I am a very new whistle player (got a Walton D 2 weeks ago) and am interested in what you folks think about wooden/bamboo whistles? Most specifically does any one own a concert tuned Erik the Flute Maker whistle?
Thanks
I don’t have a bamboo whistle or anything by Erik the Flute Maker, but I have a Busman Kingwood D that is one of my most treasured possessions.
Redwolf
I believe those are bamboo tone bodies with a susato head on them.
Hi…I’m very attached to my “timber”: I have a Syn, a Sweet, two Abells, a Le Coant, and a Grinter. I also have a fair number of Alu and Brass whistles, but the wooden ones have the most character IMO for solo playing.
Haven’t come across Erik or anything he’s made.
Trisha
Edited for Gremlins 
It depends on what you’re looking for. I love my O’Riordan kingwood whistles, but they have a different voice than any metal whistle I’ve ever played. Best thing to do - especially with wood - is to try the exact whistle you’re interested in buying. Not just a whistle in that maker’s line, or even in the same key, but rather the whistle itself. The thing is wood can be highly variable as can it’s adaptability in becoming a whislte. Sometimes this can be bad, and others it will offer a rare gem never to be perfectly reproduced again.
You’ve heard the advice on this board about practice, practice, practice? In this case I’d say play, play, play! Try as many as you can, and but the one you want.
I have a Busman Dogwood D whistle that I play more than any other. IMO it blends with the other wooden instruments with the musicians I play with, such as the fiddle, guitar, old-time banjo, and upright bass. The other musicians in the band definitely agree.
I’d really like to hear that, Rick. Do you play typical Round Peak repetoire on a whistle?
Steve
I have an Erik the Flutemaker Blues-scale pennywhistle, which is indeed a Susato head on a bamboo body. Bamboo does not require the same level of care (warming up, oiling, swabing out etc) that wooden whistles require.
It’s a very nice whistle and sounds great–the blues scale is really cool. There is a burnt-wood smell from when Erik makes the holes that, depending on what smells you like, is good or not. I like the smell.
The whistle is quite quiet in the first octave, and it flips up pretty easily to the second, so I have to be careful and excercise more breath control than with my other whistles (mostly Dixons & Shaws). You don’t need A LOT of breath, however–air requirements are low. I don’t play Susatos so I can’t compare this whistle to how a regular Susato plays.
The second octave is louder but not shill–very sweet-sounding. Most whistles, I can’t stand anything over the G on the second octave (most jigs are OUT), but this whistle has a nice second octave all the way. The holes are set odd (one in back) but I assume that is because of the blues scale.
I would recommend this whistle to a player that has some experience. It may be frustrating for a beginner because of the air sensitivity. A really good player tried it once and it sounded MUCH better than I can do!