Hi,
I’m considering buying another whistle, and was wondering what experiences people have had with Shaws. Thanks!
My opinion is that like any whistle - especially the inexpensive ones, some are much better than others, and it is best to try before you buy if you can. Shaws are conical bore and tend to be more like Clarkes in tone, more breathy/flute-like than the cylindrical bore Generations etc.
Shaws are great if you are into authentic historical re-enactment, as they don’t use plastic!
My experience with a Shaw D:
Sound very much like a Clarke traditional, but the fipple block is a harder wood and less likely to shrink and move around the mouthpiece after much use. It’s louder, and requires more breath, and more breath pressure, than a Clarke. I didn’t like it..then again, I used to smoke way back then, and didn’t have much breath to spare. I sold it recently, and found it much easier to play (for making a recording of it) than way back then.
Greg
Honestly, I’ve found Shaws to be nearly unplayable, especially in keys other than D. They take WAY too much wind, give way too little resistance, and sound very shrill in the second octave. I love Clarks though, especially with the windway bent shut a little bit. Unfortunately, the process is hit or miss.
I’d recommend that you steer clear of Shaw whistles though.
Chris
I’m going to come in with a different opinion. I’ve always loved my Shaws. Perhaps it’s because they were my first whistles, but they have a warm fuzzy sound that I like. I actually find them less shrill than most of my plastic head whistles and the construction is better than the Clarke - the seam is less obnoxious and they just feel heavier.
Now mind you, they do take a lot of breath and as another poster mentioned they don’t offer a lot of feedback pressure.
What can I say. I’m a Shaw fan. I think that there’s three or four of us; I’m not sure, the club newsletter hasn’t come out for a while 
Erik
I like my Shaw D and C, but they are a bit delicate. I had my D on the back seat of the car one day and inadvertantly put something (not very heavy) on it, putting quite a kink in the whistle. I was able to mostly straighten it out, and it plays OK, but a bit of care is in order
I hate my D Shaw. Not only does it take so much air that I feel light headed and get white spots in front of my eyes while playing, it has a rough line of solder all along the back, and the holes aren’t even in line with the fipple.
Maybe I got a real factory reject, but it’s the only whistle I have that really is almost unplayable. Might make a good dibber for planting my daffodil bulbs next spring, though! 
My 2 Euros worth..
Thanks for your opinions guys. I’ll have to give it some thought. The air requirements don’t worry me too much since I can play my low D, but I’m just about positive that I’d have to order one and won’t get to try it out first. I only know of two stores near me that sell whistles and one only has clarks, and the other only sells gens and oaks. So many whistles, so little money!!!
I love the Shaw D that I got from House of Musical Traditions online. I play it every day and I like to switch between it and my Hoover narrow bore and reap the benefits of Yoga breathing exercises. So many whistles and so many reasons for playing them!
Lisa
Sounds like Milner got a bad Shaw. I have six of them: low D, G, A, C, D, and E. They have a good authentic sound. Mine are well made. They do take a good bit of breath, but I used to play contra-alto clarinet (think of a clarinet about 5 feet long). I record occassionally with the low D, and with a bit of reverb it sounds great, almost eerie. Plus, they are a great deal for the money. I got mine from http://www.elderly.com except for the low D. I bought it from someone here on the board and got an even greater deal. Hope this helps.
Celt5 et al
The Shaw D that I bought 3 years ago I modified (tweaked) with a hardwood, triangular wedge fixed across about half the windway. (See Whisle Shop method . . . I think every ‘tweaker’ knows about this fix). The whistle has played since that day even more sweetly than a tweaked Clarke. A beautifully gentle, easily controllable sound without doubt. . . . . . The Shaw Low D however I destroyed after only a month . . . A horrible, lung shredding instrument!. . . I’ve removed everything from the ‘blown’ end with wood augers and blowlamp . . . I intend to rebuild this over the next few months with a new maple block (arched/curved maybe), narrower windway and a repositioned labium or knife edge. More on this later!
