I think everyone knows how much I appreciate Mack’s whistles. And I’ve made no bones about loving my big brown Overton low D. But hey, I’m not getting any younger here! Low D’s, even Colin’s, take a LOT of AIR! Two passages and then I’m bent over sucking air like a two-packs-a-day smoker on a raquetball court.
It then seemed to me that if Mack could effectively reduce the air demands of his narrow bore brass D to zero, then why couldn’t he do the same with a low D?
Now I know some spoilsport like Thomas-Hastay or BrewerrPaul or Serpent is going to spin out some physics psychobabble about such a thing violating the laws of nature or something like that. To which I reply, “this is the age of self-gratification - I KNOW what I want.”
So how about it, Mack? Think you can achieve the imnpossible?
Psychobabble? Us? No way! Somebody here came up with the bagwhistle, so if you don’t wanna blow the durn things, just hook 'em up to a compressor with an HVLP regulator set at a couple PSI. Then all you gotta do is squeeze the bag.
Why is it that nobody ever thinks of the easy solution!? Welllll… carrying the compressor and a load of car batteries around with you could get a bit taxing, I guess…
But be warned - not really a session weapon since the volume is also very low. Also, possibly for the same reason, it isn’t very responsive; nice for slow airs, not as good for faster pieces.
I like mine - and it’s wonderful for late-night playing - but “loud” or even “moderate” it isn’t; my Serpent Low F, which Shanna Quay describes as suitable for quiet to medium sessions, is noticably louder than the Dixon.
Actually, yes. I have and play one, as much for the relaxed finger reach as anything else (which I also like about my Overton). But even that I have to play standing and I have trouble if a passage has a lot of high notes.
Chuck, take the example of cauld-wind pipering to heart: use a bellows. It’s so much more Luddite a solution than all this high-tech jibber-jabber. Compressed air, indeed. :roll:
It might be possible judging by the whitecap “A” I just got. The air requirement is much lower than you would guess by looking at it. After all, it has a 3/4 inch diameter tube. I can play the entire A part of some tunes on a single breath.
Mack’s got some lovely new whistles in the works, and I know he loves a challenge…
I’ve got a low D Laughing whistle that takes very little air. As I understand it they are no longer in production. Mack if you’re ever interested in borrowing it to take a look, let me know.
And I haven’t forgotten about the money I owe you for my new whistle - I just haven’t found my checkbook yet! If I don’t find it in the next few days I’ll ask Ben to write one for me.
I think a whistle having a air requirement close to zero might mean the possibility of difficulty in actually controlling the reduced amount of air required to play the notes properly…actually I find it more difficult to play expressively on Hoover Narrow Bore D (great for hernia patients, I tell ye) than on Overton hard-blow Soprano D (not recommended for serious chain-smokers) . With the former I have to control the flow of the air flowing into the instrument, and that means I have to know how I should handle my internal bagpipe, which is in fact harder (at least for me) than having to breath every three or four bars. With the latter, instead of gently taking care of the whistle, you only have to wrestle with an angel, sort of. Same goes for the low D’s made by either makers, I think.
I like both Hoover and Overton whistles, only never got to play a Hoover low D. I must get one (after the hernia operation, that is. Notice the ope-rra-tsi-Ohn accent.)
If I don’t find it in the next few days I’ll ask Ben to write one for me.