Does anyone have experience with a Whistlesmith whistle? I have a Susato A that requires the pipers grip in the right hand and some no-name A I got cheap from Ebay that isn’t in tune with itself. I wanted to get an A that doesn’t require the pipers grip to play and Whistlesmith says that the tone holes on their A model can be played easily by a woman with small hands. At least the price certainly is right ($35.00). I just don’t know anything about their whistles. What do you think?
Honestly, you usually get what you pay for. Not to ‘dis’ any maker, but my advice would be to talk to Mr. Mack Hoover about an A whistle.
Well let me put this another way. Does anyone have any experience with Whistlesmith whistles in any key? I’d like to hear your opinions. Thanks.
I’ve got three of his whistles. A high D a low G and a low F. I like the low G the most, plays very nice an sounds good. The F is also nice, but tends to clog. The only one I don’t like is his high D, it takes too much air and I don’t like the sound of it.
I have a low D, which is longer than an A, and I find it easy to finger without the piper’s grip. I like the instrument, but then it’s the only low D I’ve played.
By the way, I have to play D flute using the piper’s grip.
Susato makes add on finger keys for some of their low whistles. Might contact them, and see if the keys will fit to their A whistle.
I bought a high d and c and they ended up in the trash. They weren’t susatos they were the ones he makes.
I felt like I was blowing into a barrel and they were not in tune. I tested it against my tweaked ones and sorry but for some reason mine weren’t.
I should have returned them but I just chucked them 
Thanks for your help. I probably won’t order it judging from what I’ve heard from everyone. I had hoped it might be a pretty decent A whislte for a little bit of money. I wish there was a way to try before you buy.
I think the A might be a nice one. The only one that we don’t like are the soprano ones, but the A model looks a lot more like the low G model I have and I really like that one.
Okay, Iv’e got an A coming from Whistlesmith and I’ll find out if it fits the bill.
I can use the suprano grip for whistles down to low G, but low F and below, I have to use the piper’s grip.
Keep working on the piper’s grip, it will come with a little practice.
Low A is actually higher than low G 
So I suppose you mean low F and below…
(You’re not the only one, I’m making that mistake over and over again… 
)
Darn these drugs I have to take! 
fancypiper,
so I’ve heard of the pipers grip and used it but can you explain suprano grip?
Thanks:)
Iwanttotoot, may I suggest that next time you get a whistle that you can’t cozy up to (i.e., can’t get to sound right), instead of throwing it out, offer it to another whistler free of charge. I find that sometimes, a whistle that sounds awful in the hands of one player will sound pretty good when played by another. To make good music, whistler and whistle have to be able to get together musically (dare I say spiritually?), and what doesn’t work for you might for someone else.
Using the first pads (not the tips, but the flat part of the first pads, some fingers close to the first bend) of the fingers is what I call the suprano grip.
Thanks fancypiper, I’m always interested in methods of reach as I have short fingers and am branching out with lower whistles soon. I figured it had to be a slighter piper’s grip. btw and off topic here .. I got my clarke trad and thought you were nuts at first but have since come to love it - wooden piece and all.
Basically, it is just keeping my fingers straight and relaxed in both grips. My first and second fingers are slightly curved with the piper’s grip as they use the second pads of my fingers.
The secret is to relax!
Will, I know I am nuts, after all I wrestle the Irish Octopus!
I have been sitting here playing my suprano D whistles, the Clarke original design, Every whistle, my Whitetiped Generation brass tube and the Burke blacktip brass session pro.
Boy, it sure is hard to pick an overall favorite with these whistles. The Burke is probably my least favorite of the bunch.
My Blacktopped Generation Bb brass tube is still my favorite solo whistle, though. I never have played a better sounding whistle.
Iwanttotoot, may I suggest that next time you get a whistle that you can’t cozy up to (i.e., can’t get to sound right), instead of throwing it out, offer it to another whistler free of charge. I find that sometimes, a whistle that sounds awful in the hands of one player will sound pretty good when played by another. To make good music, whistler and whistle have to be able to get together musically (dare I say spiritually?), and what doesn’t work for you might for someone else.
Well I believe in giving (it’s an understatement with me) but I found these to be so bad that I didn’t want to offer something that I thought was no good. I’m not exagerating when I say it feels like you’re blowing into a barrel.
However
I rescued the high d from the trash with no ill effects. If someone wants it pm with your address. here’s a link to the one I’m talking about. It’s the ultra high d. I couldn’t rescue the C.
http://www.whistlesmith.com/archives/cat_1_wicked_good_whistles.php
iwanttotoot: Check your PM’s.