I cannot locate the manufacturer of the Oak Pennywhistle anywhere… there’s no web site, no info on the packaging, no nothing…
Does anybody out there have their address? If it’s not a state secret can I have it? If it is a state secret, message me privately, and we will arrange for appropriate bribes… err, I mean, clearances.
–Chris
I dont know, but I’d be interested in the results when you find out!
DAZED
I’m afraid there’s a good chance that this thread is going to quickly slide into page two and oblivion… unless people who are curious make gratuitous posts like this one, to keep the thread afloat and annoy smug whistlers with fancy whistles and personal contact with their whistle’s maker… 
–Chris
same people that make the Acorn whistles I think…
I have no idea but I think this would make a fine addition to the “Chiff & Fipple Unsolved Mysteries” section 
I don’t know if this helps, but the paper insert that came with mine says “distributed by Music Sales Corporation, New York, New York.” I’m sure it was in your package, too.
Surely Thom will read this thread today and have us the answer by sunset…
I wouldn’t think you could use oak. The wood is very hard and wouldn’t it just crack?
Yeah, or maybe it should be made of balsa wood.
Of course the Oak whistle is plastic and metal, like Generation, Waltons, Soodlum’s, Howard’s ‘Low D,’ etc.
If you want to know who makes them, contact the distributor.
Their website is http://www.musicsales.com
quia si confitearis in ore tuo Dominum Iesum et in corde tuo credideris quod Deus illum excitavit ex mortuis salvus eris —Rom. X,9.
[ This Message was edited by: Walden on 2002-05-21 04:47 ]
On 2002-05-21 01:21, blackhawk wrote:
I don’t know if this helps, but the paper insert that came with mine says “distributed by Music Sales Corporation, New York, New York.” I’m sure it was in your package, too.
Nope… the paper insert in mine only included
the fingering chart, and no contact information at all. Maybe it came through a different distributor, one less interested in customer feedback, perhaps…
Anyway, thanks for the tip! I’m on the trail now.
–Chris
Lark in the Morning apparently sells the Oak Whistle too: http://www.larkinam.com/MenComNet/Business/Retail/Larknet/whistleirflute.
Lots of people sell the Oak Whistle retail, but they presumably get it from a distributor. Okay, maybe lark doesn’t… they may do enough business to buy wholesale direct from manufacturers… but still, it seems to me that a wholesale distributor is one step closer to the source than a retailer… anyway, I’m working on it. If musicsales refuses to talk to me, maybe I’ll ask Lark.
–Chris
This is a bit of a mystery. Most sites and catalogues claim the Oak is American made, some sites even say they’re hard to come by in Ireland. But the Whistle Shop says they’re made in Ireland.
it seems to me that a wholesale distributor is one step closer to the source than a retailer…
Of course you’re right Chris, but most wholesale distributors know that if they undercut their retailers by selling direct wholesale to the public they’ll lose their retailers. Of course, there are direct retailers like Musicians Friend, but they usually only deal with the high turnover items and don’t want to touch things like Oak Whistles. I own a music store and I can buy wholesale from Lark in the Morning; but in order to do so I have to make a $200 minimum order or I have to pay retail. The discount for wholesale isn’t that great anyway, so you really don’t save that much.
Ah! The history of the OAK whistle.
The Oak whistle was first made after the Robin Williamson book on learning the Penny Whistle was a success. The Publisher was OAK so that was why it is the OAK whistle. The original OAK whistle was made in the USA. But OAK Publishing was brought up by Music Sales and now the whistle is made in Ireland and distrubed by Music Sales. I always suspected that Music Sales contracted Feadog to make the whistle. Why?
1)The hole placement and size of the Feadog and the made in Ireland Oak are the same.
2) After the OAK started being made in Ireland, Feadog came out with a nickle version (which I only seen Ireland vendor sell the nickle Feafog, not USA vendors) where prior to this they only had brass.
