I’m hesitant to post a full review since I’m still a bit of a novice player. I shot the rest of my whistle budget (sold my Native American Flutes) on a WD Sweet High D – Walt will be selling them under the name BLACK PEARL. I love my Clarke, just wish it was tunable. This has some of that same complex, woody sound. It can be leaned into without getting too shrill. I just found all the 3rd octave notes (something I’ve never been able to do on my other whistles). I doubt I’ll be playing them much, but I’m glad to know they are there. The octave jumps are smooth and easy for me to find. It takes a fair amount of breath support. I’m able to get better control of dynamics than I’ve been able to achieve on the Burke.
This whistle is very comfortable to play. The holes are more ovoid than my straight-bore whistles. Half-holing gives me very reliable notes. It is lightweight, but more substantial and less plastic-y feeling than a Susato. The mouthpiece is chunkier than the Burke. Once I got used to it, which didn’t take long, it is also quite comfortable. Cuts and strikes are nice and quick and crisp. I’ve yet to really master rolls and crans.
Once again, Walt has been a delight to deal with. I’m very pleased. Now if I can just get him to make a G whistle…
I recently added a W.D. Sweet high D to my stable. Very good all around whistle. Does everything pretty well. Loud enough for sessions but pleasant to play to play alone in my apartment. Fairly strong and stable 1st octave with easy response in the 2nd and up into the 3rd octaves. Intonation is good. Tone is a little reedy but I like it pretty well. Nice contrast to my Bracker which is very flute-like. The windway is pretty wide so it can take alot of air if you’re not careful but this seems to make practically immune to clogging. And being plastic the intonation is not too affected by cold temperatures. So it’s usually my 1st choice when the weather is cold. But if temp. is not a factor #1 is still my Bracker. I love that flute-like tone and rock solid 1st octave.
I think it is the “reediness” I like about this whistle. I have a silver Yamaha flute. I like how this whistle sounds more like a wooden whistle. I’m glad there are choices, because we each have a tone we prefer.
It is the new machined one. I am afraid to get wooden whistles. It’s so dry here, I have enough trouble keeping the guitars properly humidified. I am glad to get the sound of a wooden whistle without the worries.
That’s exactly how I felt when I found “my guitar.” Eight years later, it still makes me smile every time I open the case. I tried lots of guitars before I found this one. I think this whistle might be a lot like that. Instruments are such a subjective thing. When we find the one that speaks to us (no pun intended), it is a marvelous thing.
When I received my WD Polymer High D I quickly realized two things.
Unfortunately is too loud to play in my small apartment living room.
I would never sell it.
Even though for my taste it is on the loud side to you play comfortably by yourself, I love the feel, the sound and the quality of workmanship. If I were to travel around the world and were only be allowed to take one whistle with me, this would be it. It just feels as it can take any abuse you could throw at it and still play flawlessly.
Fortunately for me I’m moving from Amsterdam to Colombia in two weeks. So I’m looking forward to lots of outdoor play.
This whistle has exactly the sound I was hoping for. It probably helps that I like it so much I play it as often as possible (funny, the more I practice, the better it sounds…). The only other whistle I ever pick up is the Clarke, which is much quieter when everyone is home. I love the low D, but I’m leaving it to work on when I have more skill on the high D. Going back and forth doesn’t work well for me.
The WD Sweet high D must be a hot item because I am seeing that a few of the whistle shops on- line have them on backorder.
Walt must have a real winner there!!!
Or you could just call them. They’re in Enfield, Connecticut (42° N, 72 1/2° W according to their web site) — only a day-trip away. www.sweetheartflute.com
I have a sweet pro D in blackwood and absolutely love it. The tone is warm and pleasing and its easy to play. I live in a dry climate (high desert) and haven’t had a problem with cracking yet. I make sure to dry it after playing and use bore oil. Does anyone else have care tips for wood whistles in dry areas?
Probably the most-sensible advice I’ve heard yet, if you are really concerned about this, is to keep it in a humidor at an RH of 50%. On the other hand, I live in upstate New York, and the climate here is fairly dry most of the time (especially in winter when the RH dips to below 30%), and none of my wooden whistles have ever developed any problems. I just follow the same basic common sense methods of caring for them that you described. I seem to remember Paul Busman remarking recently that he hasn’t found any need for using extra measures in caring for his wooden whistles. They are made here in the same New York climate and sent all over the place to different climates without issue. Also worth mentioning: I have a very old Sweetheart whistle in rosewood that I bought second-hand. When it arrived, the first thing I noticed was that it appeared to never have been oiled. Luckily, it was none-the-worse for the experience, and I have cared for it the same as my other woods since. I think the most important thing to remember is that if the whistle goes unplayed for an extended amount of time, you would be wise to play it for short intervals only (@20 minutes per session), for a week or two, in order to slowly bring the moisture content of the wood back up to a “normal” level. It isn’t humidity or dryness per se that cracks a woodwind, it’s a rapid change in the moisture content of the wood that does this - when the level of humidity in the layers of wood inside the bore far exceeds the level of humidity in the outer layers of the instrument. Oiling the instrument doesn’t just help to keep additional unwanted moisture out of the wood, it also helps to keep a desirable amount of moisture in the wood, and keep it somewhat uniform. So I should think that as long as you are playing your whistle regularly, and keeping it swabbed out and oiled, you should haven’t any problems with it.
(I need to learn to proof-read more, and edit less… )
I doubt I’ll be playing them much, but I’m glad to know they are there. The octave jumps are smooth and easy for me to find. It takes a fair amount of breath support. I’m able to get better control of dynamics than I’ve been able to achieve on the Burke.
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