I should start by saying that I have always liked the assertive bottom end of Susatos as well as the solid intonation, but I find the high end a bit blood (ear?) curdling. Anyway, in order to learn a tune from a recording, I needed a C whistle, so I got a Susato C. This whistle is really quite good and has become one of my favorites.
However, as is the case with Susatos, the volume was too loud for me. By using some silly putty on the ramp/blade (actually wrapping it around the mouthpiece a bit on both sides of the blade as well to hold it in place), I have created a sweet and quiet sounding whistle that plays very well. The only quieter whistle I have is a Hoover narrow bore. I’ve tried the blue-tac/putty on ramp approach with Gen-type whistles, and the tone has always suffered. With the Susato, the tone is sweetened and does not become very breathy. By making small adjustments to the mute, I can actually get a decent range volumes to suit me (back pressure is also increased)…the Susato thus becomes very versatile–quiet practice at home, blast away at the session. A next step would be to fashion the mute from something like Fimo clay so that it can be easily removed and replaced.
Can you post a pic of your Susato mute? And I think you should be nominated for this year’s Auricular Society Eleemosynary Award.
Could you post a picture? I would love to see if…
I love being nominated for awards, especially when I don’t understand them…
Unfortunately, I don’t have any way to post a picture.
I’ll do my best to describe the mute verbally. Take some putty/tac and make sort of a flat-ish ‘worm’ about an inch long. Lay this over the blade/ramp/air-spliting device and let the extra wrap around the the sides of the whistle, left and right of the ramp. By changing how far forward the putty portrudes/the shape of the putty, you can control the volume, and, to some degree, the tone of the whistle.
Does this help?
One problem I have with my Susato (a Dublin D) is that I can’t get a stable upper octave B out of it. I’ve tried every breathing and embouchure trick I can think of (even tried just blowing really hard!), but it either squeaks unmusically or drops down to the lower octave (usually both, as I flinch from the squeak and drop off on the breath pressure). Any suggestions on fixing that problem? It’s really the only thing I don’t like about the whistle…its assertive tone would make it perfect for the Morris troop, but I need that high B for Shepherd’s Hey.
Redwolf
Hey Red:
Try holding down the first finger of your right hand (the F# hole) along with high B. That’s what I do with Burke Alpro high B which has same problem.. Seems to stabilize note…
Also, for some reason, pinching your lips tighter helps with second octave sometimes. Works on that maple Sweet I have.
Hi to Bart and Larry.
On 2002-10-31 12:44, Redwolf wrote:
One problem I have with my Susato (a Dublin D) is that I can’t get a stable upper octave B out of it. I’ve tried every breathing and embouchure trick I can think of (even tried just blowing really hard!), but it either squeaks unmusically or drops down to the lower octave (usually both, as I flinch from the squeak and drop off on the breath pressure). Any suggestions on fixing that problem? It’s really the only thing I don’t like about the whistle…its assertive tone would make it perfect for the Morris troop, but I need that high B for Shepherd’s Hey.Redwolf
R,
make sure that you are not covering any lower holes: xoo oox will be unstable on the Susato. I had to learn that the hard way and it’s one of the reasons why I don’t play Susatos much anymore: I usually drop the sixth finger to balance the whistle (and no, Kellhorn Mike’s character is not one of the other reason).
Sorry Micah about the award: 
auricular: having to do with ears or hearing
eleemosynary: charitable (gets them every time on the spelling bee. hehehe.)
I did something similar to my Susato D at one time. I narrowed the blade (ramp?) using two narrow strips of blue tack, one on either side of the blade. It did the same thing, sweeter and lower volume. It seemed odd to me. It seemed like Andre the Giant singing soprano. I couldn’t get used to it, so now I play a naturally quiet whistle at home. If I need to practice on a Susato I go in the closet and plug my ears.
Bloom,
I knew auricular had to do with hearing, but eleemosynary had me stumped. Of course, I could have looked it up and pretended to have known the meaning all along. Seriously, how many times a year do you get around to using the word eleemosynary?
I once saw a brilliant book entitled “The Superior Person’s Guide to Words” or something along that line…the word I for some unknown reason specifically remember is gynolobotomophile (a person obsessed with chewing on women’s ear lobes).
Yeah, so, anyway, the, uh, blue tac works well with Susatos…(back on track, right?)
Micah
My sb D plays upper B reliably with lots of air, and does just fine with all 3 right hand fingers down. I think that Susato, while having good consistency with their lower whistle sections (for the two piece whistles,) have some difficulty with consistency in the fipple portion. This portion is made in (at least) two sections, with one glued onto the other, and it’s possible that there is some difference in their alignment from one to the next. If this idea is accurate, there might be some advantage to trying another “headjoint” (if that’s the proper term.)
On 2002-10-31 15:54, Micah wrote:
Bloom,
I knew auricular had to do with hearing, but eleemosynary had me stumped. Of course, I could have looked it up and pretended to have known the meaning all along. Seriously, how many times a year do you get around to using the word eleemosynary?
I once saw a brilliant book entitled “The Superior Person’s Guide to Words” or something along that line…the word I for some unknown reason specifically remember is gynolobotomophile (a person obsessed with chewing on women’s ear lobes).
Yeah, so, anyway, the, uh, blue tac works well with Susatos…(back on track, right?)
Micah
Funny. I actually know that book, but I gave it away because I am not a Superior Person, of course. (But I pretty much memorized it first.) Do you remember: “A merkin for your quim, my dear?” Wonderful. And I will NOT translate that if you don’t know what it means. 
On 2002-10-31 13:25, The Weekenders wrote:
Hey Red:
Try holding down the first finger of your right hand (the F# hole) along with high B. That’s what I do with Burke Alpro high B which has same problem.. Seems to stabilize note…
Thanks Weekenders,this works great! 
Mike
[ This Message was edited by: mike.r on 2002-11-01 08:41 ]
Bloomfield,
Character I hope is not what you meant or
a word you should use so indescriminately. You
can disagree with my opinions and how I
express them. No problem! I do it with others
all the time but my character is something
you should not presume to know much
about as you don’t. I’ll just say you lack
true “understanding” and leave it at that…
Kelhorn Mike
On 2002-11-01 13:57, Kelhorn Mike wrote:
Bloomfield,
Character I hope is not what you meant or
a word you should use so indescriminately. You
can disagree with my opinions and how I
express them. No problem! I do it with others
all the time but my character is something
you should not presume to know much
about as you don’t. I’ll just say you lack
true “understanding” and leave it at that…Kelhorn Mike
I’ll be the first to admit that I lack true understanding. I am less willing to admit that I use words indiscriminately. But of course I wasn’t presuming to know your character, Mike. It’s just that ignorance usually doesn’t stop me from drawing my conclusions.
Anyway, whatever I see here of you (or don’t see) doesn’t enter into my mind when I reach for the big jar and pull out a Gen, a Sindt, a Susato, or an Overton. We don’t agree on how important the “voice” of c&f is, I think you misunderstand Peter Laban, and I know that recorders are what the Beast of Babylon will play at the End of the World (just kidding).
But we can agree on the imported beer, and after all, that’s what counts.
Prost!