I’m still doing some cosmetic work on it, but I have pretty much finished my first playable Low D! I’m pretty exited about it. It’s make of ½" PVC (whoever measured that stuff to begin with needs glasses! lol), with the fipple made of ¾” PVC and a wood plug coated in acrylic.
Click here to listen to the whistle dry.
Click here to listen to the whistle with reverb.
[ This Message was edited by: Groovehead on 2003-02-06 13:14 ]
I’m always in awe of the guys who make these. When you said it was your first, I pictured some mangled misshapen thing that would be better for blowing bubbles than notes.
The whistle looks good, especially for a first shot, although the pic is a bit fuzzy.
It also sounds pretty good with a much different approach to that song than mine.
Questions: DId you do this at home and do you have a shop? Can you tell us some more about the tools and equipment you used just generally? How long did it take, and when are you going into mass production?
What drove you to this and do you have prior relevant experience?
Poor guy just labored over his first whistle and now questions; oh well, just curious.
Regards,
Philo
Philo, you forgot one major question.
When will he send it to me?
All of your whistles are belong to me.
Groovehead:
I’m impressed. Great job on the whistle and on the recording. You obviously know what you are doing. What will you call your new whistle line? Grooveheads?
Sounds beautiful.
Very nice.
I too am interested in the process you went through to create this whistle and everything else PhilO asked about.
Wow That sound is really great. I would love any info on how you did that. At least the whole mouthpiece assembly / wood. What kind of wood/shape.
Wow, thanks! I hope I answer all of your questions below about the new whistle. Questions are no problem! That’s why Dale Wisely created this place after all eh? 
When you said it was your first, I pictured some mangled misshapen thing that would be better for blowing bubbles than notes.
I made a few bubble blowers first…
The whistle looks good, especially for a first shot, although the pic is a bit fuzzy.
I don’t know what’s up with that! I think my camera has a problem with white…
It also sounds pretty good with a much different approach to that song than mine.
Thank you! I just learned South Wind this morning from the notation on Mick Woodruff’s Website a lovely song and I don’t yet do it justice
DId you do this at home and do you have a shop?
Yes and no. I did it at home and I don’t have a shop. It was built pretty much in my mother’s bedroom and over the kitchen sink.
Can you tell us some more about the tools and equipment you used just generally?
Yes, I used a vice, a hacksaw, a drill, a dremel tool with a course sanding drum, some files and some wet/dry sandpaper (always sand PVC wet… the dust is really bad for you because it never decomposes…)
How long did it take, and when are you going into mass production?
I started it last night around 5:00pm and was playing it by 7:30ish. I then spent a few hours on things like shaping the fipple… Mass production? When I get a few more tools and work out some minor tuning issues I wouldn’t be opposed to selling a few, but I don’t think mass production would be the term for it. I can’t imaging making more than 20 or so a month…
What drove you to this and do you have prior relevant experience?
It didn’t look that hard to do and PVC is very inexpensive so I thought I’d give it a shot. As for prior experience… I had shop in junior high… does that count?
When will he send it to me?
I will as soon as I get the little bugs worked out. After all how can you claim that all our whistles are belong to you if you don’t have one..
What will you call your new whistle line? Grooveheads?
Hadn’t even crossed my mind yet… I have no idea what I should call the line if there ever is such a thing as a line…
Bufo, I think you posted while I was writing my last post…
The wooden fipple plug started as a dowel rod that was slightly too large to fit into the pipe. I then filed it down a little and then sanded a flat spot (actually kind of curved) to create the windway…
Wow, that sounded very good!! I’m in for one.
Sounds really good! I’m definitly in for one, too, if it comes to that. 
Well while you are making them one. I want one as well!
Are you guys still going to want one when Groovehead tells you just how much more expensive than Copelands they are?
Great job Groovehead! grin
I’m new to the list (found you lot after searching around for a Low Whistle… Hello all! wave)
If you are selling Groovehead- I’ll be in…
Stormy
Hi Stormy, welcome aboard. Strap yourself in and enjoy the ride.
Groovehead,
You’ve got talent! I couldn’t make a low D if you gave me all the bits except the glue. It looks great, and sounds haunting, even on the tinny little speakers I have.
Groovehead
So pleased to see how good making your whistle has made you feel, word to the wise
it wears of after the first 1’000. or so!
Great job, Michael.
First, I’m amazed that you’re making whistles that sound as good as this right off the bat. And your playing is terrific.
Listening to your clip, what I believe I hear is a lower register that sounds wonderful and an upper register that sounds very breathy and thin compared to the lower register. (If I’m mistaken about this, please correct me.)
I would present this as a question for the whistlesmiths on the board. Can you give information about how to configure the mouthpiece to create a stronger upper and a better balance between the two registers?
Best wishes,
Jerry
A less ‘echo-ish’ sound clip might make it easier to hear what the whistle actually sounds like. (Although I must say, my first impressions are quite positive; I love the breathy tone the whistle has).
Jens
What I’m hearing is that most of the impression of the whistle comes from hearing the lower register, and I agree with Jens that it sounds great the way it is. I wouldn’t try to make it less breathy or change it in any way.
However, when it goes into the upper register, the sound weakens quite a bit (if I’m actually hearing what I think I hear), and I’m asking if there’s a way to get the great sound that’s most of what’s in the clip to extend into the upper register, too.
Not to change the basic sound of the whistle.
Best wishes,
Jerry
Jerry,
You’re correct in that the sound is a bit weaker in the upper register. I think that a lot of this is due to my inexperience at playing the whistle. I’ve played the upper register a few times and it sounded really strong. I think maybe the weaker sound is due to slightly faulty fingering. I could be completely wrong about this though and if there is a way to make the upper register stronger I would love to hear that advice… 
Jens, I will hook up a real mic later today (that clip was recorded with a cheap computer mic) and record the clip with no reverb. My soundcard is setup with reverb by default and it recorded what it heard. I never even thought to change it, but you are correct in that it would give a better representation of the true sound of the whistle.
[ This Message was edited by: Groovehead on 2003-02-06 11:00 ]
[ This Message was edited by: Groovehead on 2003-02-06 11:01 ]