The thread about Jessie’s Flagolet looked like one of Ralph’s keyed whistles, so I surfed over to his web site (something like http://www.sweetheartflute.com, but I have the bookmark at work, not here at home). His blackwood whistles are gone, but he has a new model of “professional whistles”.
(just verified the URL, it’s right) Here’s the blurb:
With conical bore for perfect octave registration, completely new windway design, and new internal cork joint, this new whistle plays like a dream! Tone quality is sweeter, response more even - more controlled on the top notes, while strong on the bottom. Can even play 3rd octave notes without injuring eardrums!
Some comments received: “Plays as well or better than the best high-end whistles available” “Makes you want to practice” “Fun to play”.
Designed over an 8-month period involving much experimentation by Walter Sweet (Ralph’s son), it is constructed of Northern birch laminate for strength and stability, and looks very much like Honduras Rosewood.
----------- Me again!
Interesting choice of materials “Northern birch laminate” or maybe plywood. (!) Good quality plywood can be a great building material for any number of things, so it’s an intriguing thought. It’s stable, birch is really hard wood, etc. $135.00 in laminate, $195.00 in rosewood.
Well, I have not tried them, but I suspect I know what the laminate is all about. Materials like this have been used in knifemaking (one of my other hobbies) for at least 3 decades. The birch veneer is stained in pretty colors, laminated, and impregnated with phenolic resin. At least in the knife handle material. This material is also used for turning pens and bowls and whatever you like. Woodcraft sells it, as do many other woodworking suppliers.
It is not cheap, but I am kind of surprised nobody else has used it for whistles before.
Cocobolo is a rosewood, but Honduras rosewood is a different rosewood. At least as sold in knifemakers’ supply catalogs.
I wish I had oodles of cash for more whistles. I really like the blackwood C I have and I’d love to get one of the new Ds. Oh, well. Need more cash first. And I don’t truly NEED more whistles…
As Patrick says Cocobolo is a rosewood, Rosewood is a generic term covering over 100 species of tree and shrub belonging to the papilionate order.
cocobolo comes from the spanish for coco, a phantom and bolo, a log
this could be worrying, my new Busman is goin’ to be a ghost whistle!
I have the prototype of Ralph’s new whistle, and it is everything he claims it is. I posted pics and a clip in an earlier thread. do a search on me, SWEET and SWEETHEART and maybe PROTOTYPE. Never mind http://chiffboard.mati.ca/viewtopic.php?topic=7074&forum=1 …here is the link
At session there is a fellow who asks to play it on his favorite tunes because it really rips (he normally plays flute).
I think it is a spectacular whistle. Mine is a honduran rosewood.
Tyghress
…And I go on, pursuing through the hours,
Another tiger, the one not found in verse.
Jorge Luis Borges
[ This Message was edited by: tyghress on 2003-01-18 09:28 ]
