Anybody know the current wait time for a Sindt? Last time I checked it was 8 months.
Six months, J Sindt just told me.
how does one order a Sindt whistle? does he have a website? or is there another dealer online?
I thought I saw them listed somewhere…and then I couldn’t find the site again.
On the Chiff and Fipple main page scroll down and click on High End Whistles. John Sindt Whistles are featured down the list. Listed is his new e-mail address. I e-mailed him earlier this week and ordered a D whistle. He gets back to you in a couple of days. Good luck. By the way the current wait IS 6 months.
just recieved one two days ago. Great whistle, but the C is really sharp. You can learn to underblow it, though and after you get all it’s little quirks, it’s quite an instrument. Think of an old cheap whistle that allows you way more dynamics and is much more responsive.
John purposely makes them that way, apparetly he doesn’t believe in cross fingering the Cnat, he makes his whistles with the intention that the Cnat be played by half-holing only.
Loren
I don’t think a Sindt is more responsive as an Oak or Genearation or Feadog, just as responsive which is more than you can say for a lot of high-end whistles (imho).
I don’t know if I would still do it today, but I replaced the Sindt tube with a recent Feadog brass tube, which yields a beautiful c-nat on oxxxox. It’s a bit of a chore though, because the tube doesn’t quite fit.
http://members.the-spa.com/~bloomfield/GenSindt.html (very old page… and don’t listen to the clips).
I think it has more to do with insisting on an equal tempered F and the hole size involved getting that
You have to wonder how purposely he does it, because on some of his other models (the Bb I have lying on my desk for instance) the equivalent of C-nat is quite acceptable fingered oxxooo and just right with oxxxox
I am tempted to conclude it’s more a case of his not wanting to be bothered to figure out how to change his D tube, because I and a number of others have asked him to consider doing so. Presumably he’s happy with how the Bb tube half-holes the minor 7th, so why should altering the D-tube be a problem. I really don’t get it.
Peter, Steve,
From Mr. Sindt himself, in the C&F interview:
Dale: “A couple of people have noted that the C-natural fingering on the Sindt is problematic. I’ve noted that the tuning sounds best on my D whistle with a 234 or 2345 fingering. What do you think?”
John: “I prefer the half-hole method. Maureen, Joanie and Mary all taught this and felt that it was more accurate. But if I were to use another method I prefer the lower two fingers of the left hand. [hence G and A covered]. And blow a little softer.”
In addition, I know several normally reliable people who have discussed the issue with him, and each has told me they’ve gotten a similar response, with no significant part that response having to do with scale related issues.
Perhaps I’m misunderstanding what I’ve read and been told, it’s certainly possible. Still, plenty of other whistles have a completely acceptable scale and a good cross fingered Cnat…
Loren
I just got my D whistle and it’s a beauty. I love it! I now have a D, C and an A - Sindt whistle in my arsenal.
Well worth the 6 monthes wait time.
At one point I had a C and a D, I sold the D because it was too thin sounding and I like to lean a bit more into my Whistles. The Cnat on the D was hard to get, but it could be done with practice. The C Whistle on the other hand is damn near close to being the perfect Whistle and the Bb is easily obtainable with OXXXOX. So I have had the C for over a year and still love it as much as I did the first day I got it.
I own and like the Sindt, but I don’t like half-holing…
-Casey 
That’s about right. I ordered one in May or June of this year, and it came in mid November.
I have a silver Sindt D with a delrin head–bought from Doc Jones.
Doc also sent me to try a brass Sindt, so I got to compare them.
The C natural on the silver D is less sharp; it’s reasonably easy
to play in tune oxx ooo. To my ear, anyhow, it has a fuller,
sweeter sound. Initially I was a little concerned that the sweetness
was a defect in ITM, but it works fine, IMO. Of course I’m extrapolating from
these two particular whistles. JS makes these if you ask.
I have a Sindt D that I bought new about two years ago. While he was here admiring our fair city Bloomfield talked me into trying his Feadog replacement surgery to substitute the Sindt tube with a Feadog brass tube. I finally did it and I have never regretted it. (partially because I can get a new Feadog for $12-15. The replacement does not change the sound of the whistle, it still sounds like a Sindt. But now it plays an in-tune C nat with just fingers 4 and 5. At least it’s as close to in-tune as I can tell. Whenever I play a whistle into a tuner the needle is mostly jumping all over the place anyway so what do I know from in-tune? In summary, this is a great whistle. If you ever have the chance to play one, take it. And it is worth the wait.
Mike
Good for you, Mike. 
I still think about that trip to Cleveland which would not have been memorable if I hadn’t met you and your charming wife.
You’re such a schmoozer…don’t stop!
I have a feadog brass whistle. What do I need to do to switch the tubes?
Do I just swith’em?
this link should give you the whole story:
http://members.the-spa.com/~bloomfield/GenSindt.html