Has anyone tried a Susato whistle with keys?
Nope, but heard that they are nice, and much easier to play.
I bought a used Susato Low D that had a key on it. It was okay in that I didn’t have to reach as far or accurately for the bottom note, but it also limited what you could do (no half holes for instance). I took the key off the whistle to see how it would play without it and in the process broke the key. Never regretted losing it.
I’m the fellow that sold the Low D to him. In my earlier whistle days I just could not reach the Low D hole well enough. The Susato holes are very “sharp shouldered” and my finger needed to be right on it to produce a note without a frequent squeek.
The keys are very well done, and seal each and every time. The spring is light, but you can “flutter” the key fast and easily so the spring muct be pretty good.
The downside is that if you like to gradually close the hole to produce that “sliding” tone - it won’t do it. I can do it on a Low D Kerry that I purchased later. I seem to be able to reach the span a little better on the Kerry, and the tone holes are slightly chamfered so I tend to seal them more easily even with pipers grip.
The bottom line seems to be, if you have small hands (actually short fingers in my case) like I do and you have settled on a Susato it is a good option. But you can have the key installed by Susato (Kelischek) later and you only have to absorb the shipping. They do it and return it very fast. That way you can decide after trying the unit if no one near you has one to try…
Hope this helps..
Khl - hope the Susato is still serving you well!
Yep. Doing just fine–hasn’t run out of the house yet. And the angle head is kind of fun. I’ll keep this whistle, though someday I’ll look for something higher end, too. But I’ve officially committed myself to a set of whistles and so this Susato will be my low D (along with a Bingamon plastic low D) for the next year or two.
The ability to flutter and the reliable sealing are good aspect of the keys, as you say. Certainly helpful for those with shorter reach.
Glad to hear it is getting a good home still. Enjoy!