We have about 25 people in the tour, so far and more than enough for a European tour leg as well. If you want to be in the tour, then please send me your mailing address and your email address to chuck at whistlemaker dot com or via PM. You can also post to this thread.
The list is closed. There are 23 people in the US and 9 people from all over Europe. I need some more information about shipping stuff around different countries over there.
I have the following places to ship:
UK
Netherlands
Russia
France
Italy
Since there are only 9 people, I really only want to send one whistle. The thing that concerns me is: will any one have trouble shipping somewhere? Is there any combination of these countries that is problematic for shipping?
Importing for the people in the EU community should be very similar. Russia is in Europe but is no part of the EU community. The first entry into the EU has to expect importing charges which normally are VAT plus customs fees. It then makes sense to work out where the least VAT applies and start with this EU country, shipping inside the EU makes no fees.
If you only send one instrument then it might make sense to send to Russia first as it is no part of the EU and the person can possibly claim his fees back if he can proof he send it out again… but this is what the player needs to find out or you. Maybe send a different whistle to Russia to make it less complicated…
First EU community adress might be best starting with UK, I have the impression that governmental departments are not as efficient as they are elsewhere in Europe and it might slip through creating no fees when entering… also I think with 17,5% VAT there might be less charges than other countries with higher VAT rates… just try and make the list that it does not leave EU land in the middle of the tour to go to Russia and then needs to be reimported… taxes twice make no sense…
Hope this helps
Brigitte
Hi Chuck
For sending to the UK the oustoms usually ignore the item if you put
‘toy whistle’, ‘repaired whistle’ or ‘Gift’ on the Customs form.
The latter two still allow you to insure it for the full amount.
I can only suggest not to state “incorrect” information on customs papers, and as you have had by the looks of it problems with the GFM with taxes, customs can be even worse… again not sure how it is handled elsewhere but custom fraud for a company could mean in the end you loose your right to export outside the country altogether… if you can write on it “sample/product sample to be returned” this might help saving fees but then again, the importer may have to proof that it has gone out again in the end.
Not knowing about taxes or customs, does not prevent from punishment and even if you are a hobby maker selling instruments, make sure how you have to act according to your countrie’s laws…
All of you who signed up for the tour are in for a treat. I received the whistle I ordered from Chuck today and his whistles are absolutely among the very best! The latest incantation of his has a very nice tone, nice chiff, is very well balanced between the octaves and is very easy to play. Oh, and did I mention that it just doesn’t clog, no matter what you throw at it?
Due to the design of the windway no duponol treatment is necessary even though it has a metal fipple block…
Chuck, I hope you have your gear ready because I believe you will get a lot of orders after the world tour…
Hello everyone. I have finally got the list to a point where we can use it. To keep everyone’s information private, I have only listed the name. When you need the information for the person to send the instrument to, send me an email and I will send it to you. If you have any questions or want to make any comments, just drop me an email. I expect to ship the entire tour today.
Each person will have 7 calendar days with the instrument (from the day you receive it) and after that you have to send it along. Here are some instructions, followed by the list:
Rules
Very important: I need to know when you receive the instrument. Please send me an email at chuck@whistlemaker.com.
Very important: I need to know when you send the instrument. Please send an email and, if possible, CC the person to whom you are sending.
Very important: If you are having trouble getting the time to have a look at the instrument, or if you are unexpectedly out of town when your turn comes, or if there is any other issue, let me know and I will reschedule your time slot.
Very important: Do not keep the instrument for longer then your allotted time. The people at the end of the list have to wait for almost 3 months for their turn and it is not fair to them to keep it.
You can post any thoughts you have on the C&F site, or anywhere else, or not. It is totally up to you. I do not need to give an approval of what you plan to post. That having been said, I am very interested to hear your comments. This is especially true if your comments are negative (and constructive ).
If you want to buy the instrument that you have in hand. That is fine. The cost is $100.00 ($20 off retail) and I only accept payment through my web site. If you want more information, then please email me and let’s talk. However, I would prefer that you send the instrument that you have on to the next person and allow me to make another for you. This will keep the tour moving better.
Ship the instrument to the next person using the cheapest means available. If you want expedited shipping to you, then work that out with the person sending it.
Here is my complete contact information:
Chuck Tilbury
Tilbury Music Company
11416 181st Dr NE
Granite Falls, WA 98252
USA
chuck at whistlemaker dot com
Please do not hesitate to contact me for any reason, even if it does not relate directly to the tour.
At the end of the tour, all instruments will return to me, unless other arrangements are made specifically.
