I may not have the standard case of WhOA, but I have WhAA…Whistle Accouterment Aquisition disorder. I now have Brasso (icky smell, cheap, easy to use), a cymbal cleaner that isn’t Pro-Mark (might actually get returned) and Cape Cod Cloth. The latter has a pleasant odor, but is hideously expensive. I got the sample pack of two chemical impregnated clothes, which appear to be reuseable, for $5. Let’s see how long the shine lasts!
It appears that whistles in general demand a certain level of upkeep. We bag them, clean them, assemble repair kits, mike 'em, quiet 'em. . .
What is in your Whistle Operational Support Handbag? (WhOSH)
I couldn’t imagine polishing my whistles. I just make sure there’s minimal green gunk inside; the outside looks played. My old Feadog looks great that way. My Sweetone that’s worn down to the bare metal doesn’t.
I wonder if I have unusually acidic hands or something, though – even my Howard is dulling around the fingerholes, and it was shiny when I got it well-used.
I’ve also already worn the gold ink off of the labels on my Dixon! The flute’s still happy, though.
I went out and bought a piece of desk blotter paper. I then cut part of it into strips a quarter to a half inch wide and a couple of inches long, Made about 20 strips. They are great for sliding through the windway to remove moisture from my Overton Low-D and Chieftain tunable soprano-d. The blotter paper just draws the moisture right out. I leave the strip on the music stand or table to dry out so I can re-use them. Work nice so far.
I keep on thinking someone should invent something for cleaning out the windway of whistle mouthpieces. Like a small piece of silk tied to something that will let you easily thread it through…
On 2001-09-05 20:29, colomon wrote:
I keep on thinking someone should invent something for cleaning out the windway of whistle mouthpieces. Like a small piece of silk tied to something that will let you easily thread it through…
A small feather works very well. If you find one outdoors, wash it carefully with soap and water first, then let it dry before using it in your whistle.
On 2001-09-05 20:29, colomon wrote:
I keep on thinking someone should invent something for cleaning out the windway of whistle mouthpieces. Like a small piece of silk tied to something that will let you easily thread it through…
How about a few inches of stiff leader, a few inches of chenille and a pretty good length of limp leader? It’s a specialty dental floss used for cleaning under fixed bridges - several brands are sold in more complete drugstores.
I just use strips of cardboard beer coaster wide enough to shove into the windway of my whistle to clear out the gunk build up noce a year or so. That’s the great thing about sessions in pubs - plenty of free cleaning materials on hand.
