Now that I’ve just posted a Greenwood whistle thread, I thought I’d be fair and allow any other members to post their wood whistles…
*(Makers, no offence, but this isn’t a cp, so if you post…please post your personal whistles, Thanks!)
This post is the same criteria as the Greenwood whistle post
What Maker
What Key(s)
What Metal
What Wood
Do you like it (or just collecting)
What do you like about it
Any other misc. info you would like other people to know about this whistle
Pics (optional, but would be fun…seeing as the flute, UP, and Non-up forums all have picture threads)
When I have time I will post my Greenwood whistle.
Sean
Ps. This is not a bashing thread. If I see ANY derogatory remarks about another person’s whistle I will ask the Mods to delete it.
I have an O’Brien ‘Rover’ C/D set in blackwood, w/brass. I love it.
I bought the D whistle used, here at C&F, and had David make me a C tube to match it. They are my main whistles. Both are very clear, non-chiffy, woody-sounding whistles. Loud, but not piercing.
Only caveat: the D tube wants a C-natural fingering of 0X0000. All of my other whistles and flutes will let me keep L3 down, (as in 0XX000, or some variant). This has taken me some time to get used to. The C tube is a bit more forgiving, as is usually the case.
I also have a mahogany low-G blacktop, made by Mack Hoover. I’ve sung its praises here before.
I have a Busman D Purpleheart wood with nickel.
Thin Weasel with D Cocobolo wood and nickel.
O’Riordan D/C Blackwood with silver.(The head is delrin though.)
I used to have a Rose D in Blackwood and gold plated.
Sweetheart D in I think Rosewood.
I also used to have a Bleazey low D in Blackwood and silver as well.
I prefer the ready/woody sound and feeling they have to offer.
Busman high D in ironwood (aka hop hornbeam) and stainless steel.
Busman high C in ironwood (aka hop hornbeam) and stainless steel.
Greenwood high D in blackwood and brass.
O’Riordan high D/C set in kingwood and brass.
O’Riordan C/D in blackwood
Greenwood C/D in pink ivory
Greenwood D in purple gidgee
Greenwood D in cocobolo (WAY too many of these, huh?)
Bleazey Bflat in Olive
Bleazey D in plumwood (old whistle)
Mack Hoover G in maple
Glenn Schultz in c (macassar ebony), d (cocobolo), and e (mopane)
Busman in bocote
Bleazey D in boxwood
Wilson D in blackwood
Grinters in D and G, both cocobolo
several of my own
The Wilson has this huge, fat sound that I’ve never heard in another whistle. Too bad his quality control left so much to be desired. When he made a good whistle, it was remarkable, but evidently they were few and far between.
The Bleazey loves to be played with reckless abandon – no whistle for the faint of heart
The Grinters are the sweetest whistles I’ve played
The Busman is effortless to play and is extremely versatile, with a sound that lends itself to both dance music and airs
The C Weasel is simply the best whistle on the face of the earth. Not that it’s really the best whistle, but it’s just so much better than any other C whistle. The D is a remarkable whistle, very assertive with an edge that other whistles don’t have. The E is the most responsive whistle I’ve played. If you want to show off, this is the whistle that will allow it.
I’ve also owned wooden whistles from several other makers. The one that really stands out is a D whistle from Jon Swayne. It was probably the most perfect whistle I’ve played. It was honestly so perfect – intonation, sound, ease of play, amount of breath it took – that it was boring. No surprises, just not exciting, not my cuppa.
Hey Sludes… I just discovered a small Hop Hornbeam growing right in the back yard of our new home. Might be big enough to make some whistles in, say, 50 years or so…
I have Sweethearts in C and D. For me it’s the conical bore that does it. Conicals sound very different to me than cylindricals. I tend to go for bore design as my first criteria, then materials. For instance, I can tell far more difference between a conical bore metal whistle than two cylindrical whistles made of different metals.
Turns out I already had a pic in my iPhoto library:
Left-to-right:
Busman high C in ironwood (aka hop hornbeam) and stainless steel.
Busman high D in ironwood (aka hop hornbeam) and stainless steel.
Busman high D in black Delrin and stainless steel.
Greenwood high D in blackwood and brass.
O’Riordan high D in kingwood and brass.
O’Riordan high C body in kingwood and brass (uses same mouthpiece as the D).
Hmmmm… lesee now, oh there it is. Over here I have a Cooperman that use to be a wood Bb fife that is now a diy Bb whistle. Or would it be a whistfe or a fifestel.
I have a short list of wood makers that I might order my next whistle from. Then I heard from an owner of one of my contenders that she loves her whistle but plans to sell it because it is too loud for home use.
It might be useful to mention if a particular type is loud/med/quiet. After all, some will only want loud (session) and some will only want quiet (apartment).
