I have had my Silkstone G/A set for almost three weeks now, so I think it’s time to post a little review on it.
I have been a fan of Paul Hayward’s whistles ever since I got my Silkstone alloy soprano D back in the spring of this year.
My WhOA kicked into overdrive, and I don’t think I’ll be happy until I have a Silkstone in every available key and material! 
Back to the G/A set though, I have been told that Paul actually stopped making them for a while due to lack of demand.
I cannot imagine why there would be a lack of demand for these beautiful whistles!
Not only do they sound great, they are also real eye catchers.
I got mine painted in British Racing Green, but they are also available in Pearlescent Red.
I have found that the chamfered finger holes that make slurs so easy on a Silkstone soprano whistle also aid in getting a good seal when using piper fingering on the low G.
I have very small hands and short fingers, so a low G is the limit of my reach without using piper fingering.
Even though I can make the stretch on a low G, it’s very uncomfortable, so piper fingering is preferrable to me.
That being said, I would highly recommend this set to anyone who is just beginning to play lower keyed whistles and is just learning to use piper fingering… if I can manage it with my tiny hands, anyone can.
The air requirement is quite modest, which is characteristic of all Silkstone whistles, and the tone is very pure with virtually no breathiness (another characteristic of all Silkstone whistles).
The easily interchangable barrels each have two O-rings, and fit snugly into the tuning slide (a feature I’d like to see available on all PVC Silkstones).
That’s not to suggest that any of my Silkstones have tuning problems because none of them do, I just like to have the option to make minor tuning adjustments when it is necessary.
I’ll end my little review now, but I’ll be glad to answer any questions anyone may have.
I’ve also had my G/A set about three weeks, and they’re really great whistles. The only problem I’ve had (and the whistles are otherwise so wonderful that it seems almost petty to mention this) is that they clog up rather quickly, especially for plastic whistles. Maybe this is the trade-off for having narrow windways for a low air requirement?
On 2001-09-24 20:23, Caru wrote:
The only problem I’ve had (and the whistles are otherwise so wonderful that it seems almost petty to mention this) is that they clog up rather quickly, especially for plastic whistles.
Caru, mine also clogged badly when I first got them.
A light coating of Jet-Dry in the windway will virtually elimiate the problem.