I’m building a low D from PVC using warious plans from around the Net. One attempt was using a Sweetone C mouthpiece as described in the Bloddy Hand whistle plans on C&F. With 1/2" thin-wall PVC that didn’t work very well. The sound had a lot of wind noise and very low air requirements. I put it aside to work on my own mouthpiece. Yesterday, I was cleaning up the work bench and took the tube off the Sweetone mouthpiece. The tube was way too long and I had another tube lying there that was tuned pretty close to D in length but no holes. I stick it on the various mouthpieces to test them. On a whim I stuck the Low D tube on the modified Sweetone and started noodling. It was a little flat but I got 8 distinct tones from it over a three-octave range with variations in air pressure alone! The tone are:
Db 4 in tune
Db 5 in tune
Ab 5 10% sharp
Db 6 30% sharp
F 6 40% sharp
A 6 30% flat
B 6 30% sharp
D 7 30% flat
The low note, Db 4, takes so little air it is essentially unplayable. It also has a number of harmonics mixed in. The rest are nice tones with light but predictable air requirements. The D7 is loud and a little shrieky but better than any of the cheap whistles I have. The air requirements are distinct enough that I could play an off-key version of “Reville” (it is all thirds and fifths) that was recognizable as such.
So my question is: Has anyone else every built a whistle that could sound intermediate notes, i.e. thirds and fifths, with air pressure changes alone or did this blind squirrel stumble onto an acorn? I’m wondering if this whistle could be tuned to play with fewer holes (a one-handed whistle?) or, alternatively, play more of the chromatic scale with more holes. I’m looking for advice on how to proceed.
If anyone would like to duplicate the experiment, I used the Sweetone C mouthpiece modified as described in the Bloody Hand article (Copper pipe inserted in the mouthpiece to make an adapter) then wrapped the copper pipe with a couple turns of electrical tape and stuck it in a piece of Schedule 20 1/2" PVC (that’s the thin-wall stuff) that is exactly 20 13/16" long.
Ever heard of a tabor pipe? A one handed whistle indeed, that’s the effect you’re getting there with overblowing notes on the fundamental, three more holes and you can get a complete octave.
In agreement with Kelhorn Mike that 1/2" ID tube is way too small for the low D, and is also why you’re getting the Tabor pipe effect. That said, for anything below an alto G, I’d suggest you use 1" ID PVC with a 0.10 wall thickness (Schedule 40), and use either Dan Bingamon’s whistle calculator, or Peter Kosel’s “Flutomat” javascript calculator to determine hole diameters and placement, instead of using the percentage-based fumblydiddles many of the “How To Make A Whistle” webs suggest. You’ll be a lot happier a lot sooner, with the results.
Cheers,
Bill Whedon
I can’t imagine a Sweetone C whistle head being remotely the right size to handle a low D whistle. Am I missing something? Its pratically a whole octave away in design.
Lisdoonvarna
Thanks for all the replies. I’ve got some of the larger PVC pipe and will try that next. I’m using Dan Bingamon’s calculator to figure the hole placement and diameter. So far, I’m trying to tweak my mouthpiece design (there’s another thread here somewhere about that). Maybe when I get a playable Low D, I’ll experiment with the Tabor pipe Sweetone!
Sweetones are conical whistles, so the mouthpiece end of the tube is much bigger than the other end. A C Sweetone whistlehead would have a rather large socket, so it might fit acceptably on a low D cylindrical tube. Certainly worth a try.
Bear in mind that making the fipple work without requiring a lot of air, if you’re using the 0.10 inch wall thickness Schedule 40 tube is going to be tricky. The “window” is going to have to be about 1/2 inch wide, by about 3/8 inch long to start with, and you’ll vary that until you get the “voice” you want. The windway height will want to be about 0.040 - 0.050 inches so you don’t blow your lungs out.
I do my PVC lows by turning the nether 1-1/4 inch of the fipple end down on a wood lathe, leaving a wall thickness of 0.040, then machining a brass surround on a metal lathe, but I doubt you’ll want to go that far. Frankly, I’d suggest making the fipple from Schedule 20 pipe, which is a whole lot closer in thickness to what you need for the windway height, and then attaching it to the Sched 40 body to get the mellow sound. That wall thickness, contrary to some opinion in the other discussion here about acoustic properties, does make a significant difference in the “mellowness” of the sound - which I hasten to add, is subjective.
I guess the main admonition I would give you is, have fun! I love building whistles, and you will too, once you get the ins and outs down solid.
Best wishes,
Bill Whedon
Hey, Jerry! You’re a tweaker! I think that head might work too, but I think the window would need to be enlarged some to get the bottom end solid. Hmmm??? Where’s Dan Bingamon when you need him!? Oh, and congrats on the Oz deal, too! With you and Phil and Paul, who’ve chimed in so far, I’m in good company there!
Cheers,
Bill Whedon
billw, thanks for all the info on windway design. I’ve got several yards each of Schedule 20 and 40 PVC from a plumbing project and will play around with them until I get a design I like. I do have a small metal lathe to turn the PVC. I anticipate many happy hours creating PVC shavings!
If you set the cutter to make thin enough swarf, you can use it to pack fragile items and people will wonder what the hell it is! Good thing is you don’t need to use a lubricant to turn it, long as you don’t push it too hard.
BW
You’re a tweaker! I think that head might work too, but I think the window would need to be enlarged some to get the bottom end solid. Hmmm??? Where’s Dan Bingamon when you need him!? 
Oh, and congrats on the Oz deal, too! With you and Phil and Paul, who’ve chimed in so far, I’m in good company there!