3)OAK came out with the multi colour Acorn whistles around the same time Feadog came out with their multi colour whistle.
A case for the whistle dectives.
Joe
Ahhh, there seems to be some confusion here. I have no desire to buy my whistles wholesale… or rather, that’s not my current purpose in life. I am, instead, attempting to discover the truth behind the allegations that my favorite whistle has become a horrible thing which has a buzz that renders the tunes unlistenable, is impossible to tune, and has a mouthpiece full of toxins that cause the mouth to go numb…
Having experienced -none- of these things myself, I’m trying to figure out if any of the Oaks I have are the ‘new’ Oaks, if any formulation changes took place in the plastic, etc.
Of course, if my favorite whistle has, in fact, been made into the described horror, then we’d like the maker to know that we prefer the old Oak whistles and to please change.
Anyways, until and unless I start doing a festival sales circuit and/or a store, I’m not going to be buying pennywhistles wholesale!
I wonder, would there be a problem with my claiming to be a chiff & fipple reporter? I will submit a report to chiff & fipple, after all!
–Chris
FWIW, my Oak had a buzz that was caused largely from flashing in the windway. After carefully removing the flashing it still buzzes a bit but I can (usually) control it through breath control. If it weren’t for that darn buzzing my oak would be my favourite whistle. My Oak tunes just fine and I really like its sound.
Toxic mouthpiece!? Did you just make that up or did somebody really say that? IMO its more likely the numb lips came from that darn buzzing rather than toxins. I can’t see a manufacturer making a whistle mouthpiece out of something known to be toxic.
[ This Message was edited by: garycrosby on 2002-05-21 14:13 ]
Yes, somebody was complaining that the Oak mouthpiece had a ‘bad taste’ and left his mouth numb… he didn’t quite -say- toxic, but it was implied strongly that it was an unhealthy mouthpiece, and yes, I share your skepticism, but speculation doesn’t answer the question, hence my quest.
FWIW, I think the buzz in the D and E, which is all there is in a cleanly-made Oak, is a tradeoff made for the richer overtones of the othernotes; that is to say, it’s a slightly overstrong overtone. If you lose it, you’d get the tinnier, hollower sound typical of many other metal whistles. Also, FWIW, I have a friend who -likes- the buzz, at least that the level it exists on my Oak; of course, he embouchures his flute so that it’s just on the edge of buzzing, and considers this proper flute embouchure for irish flute. Obviously not for orchestral flute, which is taught with a very high, backed-off embouchure to get floaty-airy sound, as opposed to the more powerful sound of the irish flute. Those who disagree with him seem to think one should embouchure as low and close in as possible to just not-quite get the buzz.
Anyway, when I’m actually playing anything other than a slow-air I can’t consciously -hear- the buzz at all… at speed the note is gone before you hear a buzz. And I can make even the D buzz go away if I’m willing to play the D flat.
–Chris
On 2002-05-21 14:32, ChrisA wrote:
Yes, somebody was complaining that the Oak mouthpiece had a ‘bad taste’ and left his mouth numb… he didn’t quite -say- toxic, but it was implied strongly that it was an unhealthy mouthpiece, and yes, I share your skepticism, but speculation doesn’t answer the question, hence my quest.
This is exactly what I wrote: “The head tastes bad and leaves my mouth numb, too.”
No speculation on toxins, and not implying anything. If I thought it was toxic, I’d come right out and say so, plus I wouldn’t play it. I’ve soaked it and bleached it, and, although the bad taste is much reduced, it still makes my mouth numb.
As far as my complaints with the sound, it’s gotten much better, through a combination of my getting better at playing it, getting used to the sound, and a little tweaking. It’s definitely growing on me.
Charlie
Odd. I haven’t noticed any difference in the “taste” of the Oak mouthpiece when compared with the “taste” a Sweetone or Walton’s which are also have a plastic mouthpieces. Charlie, is it possible that yours somehow got contaminated or that there is something inside that has … err, has gone “foul”?