Dear all, I have been playing the whistle for just about a year now. Mostly playing with the cheap whistles (feadog, gens), about six months ago i purchased a SYN and fell in love with it. First whistle i’ve ever played to have back pressure, pure sweet tone, and pretty much no breathiness (although i do like a bit of that sound 
) anyways i’m a college student with not a whole lot of money, but i’ve got a bad case of WhOA after having seen the beauty that is the Busman whistle so i’m willing to spend money to get one. My question is, what do people think about his whistles? I know he was taught by the man who made the water weasel (or so i’ve heard) but i’ve also heard that the tuning slide tends to cause problems. So let me know what you guys think about, and also i can’t choose which style of wood to go with! (i like the Cocobolo and the Pau Rosa). PLEASE HELP ME!!! (thanks)
Wanderer has a good review of a [u]Busman cocobolo high D[/u]. I love my Busman whistles, but I’ve never played a Syn so I can’t compare the two. I once had a Busman whistle with a slightly loose tuning slide, but a little beeswax on the slide tightened it up nicely. As for which wood… they’ll all sound like a Busman, so go with the one that looks best to you.
Although I have yet to get to purchase my own Busman, I have had the distinct pleasure of doing business with Paul on behalf of a friend who’s purchasing one from him. Paul is thoughtful, concise, helpful, and flexible. I know that he guarantees his work, and will adjust things for idividual needs. I would not hesitate to purchase one of his whistles if I had the funds.
The Busman will sound warmer and a bit breathier. They usually have moderate back pressure. Very very responsive, the Delrin one I played by him was the most responsive Whistle I have ever played. In fact I like the Delrin that I tried so much, I bought one in Olivewood and it is gorgeous. All tuning slides can cause problems.
Water/Thin Weasels were made by Glenn Schultz (RIP) and that is where Paul learned the basics of Whistle building and got a lot of measurements. I have two Water Weasels (PVC ones) and between those and the Busman the influence is clear.
All whistles with tuning slides are going to last with proper care.
I am a real fan of Busman whistles. I do not have a Syn, so I cannot make a comparison.
I can tell you that when in a similar position like yours, but earlier, in the fact I bought my first Busman only months into my whistling. Picking that Kingwood D Busman up and playing the first time was like an epiphany for me. Suddenly, the things I wanted to hear in my whistling were actually coming out of one I played! wow, I started to really like what I heard and had a bunch of fun.
Since that time I have invested in a Birdseye Maple C and liked that so much that, I asked Paul to make me one in D. We finally settled on a Tiger / Birdseye hybrid. Both are some of the most beautiful wood I have ever seen. Paul’s devotion to his customers is exceptional, and seems to have no end to his patience to get me what I wanted. You will find his workmanship to be wonderful.
On top of all this, they play great! I believe they are thought of by those who have tried many other makers, in the top echelon of the whistle making business. You may find many metals that play very well and like the tone. You will find many wood makers who make great wood whistles that play very well as well. Many of us prefer the sound the wood seems to make vs. metal.
But you will have to look very far to find someone who can make a superb wood whistle in a myriad of woods, now Dynawood, and Delrin to boot. I cannot claim to know if you would like his better than someone else’s for your personal reasons. But I would be very comfortable to tell you that his whistle will please you.
Good luck on your search!
Rich Green
Abilene, KS
Thanks to those of you who responded to my question. I have been thinking about buying one for a while now and you guys pretty much sold me on it but i do have one last question. How hard is it and what do you have to do to maintain a wooden whistle?(seeing that i’ve only had metal ones that don’t take much to clean or take care of). I figured i should know this first before buying, but my mind is pretty much set on purchasing one very soon. Thanks again for all the help.
Just swab out the excess moisture after playing, and oil the whistle every so often. Paul sends good care instructions along with his whistles.
I have never played a Busman whistle but Paul is making me one now from African blackwood and stainless. I will let you know about it when it arrives.
I was shivering in fear about it myself until just recently, but after much evidence to support the ease of care, I am stuffing my piggy bank slowly but surely… just don’t tell the fridge!
I’m happy with my Busman (blackwood), although I did have it cut down to make a longer beak (my preference for comfort). I had originally had one of his Delrin whistles, which was quite good, but moved it along because of the beak length. Nice whistles, good tuning, good for sliding notes, and no problems with the slide, which seems well constructed and fitted.
Kevin Krell
Here’s the thread on Pros and Cons of wooden whistles that changed my mind:
With what i’ve read today about taking care of wooden whistles it doesn’t seem like anything difficult to do, and if (and when 
) i spend that much money on a Busman i’m going to take extremely good care of it. But i would do so even if it didn’t cost that much. For something that sounds as good as the clips that i’ve heard on the internet it won’t be a matter of having to do it, i will want to take the time to maintain it to keep it sounding beautifully
It sounds like you have the right approach to it. I think you may find it less of a daunting project than what you may think. It is important to “Stabilize” it in the early days of use and not ignore the requirements/suggestions. Paul is very careful to dry his wood for an extended time before even attempting production. So, a little extra care on the user side will pay in future ownership.
If you got that favorite Corvette, Jaguar, BMW, doubtless you would be in the driveway each week cleaning and polishing. These wood whistles require much less maintenance, and give years and years of pleasure. I wish I would have started playing in my 30’s or 40’s.
I plan on “passing” my whistles down. And I will specifically ask that if no one in my family plans on playing them, that they not be sold. A tribute to the fine workmanship of these Busman wood whistles, I will ask they be frequently oiled and displayed along with my Grandfather’s solid
gold Howard pocket watch. They are truly works of wood art, in the style and figure I like personally.
That’s how much I like mine.