I have two new whistles from whistlemaker Mack Hoover, both whitecaps. One is a B-flat that I have placed on a Generation tube; the other is a high D which is on one of Mack’s own 2-piece tubes, and also has the extra thumb hole for C-natural.
I very much like Mack’s whitecaps and have posted about them before. They have always had a lot going for them: they are inexpensive, they are very easy players, with a lovely sweet pure tone, and have a little more bite to the sound than do my Burkes, while still having that sweet, pure second register. They are not loud whistles, and are perfect for practicing where you don’t want to disturb anyone; yet that pure sound can cut through and be heard “riding on top” if you are playing with others.
The redesigned whitecaps retain all the good points, no longer require the breath control of his original design. Resistance has been increased, as well as backpressure, allowing the whistle to take more aggressive play, and making it more forgiving on the lowest notes as well.
Here is the B-flat whitecap on an original tune of mine, a double jig called “The Pewter Plug”:
http://www.flutesite.com/samples/pewter_hoovbb.mp3
And here is the D on the reel “Paddy Rafferty’s Favorite”:
http://www.flutesite.com/samples/hoover_newd.mp3
I am greatly enjoying these whistles. I believe Hoover whistles represent one of the most extreme bang-for-the-buck values in the whistle world today.
–James