10 Have fun. This is supposed to be fun, so enjoy yourself, dammit!
There are 4 “legs” on the tour in order to bring the time to a reasonable number.
WEST
Nathan Fisher
Marisa Lerew
Peter Braccio
Rance Kooken
Ted Anderson
Stephen Cull
Richard Green
CENTRAL
Patrick Cole
Tommy Dion
James Allen Wilsing
Jason Casey
Eric Ryan
Sarah McUmber-House
Lee Likins
Ben Bradley
EAST
Karen Cunningham
Charlie Gravel (crookedtune)
Casey Thomaston
Judy Kingrey
Richard Ashkettle
Tom Cunningham
Pat Plunkett
Dennis Nezich
EUROPE
Nick Pope
Danny Stone
Artyom V. Kulikov
Kirill Soloviev
Olivier Bouchard
Arnoud van Gaal
Gilian Hettinga
ALESSANDRO BALDRATI
I have sent the email to all tour participants. If you expected to be in the tour, but you do not see your name in the list, and you wanted to be in the tour, then please contact me via email and I will do my best to work with you.
Got it in the post today - at my office, which is torture, because I won’t be able to play with it until this evening, when I have to drive the kids down to the Cities and then go to a meeting..
However, the good news is that the Minnesota Irish Fair is this weekend and I’ll be able to play it all weekend at the sessions!
Hi all
The Tilbury Euro Tour high D whistle landed at its first port of call today.
I only had a brief play when it arrived but I have to say its very different to what I’m used to (Gens, Dixon Trad & Thornton).
I’ll have a good toot this weekend and pass on some comments.
Could the next in line PM me their address so I can pass it on when I’m done.
Isn’t it a thing of beauty though? Chuck very kindly sent me one on a one (whistle)stop Caribbean tour. I’ve been playing it for a few days and when I haven’t been playing it I have just been admiring it.
This must be the most beautifully machined piece of aluminium I’ve ever seen. My only criticism is that Chuck has missed the opportunity to put a nice logo and maybe the letter D on it. There is no identification at all. I wonder if 100 years from now someone will be posting photos of a Tilbury on forums desperately looking for someone to help identify it…
Whistleblowing:
It’s more chiffy and breathy than I had expected. And louder than I would expect with such a narrow windway. I’m not saying it’s a loud whistle, just louder than what I expected. The whistle is very well in tune with itself - and also with the world thanks to the tuning slide. There isn’t much to go on if you want to tune the pitch higher though (could this be related to my hot climate???).
The tuning slide is very nicely made with a neoprene O-ring, so no risk of the slide getting stuck as can happen with some metal instruments. As with nearly all tunable whistles I’ve come across (except the ones I built myself), I miss some sort of marking for showing the in tune position. Even if it varies with the player and temperature, it would be nice to have a starting point rather than have to retune the whistle whenever it has been dismantled or bumped.
My favourite whistle is (and will probably remain) the Thornton and as Narrowdog said, this is a very different beast. The Tilbury needs quite a bit more air and I find it difficult to play softly in the second octave, particularly near the top and that is a quality I always look for in a whistle. However, the whistle is very easy to control, not like some of the big loud whistles which can very difficult at the top of the second octave for someone who is not used to that type of whistle.
I’ve had a brief encounters with a Cheftain C and an Alba A in the past. Both big boisterous aluminium whistles which I failed to get along with. I imagine the Tilbury would appeal to people who like the sound of a Cheftain, but want something more controllable and maybe not quite as loud. It certainly does appeal to me in many ways, but when I play it, I miss the dynamic range and low breath requirements of the Thornton.
As I said, it’s a beautiful whistle and I am very tempted to keep it.
I just finished my test run, and agree with Owen. It’s a finely finished whistle, and very attractive. I especially love the smooth and comfortable shape of the mouthpiece. The whistle has some mass to it, and feels good in the hands and lips.
As for sound, I love the first octave. It’s solid all the way down to the low D, with just enough hint of chiff to give it a traditional sound. It’s warm and pleasing throughout the first octave, and into the second. By about the second octave G, I’m a little less pleased with the sound, but it’s decent. The second A is a little harsh, and the B moreso. The second octave B was the highest useful note for me. I would have liked to get the the third octave D, which is the highest note I need, (but I do need it).
I don’t want to overstate this criticism, as I’m sure Chuck could revoice this whistle to overcome the deficiencies, but it’s something I would expect as a customer.
Also, I would probably recommend a double-O-ring construction in the joint, which would eliminate the slight wobble I noticed.
Overall, a fine whistle, with LOTS of potential with a couple more tweaks.
