This is not meant to be a commercial post. When the time comes, I’m sure Ralph will post an announcement of availability. I just wanted to share an email I got from Ralph Sweet today. I put in the post that it was generated from, but thought I should start a new thread so people looking for one of these could find it easier. I did get permission from Ralph to post this.
It originally started in response to a comment from a board member, in regards to these nice looking whistles being continued. Out of curiousity, I emailed Ralph, and he wasted no time in getting back to me! Here’s a excerpt from the email.
We will be making a new batch of the Dymondwood whistles within a month or so, and we have already drilled and rough-turned a batch of 40 blackwood whistles to be turned at the same time; the pieces are now in the drying oven (low temp) so they will be ready for reaming and turning when the dymondwood pieces are ready for the same thing. As in the past, these blackwood whistles are exactly the same design as the Dymnondwood ones, and have the same playing characteristics.
These will NOT have the silver rings, though. I hope that I can do that in the future, but not right now because of design complications I can’t quite explain! Also, we’re trying to get our new low D whistle into production.
I am at the top of the waiting list for that low D. . .it is truly an awesome instrument. I’ve been playing their preliminary designs since last August and have been camped on the figurative doorstep waiting for the first batch. Moderate to low air requirement, easy enough reach, glorious tone. . .I can’t wait!
Personally, Dymondwood is just fine by me. Don’t have to oil or worry about cracking like you do with ‘real’ wood, but it doesn’t have the warmup issues of the metal whistles (on an aside, Tyghre and I went to a Battlefield Band concert last week, and the guy who played whistles spent more time warming up and keeping his whistles warm than he did actually playing them).
I was hoping that it would be made from Dyondwood, because it’s probably less costly to produce, and as you said, no worries about care. I hope that it has a regular mouthpiece too, instead of a side-blown type of thingy like you had mentioned. I wonder what they will sell for? I would like to try one, it should be very interesting. I’ve tried most Low D’s out there, but no wooden ones. It’s got to have a great tone, if it’s anything like the Pro model high d!
Yes, Dymondwood, yes, standard mouthpiece, yes, a glorious tone.
I played three different mouthpieces: one that had a twist on it so it could be played more easily out of the side of the mouth, one funky add on piece that fits over the head and makes it truly side blown, and a standard mouthpiece. I stated a preference for the standard, but I wouldn’t mind paying a bit extra for an optional add on, just for the flexibility.
As far as I know, they’re still waiting on the machine shop to make the reamer.