Morganatic wedding : high-end low Eb Frankenwhistle

Whistle
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With all this talk lately about two-tone whistles and shoes, something crept in my Zoobheimed gray cells. Confessin’…

See, I got this Grinter low D, my favorite whistle so far. Love it, even if it’s the most demanding whistle I ever tried. Takes lots wind, real long right-hand spread (normal guy, normal hands, piper’s grip), perfect control of the diaphragm to handle the bell sound, and better make your fingers snappy, or you get nasty duck-sounds. Or clean “pops” if you’re consistently as good as I can get, but only for about two bars…

Now I also have that low D Kerry Pro, I mostly play now with its quite rare Eb tube. Lovely whistle too, but just the opposite : forgiving fingering, high back-pressure, real good on gas mileage. Diesel whistle. The Grinter sounds, well, woody with Irish flute overtones. I’d say “folksy”, if I was more confident with my English. The Kerry is one of these sax-whistles à la Overton (I’m sur Colin or Brigitte won’t bear me a grudge for that one), with that jazzy sound I love too. And this Eb tube is even better than the D.

Now sending this Grinter to Australia and wait for an Eb tube? No way.

So I dared. Three overlapping loops of Teflon plumber’s tape around the metal tube protruding out of the Grinter headjoint–the male end of its tuning slide.
This directly in the Kerry’s Eb tube. Warm the whole contraption up, and it’s in tune. Real warm, I even have to pull the slide a few millimeters. I’ll find an O-ring instead.

Now, how does it sound?
Like an Eb Grinter; same “pops”, same chiff, same way to sustain or jump octaves. Same woody “folksy”, flutey breathy sound. Looks odd for sure, but not that ugly. I do prefer the larger but less spaced holes of the Kerry. Now there’s one consistency left in this strange wedding. I loved the Kerry, and the Grinter even more, for their accurate cross-fingered C-nat and G#, with a clear–as in not muffled–sound. The hybrid retains this quality.

What do I draw from this experience ?

  1. It’s very unconvenient to tape, untape, the Grinter slide depending on the tube. But I’ll find a way to line this Kerry tube inside… Probably 3M black “masking tape”.
  2. Music is mostly in one’s head…

    \

…and the ferocity of the French taunting took them completely by surprise

  • But we got the Moosic *

[ This Message was edited by: Zubivka on 2003-02-26 07:53 ]

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Now, I’d love to see a photo of that monster! :slight_smile:

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Odd.

I just found out the original low D Kerry Pro tube doesn’t fit the Grinter head at all. Too narrow inside, even removing the Teflon tape lining.

Calipers tell the tale : the original D tube is Ø 25.4 mm (1 in.) outside with a 22.0 mm inside.
The retrofit Eb tube is metric 26.0 mm outside, with a 23.0 inside.
For the sake of comparison, the Grinter is Ø26.2 mm outside, 22.0 inside. Hey I got a gradual bore à la Boehm with the alloy tube! :slight_smile:

latest update

  1. The aluminium Eb tube is a tad, but definitely, louder than the wooden D.
  2. It seems I don’t have to blow as hard in the Eb to get a clean sound above 2nd octave xxx ooo, i.e. Bb", C". Hmm…
  3. Just lined the inside of the Eb Kerry Pro tube.
    Lining the inside gives a nice fit, not overtight, for the Grinter head.
    The outside remaining the same of course still fits the Kerry head OK, AND still sounds ok, like no influence from the inside “lining”.
    One Eb tube, two interchangeable heads, how about that ?

3M masking tape just too thick.
Duck brand Power Crystal same thing.
Hijacked my kid’s ordinary 1/2 in. clear office-grade tape. Not even the “magic” polyester base, but the cheaper, yellowish, original “Scotch” tape.
This liner is not a full ring. Just three short strips going into the tube, lengthwise. They don’t even overlap. Airtight enough apparently…

Jens, I’ll try my best to post a photo a.s.a.p. Have to admit I’m a bit lazy to set up the jewelry studio…

[ This Message was edited by: Zubivka on 2003-02-27 05:58 ]

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Here (quick and dirty, and to heck the studio…) the Grinter cocobolo Low D with alloy Low Eb :

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I can’t believe you did that Zub. Well, yes I can, but I’m still amazed. I want a low Eb other than my Overton for those days when Overton doesn’t seem right. Oh well, I don’t have a Grinter low D to play with.

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Wombat, you lucky marsupial can always order more Grinters, and all the tubes you want, or can wait for…
I says this aluminium Grinterstein is here just because of the paucity of trains from here to Australia…

And I do believe that having both low Overton and Grinter does give you the choice of sounds (reedy vs flutey) and playability (back pressure vs easy blowing)…

Now there should be a “C&F 2003” standard for heads and tubes, and more two-tone patent-leather shooz. :laughing: