How many C & F’ers own a Shaw Low F? How do you find the air requiresment, tone and volumn?
I got mine last Tuesday fron Hobgoblin in Bristol, nice people. Been practising every day and find the botton F hole a little awkward. I have several low D’s and apart from the Kerry Songbird on which I find that sometimes I have difficulty covering the middle right hand tone hole I have no problem. Medium size hands and fingers.
Any how the air requirement on the Shaw were only very slightly more that on my Susato Kildare Low D. This has been changed by using the Clarkes Original Mouthpiece Tweak. Can hold the Bell note for over 35 seconds with no loss of tone or volumn. I love this whistles for slow airs and laments.
My lung capacity had been better when I was younger, no doubt, but I had a Shaw A that was a great whistle with no tweaking required.
But my Shaw Low D did really need help, as it was very difficult to play in breath requrement (and also very breathy) without the pushed down windway roof, like you did with your Shaw F, Ian. Nice distinctive whistles though!
I own one of those Shaw Low F since a long time ago, only played occasionally because I find its air requirement very demanding…
So yesterday I made a check… the back pressure is very low, the air requirement is higher than usual with other whistles (Goldies) but it admits a wide range of variation, and checking with a tuner I found that for it to be in tune in the lower octave the air speed has to be very low in the range, so the air requirement is not so great really, although still higher than my Goldie (medium blower).
With “piper’s grip” I have no trouble with the bottom holes.
It’s not very loud, sounds kind of “weak”, and the tone is… well here is a sample.
And for reference (recorded in the same conditions): Goldie Low F (medium blower).
You can hear that with the Shaw I’m struggling more, an I miss more notes…
EDIT: I don’t know why, but the quality of the recording in my Windows 7 (with audacious) is awful. I’ve done it again in Ubuntu, also with audacious, and the sound is much better: Shaw Low FGoldie Low F
Not a low F, but a Low D Shaw, though I was impressed by the tone, even though it was amplified and reverbed, it still made a nice statement and made me think of a flute too. Great vibe.
More power to you!