Don’t want your laughing whistle anymore…got my own! And it is sweet.
Can we have a clogging report?
Hearing all the complaints about clogging, I’ve thought of asking Mack Hoover if he could chop off the LW mouthpiece and replace it with a Whitecap.
Interesting question. I’ve noticed a bit, but then I have several whistles which require the occasional blow-out, including an Abell blackwood, and less frequently, a Sindt. Will have to give it some time…
back when I owned a Laughing Whistle, they clogged a wee bit faster than my plastic-headed whistles, and seemed to be more negatively affected by it. But that was years ago, and I don’t know if he’s made any improvements in that regard
I had a Laughing Whistle. The clogging drove me nuts, so I traded the whistle to Avanutria (who’s a Laughing Whistle nut).
Other than the clogging, it was a wonderful little whistle; quiet and pure.
Cheers,
John
I really like its tone, and that it’s quiet. The fipple plugs are quite obviously hand formed, and maybe there’s some variability in clogginess. Whereas my Abell blackwood C often won’t get through a song without needing a blow-out, the Herbison hasn’t given me much trouble, and is easier to clear on the fly.
So far so good.
I’ll second that (Avanutria being a nut), and as we’re hoping to meet up with Gary at the end of March, I daresay she’ll snap it up if it’s still up for grabs.
Is is still up for grabs, GK old fruit?
gasp! You fiend! Is there a Whistle Amnesty International anywhere? 
I’m willing to sponsor the poor whistle…
Clogging can be avoided in about 90% of cases. (This is drawing on experience of five different high Ds and one high C laughing whistle).
Warm it up if it’s cold. It fits in your pocket, there’s no excuse for not keeping it warm.
Don’t play for 20 minutes straight and expect there to be no moisture buildup, especially in winter. Tap it out every couple of sets.
Remember that the fipple block is wood. It’s got a coating of some sort on it, but the coating will eventually wear away, and then the wood will swell. If you’ve been playing for hours and you’re noticing a change in backpressure and sound quality, take a peek at your airway. It will probably show swelling wood. Give the whistle a little break and come back to it later. This is why it’s good to have more than one laughing whistle 
But seriously though…if you want a compact ‘pocket whistle’ with a hoover head, get a two piece clare or doolin and put a Hoover whitecap on. That’s what I did, and it works like a charm.
Tee hee…didn’t mean to suggest that Gary’s precious was up for grabs, as my very strong impression is that it’s not. I’m just teasing him, and rather ineffectively at that.
Sweet it may be, Nymph, sweet yes yes! But it’s Not…My… Preciousssss!!!"
Keeps our eyes on it we will when they come, won’t we, keeps it secret and keeps it safe! 
But in all seriosity, they are jolly lovely whistles. They fit quite nicely in one of Phil’s folding two-piece whistle-pouches he sells with the Doolin whistle… buy the Doolin, get the case free with it, throw the Doolin away (it’s pants, even as a backscratcher), and your Laughing has a snug new home.
Oh and I keep mine lovely and shiny with a Goddard’s Silver polishing cloth, available from Sainsbury’s in the UK.
Sweeet… yes! Yes!
I hadn’t heard about the pouches, Gary…got a link?
Yup, here they be:
http://www.bigwhistle.co.uk/shop_results.asp?subcat=15&search=1
Look’s like Phil’s finally got rid of all the Doolin’s though!