My Clarkes (original, sweetone, meg) tend to feel somewhat unstable in my hands due to the seam on the back…they want to roll or pivot on my thumb as I finger. Does anyone have a remedy for this which won’t compromise the whistle? I think my fingers are just too bony and the seam is pretty narrow, which makes it unstable. I don’t have a problem with this on whistles without a seam. The seam also makes me a little sore, even though I’m not gripping hard (bony fingers, again). Maybe sticky foam rubber or something? Any suggestions welcome!
Yes, I stabilize it with my pinky when I can. It’s not like it’s flying around all over the place or in imminent danger of falling–it’s just distracting and it makes me worry about where my fingers might land after it shifts (squeak factor, etc.); enough to mess up my playing sometimes.
Maybe I’ll try sticky tack, I have some of that lying around here…
Two thin strips–each side of the seam–of the 3M self-adhesive rough-surfaced rubber sold as safety grip for the edges of staircases, doorsteps, etc. Comes in black (fairly rare) or light gray, found in good American hardware stores.
Awesome grip, permanent bond when allowed to dry.
The whistle shop sells thumb rests for tapered and straight bore whistles.
That might help with balancing. I’d give them a try before doing any whistle surgery…
