I have never owned or played a whistle by Ralph Sweet. I was just wondering what your opinoins were on his whistles. Also i see a picture of them with keys any one own one with keys. He makes them in Blackwood, i thought that was very interesting. I be glad to find out any information you all can provide.
I bought an used one recently; it’s his old model. I found it extremely loud, so it’s a good instrument for sessions. The model i have has a tricky upper 2nd octave. I’ve read somewhere that his newer models are better.
The only real problem i have with this whistle is that it looks exactly like a recorder, so it attracts “renny” people who want to know where i got the pretty little recorder.
Cool what wood was it made from?
It’s walnut wood (it was mine before).
The second octave is over-comable, you just have use a much stronger attack on the notes and don’t be afraid to make them loud. The second octave is loud on that whistle.
Also they’re in maple, and apple.
These whistles have had mixed reviews.
They may not be so responsive to ornamentation.
The blackwood ones I played were
very shrill upstairs. However I think
a new model is out or coming out,
which may be better.
At the price there may be other
options you might like more.
Quote @ jim stone
These whistles have had mixed reviews.
They may not be so responsive to ornamentation.
The blackwood ones I played were
very shrill upstairs. However I think
a new model is out or coming out,
which may be better.
There is a newer laminate model that doesn’t require oiling out there. The older D model is no longer being made, but the C is.
Hey!! 
Easy on that “rennie” tag! Most of us know the difference. 
Aodhan
I know Ralph Sweet and his son, Walter, from the sessions they sometimes come to. I have discussed the old model with Ralph and he himself was never quite happy with the upper end of the scale. The new model was completely re-designed by Walter. It looks a bit less recorderish (less flare in the headpiece). They brought a box full of early-run redesigned whistles a few months back, and I got to try 10, 12 whistles, something like that. All different woods, some that they decided not to use ultimately, I think. Tyghress owns one of the new ones. I wanted to buy one, but couldn’t afford it because I had just bought three Overtons (oh, the hardship 
).
I haven’t “lived” with one of the new ones. But from my trying them out, I think the new Sweet whistles are very very fine instruments. Well balanced, not too loud, with a gorgeous sound. They play smoothly and crisply. There is a mellowness and ease to them that makes them fun to play. And they are very attractive imho. I want one. (I accept donations, btw.)
Quote @ Bloomfield
There is a mellowness and ease to them that makes them fun to play. And they are very attractive imho. I want one. (I accept donations, btw.)
What happened to the ‘I only play Generations, Overtons and mabey Sindts’ Bloomfield?
Well, you know. I never claimed to be above Whoa. And one wants to be informed.
He buys other whistles, just doesn’t play them.
g
Walnut, i think. I bought it from Cranberry.
When i say loud, i’m not kidding. This whistle is almost as loud as a flute, and that’s just the low octave. It has a lot of “back pressure” and can tollerate pretty strong blowing. Nothing mellow or sweet about this whistle. This is not a whistle for subtlety of expression, it’s a whistle to blast the banjo players out of the room. A true WMD.
It’s not exactly “shrill upstairs”, but there’s a definite break after the high g, so the a and b have to be attacked differently or they sound ugly. Other than this problem, it’s a well balanced whistle (loud all the way).
Having said all this, i think this whistle is from 1996, so the second octave problem may have been solved by now. I’ve heard good things about the new Sweet whistles, but i think they’re overpriced. Just my humble opinion. Ralph himself is a great guy and well described by his name.
I have one of the old-style rosewood D whistles and a blackwood C.
The D is great in the bottom octave. I really like it. Very woody. But after about the high F, it gets to take a lot more oomph to hit the notes than I am really happy with. It is fairly loud, but not as loud as a Susato.
The C is just plain lovely. Very elegant looking, and I love the silver rings on it. Oddly, the body is not numbered on this one, only the head. It is a little easier to play in the upper range, but really seems happiest in the bottom octave.
Both were purchased used on this board. I would not trade either of them willingly for any other whistle I know of. Not even an O’Riordan, as these suit me well.
As an aside, I am pretty much past my WhOA stage, since I have my “right” whistles. The Sweet C is my C whistle. The D spot sort of alternates between my Clarke D, my Dixon, and my Tully. (I hope Erik isn’t offended by me lumping his whistle in with the cheapies. The workmanship is clearly superior, but I have to put it with my other two faves for sound.)
-Patrick
I have an early Sweet Kilhoury model C - a really gorgeous blackwood with silver ferrules and a wood plug. This is a good C whistle. For whatever reason, I have not found many good high end C whistles; one of my favorites in that key is the Walton Golden Tone cheapie; another is the Silkstone PVC.
I also have an old soprano D in Walnut - plays ok (not great and not a favorite), but it’s from my early days of trial and collecting and somehow has retained its special place in my collection.
Philo
Quote @ Philo
I have an early Sweet Kilhoury model C - a really gorgeous blackwood with silver ferrules and a wood plug. This is a good C whistle. For whatever reason, I have not found many good high end C whistles; one of my favorites in that key is the Walton Golden Tone cheapie
I really like Walton’s Nickel C. It’s one of the 5 whistles I’ve decided to keep. If they still made Golden Tones I’d have one.
I bought a rosewood Sweet whistle back in 98. It was my first high end whistle . . . and actually, my last high end one, too. I bought it when I knew very little about how to play a whistle and I thought this was the sound I wanted. We’ve(the whistle and I)have has an odd love-hate affair, as I soon found that no, this wasn’t quite the sound I wanted, but God, was it beautiful to look at. I’m not kidding, the rosewood whistle is the most beautiful thing. The more I played whistles in general, the better I got with my Sweet. It’s has a heavenly lower octive, but the upper is a little too loud. I also find that it feels “fat” when compared to my slim whistles.
Funny. I also feel fat when compared to slim whistles.
Ralph (not Ralph Sweet) would like to send you some sunflower seeds.
I have a blackwood Kilhoury (old style) and a rosewood prototype of the new model. I’ll admit a sentimental attachment to the old-style, but I had to send it back to Ralph twice before I could deal with the high A and B. I love the new model, which mine is a prototype (I think the only difference is that my fipple plug is soft plastic). Flat out love it. Good volume, very even across registers, great tuning. Its a lot sleeker than the old model. I like the mouthpiece more.
Just got a used black Kill…thingie and I love it.
Now I wish I had the keyed, er, Killyoureed.
Btw: no-one mentioned half-holing of this KillyJeanClaudie is really easy, on all accidentals including my dreaded low Eb? Or am I the only to think so?
True, the top tones over g’’ are really loud and need a good push, but Ralph just wrote he could fix this.
As for Sweet looks, with their recorder-like heads and bulge at the tuning slide, it seems we don’t mind them in Brittany. Maybe because Breton music uses a lot of bombardes (and even clarinets) so we expect wood instruments to look like traditionally lathed wood instruments, not like metal tubes made out of wood…
BTW, Yvon Le Coant’s whistles (G, A, Bb, D) look like hybrids of a Sweet top section with the body from a Swayne.