Behold the recent arrival of the Nigerian Teak Syn . . . Introducing from left to right, we have the D head on D body, C body, Bb body, then the Lone Ranger D, that CAN be sharpened (pull out an 1/8" to tune). You may notice the D head for the multiple set is a little shorter and fatter, which optimizes for use on multiple length bodies.
Erle is something else I think! He took a fairly porous wood that I sent him, and fashioned this awesome set of beauties. The sound matures every day as they get broken in.
I wish I could get a better picture, but I can tell you the real deal is not as red or yellow as it might look on your monitor. They have a nice roasted color to them. What do you think?
I must confess that I am no longer Synless … for my own brand new Syn D arrived in the mail just last night … Upon hearing of its arrival, I rushed home all eager. Unwrapping it from its packaging I was delighted with its shiny finish and nice solid weight. Carrying it outside I sat me down in a nice sunny spot and proceeded to play … oh how it sang! how it swooped and soared …
Actually, that is vastly overstating my ability to play the whistle. Truth is I stuttered and stumbled my way through tunes as I often do. But I am enormously impressed with my new Syn … It is much more positive feeling than my other whistles (2 Gens and a Feadog) even though it took a while to get used to the extra air I had to blow to get it going …
Hey Chris, I too noticed the extra little bump of air you need to jump octaves, but I am finding I like it. It requires me to learn better breath control, which is always good. Plus I find that even the third octave, though the volume is louder, does not pierce my ears like my other whistles do. In fact, only one of my dogs leaves the room as I start to whistle . . . but he does that anyway . . . that’s why I call him “princess”.
I’m a Synner as well. (some would say a sinner as well, but THAT would be OT)
appologies for this being posted in multiple spots, but Matt did it first
Since Matt’s whistles are custom jobbies I thought I would post my Lancewood whistles here as well. (don’t want to be out done, you see) I have been working on a more detailed “review” but Matt forced my hand.
These whistles have a very pleasing sound. The head on the D gives a bit of a breathy sound, the head on the C is quite pure with a hint of breath to it. On the sweetness scale (1 being sour and 10 being sweet) I would give them an 8.
Ok, what does sweet mean to me? Well, the biggest thing we look for in “sweet” is no shrillness and no to minimal breathiness. We have three whistles that we classify and being really sweet. An O’Riordan d/c traveler set, a Weston D and the Syns (d and c). The Weston has a full and round sound. The O’Riordan’s sound, while being sweet, is a more focussed sound, extremely pure to the point of being a laser beam of sound. The Syn’s are just behind these two. Whilst being sweet sounding, there is just a bit more air to the tone and the notes are just slightly less focussed especially on the attack.
I hope my descriptions have been adequate and fair. It is sooooo difficult to describe things that have such a personal impression.
In more ways than one, too. I have an aluminium prototype high D from before he went into commercial production. I also have an even earlier brass low D from before Erle discovered and embraced syn.
I have an aluminum Syn–secondhand. It’s relatively sweet/pure, with just a hint of complexity. Easy to play, moderate backpressure, doesn’t get too loud until the second-octave C#.
Being heavy-gauge aluminum tubing, it seems pretty robust, too. I’m pretty sure I could stand on the main tube without damaging it.
I have to say that after a few weeks of playing these teak Syns . . . I am really enjoying them!! I have given them one good coating with almond oil, and the color of the wood has deepened (naturally) and the tone is finding its own voice. Transitioning through the third octave is nice, and what I really appreciate is that even though the volume goes up a bit through each octave, it is not piercing. We have a dachshund and whippet. The whippet normally gets up and leaves as soon as he sees me picking up a whistle. Both just kept laying on their bed right next to me, didn’t lift their heads but seemed to enjoy the beautiful noise I was making
I think that’s a real testimony to the octave complaints I have heard from people on some whistles, and I have with every other whistle I own. These are definitely “keepers”.
matt
ps. if you haven’t tried the wood Syn’s, don’t miss any opportunities that come your way!
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I am without syn…