Does anyone have any experience, opinions on etc. of the Silkstone Ace whistle, in particular the Soprano D Plus, that they would care to share?
Martin
Um, I THINK I have what you’re talking about…got it in a trade (temporary now…hoping its permanent), and never asked for the critter’s name.
It is an aluminum alloy D whistle with a C hole on it, and I have to say that I love the tone very much, like playing it as a D, and appreciate that low hole very much, with the exception of one thing… my pinkie finger comes no where near that hole unless I’m using piper fingering (which isn’t my norm). I feel the hole should be offset.
There are a few airs that I prefer using this whistle for because of its range, and theory has it that I’ll be able to roll the mid-range D when I get the hang of it.
Its a keeper for me (if the trade works out). But if you’re buying it new from Paul, you might want to talk to him about the offset on the extra hole.
The ace is actually a polymer whistle that costs about 3 times as much as a regular alloy. I believe that it’s four pieces, and that the pinky hole is rotatable relative to the rest of the right hand.
I’d love to try one, but $360 for a whistle that nobody’s posted any opinions of is a little rich for me.
Hi - it’s a D+ alloy you’ve got and the offset is very easily negotiable…my first D+ is a narrow bore where the offset C starts level with the closest side of the D hole. When my D+ (standard) arrived the hole was lower down and wrongly placed - for me. Paul happily made me a tube with the same offset at no cost (even after I’d used the original in a couple of concerts the band were playing).
He has also made an adjustable offset piece for an American…swivelable above the seventh hole.
So, it sounds as if yours was custom-made for someone with a long digit!!!
As for the Ace, it will be a reasonable price for the workmanship. Paul’s work is exemplary and good value. Maybe I’ll ask him how many he’s sold when we next talk 
It does seem odd that no-one’s tried one though.
Trisha
I’ve played one once to try it out. It didn’t impress me in the least. I’ve also had a Silkstone alloy and didn’t think much of it either. For the price a Copeland would be a better choice. Or how about a Sindt at a third the price and two times as good. My 2 cents.
It all comes down to individual taste. Don’t know about the US, but Paul will refund in full for several weeks in the UK if a whistle isn’t quite what you wanted. As the original poster is UK-based he has nothing to lose trying a Silkstone 
.
And yes I have a Copeland
Trisha
OK, yes I agree the Ace possibly is overpriced…the Dixon acetal flute is £160ish. Can’t comment on the similarities or differences.
Trisha
I have a D silkstone (in polymer) and I must say it is my favorite whistle. I always use it in session. It is loud enough to hear without being overbearing. If you can’t afford the ace try the silkstone.
True enough, there is a considerable increase in price for one of Paul Hayward’s ‘Ace’ whistles… but there’s a very good reason for it.
Paul makes the entire Ace whistle from Delrin rod… excluding the brass tuning slide and alloy trim rings.
The standard D is a 3-piece, and the D-Plus is a 4-piece construction.
Trust me when I tell you that such a whistle is very difficult and time consuming to make, so I think Paul is charging a very reasonable price for the Ace.
I originally intended to make my whistle heads from solid Delrin rod, but quickly abandoned that idea in favor of using a PVC/Delrin combination which is much more cost/time efficient.
You can easily find PVC in a good variety of types and sizes already in tube form… Delrin is only available in rod and sheet form, and must be bored to make tubes, which is a very time consuming process because it must be done in stages.
Making joints in the body is also not as simple as one might think… especially joints with decorative trim rings like those on the Ace.
True enough also, Paul’s whistles aren’t for everyone… neither are mine, nor anyone else’s for that matter.
I too used to think high-end whistles were overpriced… then I started making them myself, and was quite amazed at how much work goes into them, and how much expensive equipment is necessary to maintain high quality and consistency.
This post isn’t intended to be a rant, just a few words of praise for a highly underrated master craftsman who makes excellent whistles at reasonable prices.
If you like Paul’s PVC and alloy whistles, you’ll undoubtedly like the Ace too… if you’re not a fan of Silkstones in general, you’re probably not going to like the Ace either.
So how does Tony Dixon make his acetal flute so (relatively) cheaply I wonder?
A quick internet search gave me a price list for Delrin tubing from K-Mac Plastics.
http://k-mac-plastics.net/acetal-delrin-celcon-acetron-tubes.htm
Could any of this be used for whistles ( I know NOTHING about making them so it might be useless).
I can’t fault my four Silkstones - especially their build, but wouldn’t buy an Ace on price largely. However I like the idea of an acetal whistle for outdoors.
Trisha
Thanks for the link, Trisha… that is the first time I’ve seen Delrin sold in tube form, so now I can’t say that it’s only available in rod and sheet form anymore. 
The pricing of this supplier is frighteningly high though… I think I’ll stick to PVC, but maybe Paul Hayward would be interested to know that Delrin tube is available.
I don’t think Tony Dixon uses Delrin for his instruments… they are made from a polymer material, but it seems to be much more similar to PVC than Delrin.
Delrin is great stuff to work with… it’s tough as nails, doesn’t melt easily, and machines wonderfully… if only you could glue it, then it would be perfect! 
I don’t know what the Dixon three-piece flute is made from, but to me it feels much more like Delrin than like PVC. It’s very dense and has a kind of slimy feel to it. It’s definitely turned from solid rod; you can see the turn marks if you look closely enough, plus it’s got a conical bore.
I’m not by any means saying that the Ace isn’t worth the price; I just don’t want to shell out the money without having heard from anybody who’s played one.
Exactly my feelings which of course is why I made the original post. I was looking to give myself a little treat and fancied something a bit different. I guess the search goes on…unless
Martin
What the he**!
I feel a telephone call to Yorkshire coming on!
Martin
I agree 101 % : anyone in Europe can expect the same quality of contact, response to special wishes, and unconditional warranty from Paul Hayward.
Now, for US residents, I understand he plays it fair with a distributor, and will ask to shop through The Whistle Shop–see the details [u]here[/u].
Fine person, fine whistles. Also, shopping within Europe makes money transfers, shipment much easier, while escaping import duties.
I have a Silkstone Ace D-plus whistle (either #4 or #3, it’s not right here in front of me). It’s a great whistle. It’s got a very nice, pure tone, but can be chiffy if you like. And, I like the seventh hole. I prefer the tone to the Copeland high D.
It’s an excellent whistle, though it is pricey. You can tell a lot of hard work went into it, and it has excellent craftsmanship.
Stuart
Gary,
This from the Big Whistle site in the UK (with picture but I can’t do images yet :roll: ):
“3 Piece Polymer Dixon (new)
Description
This flute is very, very popular. It is made from Acetal (a polymer) and is of tapered bore. (etc etc)”
As for the bought acetal tube cost…probably reflects the time spent drilling acetal rod!!!
Trisha