It’s a Dale-established scientific fact that playing the whistle makes you look seedy, and that was the main reason I took up this instrument. I’m sure you’re the same.
but…
which brand, material & key is the seediest of all?
I would have to vote for a Generation brass D, preferably scratched tarnished & dented just sufficiently to suggest a careless owner who uses string instead of a belt but requires the whistle for their livelihood and can’t afford a new one.
Hmmm…I think I’d have to vote for a Water Weasel, with plenty of plumbing code left on. Looks a little like you couldn’t afford to buy an instrument, so you made one out of the pipes left over from the rich guy down the block’s bathroom remodel.
Yeah, that’s seedy nouveau, where you spend a lot of money to look like you don’t have any. Sort of like shopping for clothes in the Gap. (Sorry for the US-centric joke; people living in the civilized world, please substitute Gap for your local store that sells artistically grungified jeans to teenagers.)
Actually, the sad thing is that it’s not US-centric… we went by 11 Baby Gaps while walking from the Arc du Triumph and Notredam. And about the same from the Tower of London to Picadilly Circle. It is a world-wide invasion. In fact, it was so cold in Paris one day that we were there, that we had to buy socks in one of the Gaps to put on Madelyn’s (our little girl) hands. It was spring so no one was selling gloves. We still have the socks… now our little boy uses them as socks.
I think an Asarkar low whistle would be a good choice for the individual desiring the seedy look. They come pre-dented, and are made of heavy pipe, with a very uneven finish.
I first saw the Gap in Manila, a decade or more ago. May be the only one I’ve seen. Mayhaps I should get out more.
I may have a contender. A home-made copper, Low-D whistle (plumbing pipe) with a rough-sawed piece of broomstick handle for a fipple, held in place with a nail driven through the pipe/broomstick assembly, with 1/4" (thats a little under a centimeter for you mega-state people ) protruding from each side. I have dubbed it “Frankenwhistle”, and its the most responsive low whistle (of the three I’ve tried :roll: ) I’ve ever had. The copper pipe attained a proper patina by way of a leak in the workshop roof.
I may have a contender. A home-made copper, Low-D whistle (plumbing pipe) with a rough-sawed piece of broomstick handle for a fipple, held in place with a nail driven through the pipe/broomstick assembly, with 1/4" (thats a little under a centimeter for you mega-state people ) protruding from each side. I have dubbed it “Frankenwhistle”, and its the most responsive low whistle (of the three I’ve tried ) I’ve ever had. The copper pipe attained a proper patina by way of a leak in the workshop roof.
At least copper…looks semi-instrumental. A water weasel doesn’t even look like something you should be putting in your mouth.
And don’t forget about my whis..er tube made out of weeds.
I’d think a Clarke looks seedier than a Generation. The rolled metal, the seam on the back, the clunky block of wood. The Gen is positively sleek compared to that!
But if you have the painted on diamonds, that’s class!
I would have to say a Clarke, painted black, with little dents and dings where you have fenced with friends using it.
One of the players at our seisun (Normally plays bodhran) has a couple like that, he uses them as knockabout whistles out at the faire we both participate in.
I dunno, my old Soodlums, with the lacquer long-gone, and a nice brown patina, plus the seriously scratched up fipple looks pretty seedy.
Actually what looked really seedy was when the laquer was only partially worn off. It finally got so bad it was embarassing, so I took 0000 steel wool to it to remove the last of the laquer.
Actually what looked really seedy was when the laquer was only partially worn off. It finally got so bad it was embarassing, so I took 0000 steel wool to it to remove the last of the laquer.
My Soodlum’s is like that…I’m leaving it alone because the very second I try to change it it will explode or something.
Eh, my Water Weasel had the plumbing code removed by a previous owner (fine by me, since I use it at ren-faires). It’s definitely one of my nicer-looking whistles. Without the code, it’s not at all obvious that it’s made of plumbing pipe.
Generation Seedy 
