Has anyone heard of The Whistlesmith in Maine? I can’t seem to find any reviews on their whistles, and was wondering how good they were.
searching for “Whistlesmith Maine”
http://chiffboard.mati.ca/viewtopic.php?p=653463&highlight=whistlesmith+maine#653463
http://chiffboard.mati.ca/viewtopic.php?p=639628&highlight=whistlesmith+maine#639628
http://chiffboard.mati.ca/viewtopic.php?p=639339&highlight=whistlesmith+maine#639339
He sells on eBay. Pupil of mine bought a low D a while back. It’s not bad, but suffice it to say he isn’t using it! My impressions on one try out were - rather quiet, couldn’t be pushed, took v little air (hence unresponsive), quite mellow, pleasant sound, idiosyncratic tone-hole placement (trying to be reachable for small hands/narrow fingers) resulting in normal fingerings unworkable in upper part of second octave - though supplied fingering chart gave functional alternatives that would be OK if it was one’s only whistle and one familiarised with them. Decent price for decently made instrument, but ultimately probably not worthwhile use of funds. Too quiet for session use, though would be pleasantly atmospheric for solo up-a-tree-by-a-lake-in-the-drizzle-self-indulgent-Celtic-fringe-morbidity use!!!
NB the “flute head” he offers as an alternative/extra is no such thing - it’s just a kind of wind-cap to allow you to hold the whistle in a flute position and blow into the fipple - bit like the Amerindian love flute gadget or the lead clamp-on things one sometimes sees on real flutes/fifes.