In Killarney I saw a 3-piece traditional band playing in a hotel bar, and the whistler/piper played a Susato Kildare.
He also played a low whistle, I think a Chieftain, for one set.
On RTE I saw a Dubliners 40 year reunion performance. A man from the Hothouse Flowers played with them, and he was playing a Susato Kildare.
My tutor at the Hammersmith Irish Centre does a Sunday afternoon gig at the Porterhouse in Covent Garden, and he plays a Susato Kildare.
So this appears to be a whistle of choice when playing on a microphone, especially for Irish players. None of them, by the way, used the thumbrest, usually leaving it sticking out at the bell end.
I’ve seen several (okay, two) performing whistlers who also swear by the Susatos. Empty Hats (.com) of the NY and PA Renaissance fests, and “Off Kilter” (.net) at the Canadian pavilion in Epcot, Disneyworld. They both performed on mics and both told me that Susatos were “the best whistle out there”.
On 2002-03-26 07:52, Martin Milner wrote:
None of them, by the way, used the thumbrest, usually leaving it sticking out at the bell end.
The positioning of the thumbrest at the end of the whistle also helps to give a more solid tone and improved intonation on the 2nd oct bell note which is ever so slightly raised and better aligned with the 1st oct bell note.Not convinced?Try it and you will be pleasantly surprised.If you cant hear any difference at least you know your whistle wont roll off the table. Peace, Mike
When I attended the North Texas Irish Festival recently there was a woman in a group that played a Susato Kildare into a mic. She was an excellent whistler. I was amazed at how well her Sustato worked in that environment. I talked to her afterward and and she told me she felt the Susato was one of the few whistles that was well in tune. I had previously shelved my Susato but this inspired me to start practicing with it again. I’m starting to really like it. I think my own advance in experience since I last played it may also have something to do with it.
The note that comes out (at the bell end) when all fingerholes are covered.
I’ll have to dig out my old thumbrests to try that trick - I think I might have thrown them out!
By the by, does this suggest that any whistles with extra weight at the end play better bellnotes? The Kildare has a ring of thick plastic at that end already, my Dixon ITTS has a brass ring, etc. while the real cheapies of course never do.
And to progress, would adding a bit of weight at the bell end (blutack, a blob of solder or somesuch)improve this note on other whistles? Is it something to do with vibration frequencies and suchlike?
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[ This Message was edited by: Martin Milner on 2002-03-26 10:25 ]
I thought that the thumbrest made a difference aswell at first but it doesn’t any more. I have thrown them all out cause they got in the way. One tip…never put the thumb rest up under the tuning slide. It turns a nice whistle into a sometimes flat sometimes sharp dog toy. When I got my first susato I didn’t want to use the thumb rest and was told just push it up out of the way. Didn’t know any better till I stood on it (yes Shame on me) and threw it out. Never used them since
Martin,
Perturbing or interupting the bore is a trick used by a some whistle makers to correct intonation problems and is usually done internally somehow.The ring on a Susato is not simply a cosmetic feature,but is there to give better intonation and the addition of the thumb rest reinforces this function.As for the methods youve proposed,I dont know but some sort of a sleave or ring thats removable and moveable on a Gen certainly wouldnt hurt.mike
Or even a rubber band wrapped round the outside of the bell end? I’ll give it a try and see if I can notice any changes.
The Kildare has a ring, but the Susato Dublin (non-tuneable) model doesn’t. Any for purely aesthetic reasons I prefer the looks of the Dublin, though of course the sound is important and the looks not so.
mike