I am the lucky customer to receive the first batch of Gary Humprey’s newly redesigned " Stealth " whistles. As such , I just wanted to share my impressions with those of you who are wondering about the changes, are familiar with Gary’s work , or are considering the purchase of another whistle to help ease your WHoa’s 
It occurs to me that this commentary would hold far more weight if it came from Dale , Bloomfield , Jessie , Byll , or many of the fine and talented people who post regularly. So , I feel compelled to thank you for taking the time to read this post and tell you just a bit about me. I’m probably the World Record Holder for the “Fine Art of Lurking” on the C&F Boards (been doing it for years) 
Since living in the “Black Hole of Whistledom” is a bit of a “restraint” to a person’s normal progression through whistling , C&F has been a major source of information. Many thanks to Dale and the rest of you !!
Some of the members know me (mostly from my various whistle purchases) as a player , not a collector. I play both publicly and privately… on a regular basis. My tastes run mainly to Gospel , Folk , and Irish Traditional. (me great grand pa came from Cork and I play by ear… so it’s allowed. lol ) I’m not , however , a purist. I truly just enjoy playing a whistle ! You might hear me doing O’Carolan today and Manchini tomorrow ! ( Don’t laugh ! Try something from “The Thornbirds” or the “Pink Panther Theme” on a whistle. It’s fun !! ) My whistles include Clarkes , Waltons , Jerry-Tweaked Sweetones and Shaws , Humphreys , Greenwoods , Copelands , Burkes , and Overtons. So, as they say , " I’ve been around the bush !" My human history is probably much the same as most of your’s. I’ll never give Mary Bergin a run for her money , but , by God’s Grace , I’m having fun and progressing quite nicely … Thank ye kindly ! So , here’s my thoughts.
First , I would like to thank Gary , publicly , for the wonderful job that he did on my whistles and for the considerate and professional manner in which he conducts business. He commented that he felt that this was his best work , yet. I’m just really happy to be the beneficiary of his craftsmanship. In the whistle community , we are fortunate to have quite a number of men and women who have placed their craft , their artistry and their love for this humble instrument above the race for profit. They do it … because they love it !! Of these , Gary is one of the best and makes top rate products. Certainly , whistles that I’m proud to own !!
I ordered 4 whistles. A Narrow Bore D , a D/C set , and 2 Low G’s . I had purchased a B/B flat/A set from one of the board members and was so impressed that I wanted to pick up some of my more commomly used keys and give my pastor the Low G whistle that he had been praying about. Unlike some of the whistle makers around , Gary is a good communicator and easy to work with. If you have a question or concern , Gary will address your concerns , make suggestions , and give you frank and honest answers. He also gives you updates and accurate estimates about completion times for your order. I find that … considerate !
The whistles arrived last Wednesday , well packaged and exactly when Gary said they would. For a better idea of their appearance , check Gary’s website. The pictures really don’t do them justice. The words that come to mind are “solid” and "well crafted ". They are not as light as you would expect from low end whistles , but , if you’re used to a Generation or Feadog , you won’t find these much heavier. They are much lighter than some of the other high end models. If you are familiar with Humphrey whistles , that feature is pretty much the same.
The big difference is in the newly redesigned “Stealth” head. These are supposed to “mimic” the appearance of the low enders to avoid the low-end vs. high-end nonsense common in some sessions. Actually , it accomplishes that quite well. From a distance , the new model bears a definite resemblence to a Feadog type whistle. The heads are milled from black acetal and joined with an acetal pin. On the previous version , the step down “collar’’ was just above the windway. On the new version , it’s just below the base of the ramp. The windway has been changed from a straight C-shaped passage to a D-shaped one that tapers to a C shape as it approaches the window. As Gary puts it , " I’ve started making my windways D-shaped at the beak, tapering into C-shaped… like Mike Burke used to do with his whistles. This modification has produced a much more focused airstream with no obstructions, resulting in a noticeably sweeter tone.” I couldn’t have said it better ! All of my new whistles are easier blowing with a richer sweeter tone.
Since we each have our own ideas regarding the perfect whistle or the perfect sound , I’ll just give you the highlights that impressed me with each of these new whistles:
Narrow Bore D - What a delightful little whistle ! Some of the board members ( and Gary , himself ) had commented that this was their favorite D. It’s a very responsive whistle , easy blowing , and has a sweet round tone , with just a hint of chiff. For playing at home , recording , or with amplification in performance , there’s nothing that this little gem can’t handle.
Standard D/C set - These were both a nice surprise. I’ve been switching back and forth between tubes since they arrived. Still haven’t figured out which one I like best !! lol That’s a problem I can live with ! lol Both have characteristically clear , sweet tone and good volume. They are responsive and well balanced between octaves. I’ve probably spent a bit more time with the D tube. Other than more volume and a rounder fuller tone , it’s a repeat of the Narrow Bore D. Has me wondering why folks prefer the NB ?? 
Low G - Normally, I’d refer to an earlier post on the board , from Gary , regarding his Low G’s (older model ) Then , the head was changed , so , I’ll add my observations , since mine are the only new ones floating around. I’ll preface my comments by saying that the only Low G that I previously owned is an older Copeland , that I truly love. The 2 Humphrey whistles were practically identical. The only real difference that I noted was that one seemed slightly louder than the other. ( I gave the louder one to my pastor ) Both were fairly clear , sweet , well balanced , responsive , and had good volume all the way down to the bell note.
Seems like the first question regarding low whistles is : " What’s the sound like ? " Honestly , the Humphrey Low G does not have the Overton’s “cosmic drainpipe” or the Copeland’s “haunting” quality. I can tell you that when we were preparing for church services the other night , the pastor was playing his back in the office. Not only did the sound carry well , but it had an “other worldly” quality that made everyone stop and listen. Might have just been that we were all in a nearly empty church ( lol ) , but my point is that it has a lovely rich sound . Different … but still good !! IMO , if I were going to record a slow air or was looking for mood and atmosphere , grab the Copeland. If I were going to rip off something fast or wanted the richness and depth of a low whistle in preformance , grab the Humphrey. I don’t always want/need " haunting " !! lol
The thing that has impressed me the most with Gary’s whistles is their balance and overall forgiveness/playability. Most of the whistles that I own , even the high-enders , have their own little idiosyncracies. There can be a bit of a “learning curve” with each different model. Maybe it’s just me , but I could pick up any one of these new whistles , warm it in my hands , and just rip !! No quirks ! No surprises ! I love that !! (-: And , although clogging has never been much of a problem for me , I’ve spent hours playing each of them with no real problems.
Will having one of the new Humphrey “Stealth” whistles turn me into the next whistling superstar ? Nope ! That’s going to be dictated by my own lack of musical talent and coordination. The important thing is that they won’t do anything to hinder me !! Will you be able to sneak in under the radar of reverse snobbery at a “low end is the only traditional whistle” session ? Probably , until you start to play and they ask about your whistle!! Moral judgment: to fib or not to fib … I’ll leave that up to your own conscience ! 
Do I think that these are good whistles ? I’m back on Gary’s waiting list !! Enough said ???
That just about does it. Sorry to be so long winded !! Any more technical questions … get in touch with Gary ! He’s a great guy to work with !!
Have a Great Day and Fun Whistling !!
