hey everybody,
i have recently bought some whistles from thom at the whistle shop but he doesn’t have all the whistles that i hear people talking about. anyways, if you have any other good sights for whistle shopping please tell me. thanx
Brent
That’d depend on which whistles those are. For the most part, if Thom doesn’t have it, that’s because the only place to get it is from the maker himself. That said, Dale’s got a list](http://www.chiffandfipple.com/Buying.html%22%3Elist) of Internet whistle vendors.
- -Rich
Elderly Instruments have a few brands that Thom does not have, Shaws, Weasels and Sullivans and good prices on Susatos.
Joe
One other thing is that some of the whistles are only available from the maker (To my knowledge: Copeland, O’Riordan, Lambe, Abell, Sindt, Swayne, Reyburn). Some others (To my knowledge: Grinter, Burke, and Hoover (who uses Thom)) have only one destributor. Some of the Weasel Man’s stuff can be found at other locations (Shark in the Morning (for a modest gouging fee), Elderly, Celtic Fire). They are around, but Thom has one of the best selections available.
Mark,
When I checked a few months ago I found that Grinter no longer sells whistles or flutes through Groff’s music. I think we have to buy direct now, unless someone has recently heard otherwise.
Loren
(the intention of this post is to make a point - not to sell!)
Some of the above comments are not strictly correct. I carry whistles that cannot be found in all stores, such as the Doolin, Seery and O’Briain ‘Improved’. It is not necessary to buy these, for example, directly, from the maker.
It may also be true that certain ‘stores’ (online or otherwise) carry different models of certain whistles, Low whistles and flutes that some others do not carry.
Steve Power
[ This Message was edited by: StevePower on 2001-08-13 11:42 ]
Well, I do believe, though, that it is true that many of the top makers, including, I believe, Copeland, O’Riordan, Lambe, Abell, Sindt, Swayne, Reyburn (as MarkJ suggests), only sell direct.
Dale
Music Folk, here in St. Louis, has
the occasional Abell D. I’ve never
seen new Copelands for sale in a store,
however.
Another good thing about buying direct from the whistlesmith is that you can usually make requests for whatever it is you exactly want. This is certainly true of Glenn Schultz of Thin Weasel, who was a delight to deal with and made me a fantastic set of Water Weasels.
But before you give into WhOA, spend some time reading Dale’s comments on specific whistles/makers in the main website – and then read what people are saying about specific makes of whistle in board posts. Think of it as buying a new refrigerator – do some research, think about what you want/need, look at prices, and then buy. That way you have a better chance of getting a whistle you really like.
I know from personal experience that Thom Larson at the Whistle Shop is happy to answer questions about the whistles he sells, including giving you a comparison of the size of the fingerholes, etc.
Also, C&F members frequently sell whistles they’ve outgrown. I bought a Burke wide bore brass soprano D from another member at a discount. It’s a great whistle (thanks again, John R!).
And when you do take the plunge and buy a high-end whistle, be sure to give us a review.
–Judith Redding