Regards . . . Tony P
I bought a couple of used ones and IK’m afraid I don’t care for them. Even tried soaking them in mineral oil but didn’t seem to help much. I’ve got the D in the car…not sure how it got there…tried playing it today while waiting for someone in the bank (sounds like a get-a-way car). Anyway, it sounded terrible. Going to replace it with most anything else. I will be happy to send it to you if you wish and you can see for yourself. Gm
About the SHAW:
Does it have an ‘open’ sound?
Does it require a BIT more lung?
Well, yes.
But so what..
I really, really like playing the thing. Some of us whistle-players like an airy, chiffy tone (even on the faster pieces).
I just feel it works for me.
I’ve got other whistles, and I enjoy them as well, really well (My-My, I’m a whistle geek. I truly love the differences that exist in the whistles in my collection … nope, not willing to part with any one of them).
BUT I definitely like to have a few whistles that have a ‘chiffy’ sound (oh yeah, orig. Clarke C included).
Please, don’t let the air requirment prevent you from trying the Shaw.
I’ve found that the sound has been worth the blow (AND as a benefit, the SHAW workout pays-off when playing your less ‘strenuous’ whistles).
MY Shaw definitely does reign.
-M
(edit for creative spelling)
[ This Message was edited by: LegendaryBlueHorizon on 2001-12-18 02:59 ]
I have or have had: clarks, oaks, generations, dixons, chieftains, overtons, guiness, burkes, susatos and lastly a couple of shaws. My least favorites are the the shaws. My favorites Burkes, Chieftains and Dixons, all tunable and my non-tunable Overtons.
The shaws take a lot more wind for the volume you get. I started with a low-G which left me dizzy after only a couple of minutes. No other whistle has had this affect, including my low-D’s. I have heard that there is some variance in the shaws from high wind requirement to hurricane lung capacity; but, all require a lot of air. No big thing if you’re only going to play a tune or two and switch back; if you don’t mind having to take so many breaths with each phrase. In the intermediate price range, I’d rather have a Dixon.
Enjoy Your Music,
Lee Marsh
[ This Message was edited by: LeeMarsh on 2001-12-18 11:35 ]
I have three Shaw whistles. Low D,an F and A
I like them all. I bought the F directly from
Dave and Cath Shaw and it it was a very nice
experience. The Shaw whistles have a apecial
sound and belong in the collection of anyone
who loves whistles. I do believe that the wind
challenges of the Shaw (which are not all thar
difficult) have help me develop into a better
player on my other whistles.
I enjoy the board.
Hi,
Nothing to add that hasn’t been said so far in this thread, but I have 2 Shaws - (high) D and C and I like them very much. If I could have only one high D, I wouldn’t choose the Shaw, but the Shaw has a really nice (to my ears) chiffy sound that makes a change from other whistles.
They do need more air than say a Dixon, but not all that much. I think the Shaw whistles are well made for the price (I paid £9.00 for the D) and I don’t find the ‘seam’ a problem (I do find the seam distracting on a SweetTone).
–
Keith
The Shaw seems to be an interesting whistle from a ‘fan base’ standpoint. I can’t think of another whistle that has folks so polarized (seems even more so than the Generation).
Erik
Hey, you guys, wind requirements? Try playing a baritone sax! I love the Shaw whistles, they take a bit more air than others but if you’re getting light-headed it’s time to hit the Stairmaster! They have a great tone, I think, and are easy to play across the octaves if you “narrow” the embrouchure a bit in the upper octave. The only thing I don’t like about them is the blankedy-blank wooden blocks; they get pretty ‘juicy’ after a half hour of playing and then you need to switch to something else. I’ve wondered if you can paint the blocks or something but I’m afraid to experiment with my favorite whistles.
Caveat: I would never buy one through the mail, I live in the San Francisco Bay area and try them out at Lark in the Morning in the city. I’ve found the quality varies quite a bit, but the good ones are great whistles in my opinion.