Its sounds crazy, but I think I’ve found the ultimate quiet whistle. I found it laying around the living room floor. Our Italian Greyhound, Abbie, probably acting in self-defense, found my old Clarke D and decided to perform her own version of tweaking. At first I was furious. But after wiping it off and reshaping the windway, the masterpiece is done!
It now plays just barely above a whisper. It’s so quiet I can play it in the bedroom with the door open and no one complains! No howling from the neighbors, dogs, or baby! The second octave takes a little more breath, but hey, I need to learn to breath anyway!
Now, if I could just train Abbie to complete tax return . . . .
Could I ask you to take a sighting down the windway and tell us if the leading edge of the labium ramp is above or below the windway exit. My guess is that the edge of the ramp is below the windway exit,causing the wind to strike above the edge.
Thomas, you are exactly right. I had no idea my dog was so smart! To be more specific, there is actually a “dent” or tooth mark in both upper and lower edges. The upper edge is almost closed off. Thus your guess is correct!
Attention Clarke and other REAL tin whistle players. New Tweak! bend your ramp edge down a little below your sighting down the windway and push the top edge of your windway exit down a little to redirect the airstream and you’ll have a whisper quiet practice pipe. If you mess it up, you’re only out a couple of bucks!
(I still think badgering a whistlesmith to make a whistle with a conical bore,small voicing and small toneholes is a better bet for a “pro” quiet whistle. nuff said.)
