G so I can’t really make comparisons with the high whistles.
As Johnny Storm would say “Flame On!” 