So, after, what is it now, one or two decades of regret for not buying a Water Weasel from Glenn himself, I jumped into the deep end and picked up the one that popped up for sale on the Irish Flute Store site. I know the Bb Water Weasel Turlach Boylan plays is one of my favorite whistles of all time, so I hope the high D is as charming itself.
I haven’t been this excited to get a new whistle in some time! Just had to share.
Memories… After Glenn died, I developed a need for a light, relatively bullet-proof high D. I wrote to Glenn, and his daughter answered my note. She had gone into his shop, and found both a high D and C Water Weasel, with different color fipple blocks. I purchased both. Those two instruments have been in the sub-basement studio for quite a long time, for when I need a reliable whistle to use for a practice session. I respect them, and Glenn’s artistry with pieces of PVC… I hope you enjoy your Water Weasel.
I owned one ‘thin weasel’ that was a lovely whistle, and more than a few ‘water weasels’. A high D that was white with a red plug, and was one of my all time favorites that I should have kept and didn’t. I kept a gray bflat that’s really very nice, too.
I bought a Water Weasel last year(?) from someone selling it on FB…a lot of comments on the post were like “Who would pay that for a plastic whistle??”
But when I got it, I posted a clip, and they were all “oh yeah, i get it now” lol
It’s wonderfully in tune, and being CPVC it warms up quickly, which is nice during gigs. It also doesn’t clog up with condensation easily. I love the tone. It’s not overly loud, which some of the plastic whistles are (I’m talking to you Susato!). It’s playability reminds me of those old generations many of us love. It’s truly just a joy to play.