I am thinking of getting a wooden whistle and wondering if it is a good idea… I was wondering if anybody could give some good/bad things about wooden whistles. and also I am wondering what are.. well the top 10 wooden whistles…
I’m probably leaving a few out, but here’s a list of high-end wooden wistle makers:
Schultz (Thin Weasel), Abell, Rose, O’Riordan, Grinter, Busman (fairly new), Wilson (new). All of these whistles are very well-made, which you like best depends on your taste. Ralph Sweet also makes wooden whistles; his had some problems in the upper octave that he’s reportedly solved.
The greatest difference between wooden whistles and metal whistles is that each piece of wood has a personality, which is not the case with metal that tends to be pretty uniform. This means that the maker has to exercise a great attention to detail, so you get a really fine product in the end, but you pay for it. There’s a great variety of woods from which to choose, too. Wood is also light.
As much of a cheerleader as I am for wooden whistles, they do have some disadvantages. I touched on price – my favorite whistle is the Thin Weasel, but close behind is the Burke WBB. I don’t think the TW is three times as good as the Burke; I would only shell out the extra bucks because it’s wood. The other drawback is that they require some care – swabbing each time you play, bore oiling a few times a year, and controlled humidity if you live either where it’s dry or where there are wild fluctuations in humidity.
Charlie
…but worth it for the sound, the feel of wood in your hands and the taste of the fipple! If you’ve listened to a metal flute and a wooden one, you hear the difference - same with whistles.
I have a Rose high D and a Grinter low D - and I’ve played an Abell high D. For me the Rose is king, the Grinter is a dream (all Grinters in the range are, Rose only comes in high D), and the Abell is also a masterwork though I wasn’t so keen on the sound (less pure and more chiff).
I reckon (IMHO) anyone serious about whistles would do well to have a wood and a metal whistle in their collection.
The wood has sound characteristics that metal can never match (not necesarily better but different). Wood resonates differently and has a life of it’s own. It really does remarkable things to the sound. Also because each piece of wood is different each instrument is diferent.
Wooden whistles are quite wonderful.
Doc
As Loren will attest, I’ve gone back and forth on this, that is wood vs. metal. The metals are more durable and require much less maintenance and most are not as prone to suffer from elemental changes. I’m not so sure that metals don’t also have distinct personalities because I believe that the design and craftsmanship determines that moreso than the material used.
I love high-end wood whistles and they are gorgeous and can have spectacular grains and resonance. My strong personal favorites are Grinter, Abell, and Schultz. I have never played either Rose or a wood O’Riordan.
I also love and perhaps feel more cdomfortable travelling with metal and delrin whistles. The O’Riordan aluminums and Copelands I have are awesome and are my favorites. The Burke Al-pro and Silkstone alloys are very good as well.
Finally, some high-end makers have begun making whistles similar in design but completely in delrin (I have an Abell and a Seery). These seem real good, but I’m not sure yet about the “character” of these.
Regards, Philo
On 2002-08-13 16:35, nickt wrote:
…but worth it for the sound, the feel of wood in your hands and the taste of the fipple! If you’ve listened to a metal flute and a wooden one, you hear the difference - same with whistles.. . .the Abell is also a masterwork though I wasn’t so keen on the sound (less pure and more chiff).
I agree with you to an extent – the thing I love about the Thin Weasel is the sound, but I wouldn’t say there’s a “wooden whistle” sound. There are times when I think that my Busman wooden whistle sounds more like the Burke brass than the Burke Al does.
I agree with you on the Abell too – too breathy, although I’m gonna give it several more months.
Charlie
Your might want to check out Ronaldo Reyburn’s new high Ds. It seems to me that his approach using a wooden head, which offers the great sound of wood, with a brass body, which requrires very little maintenance, is a great choice. The price is also considerably less than an all wood whistle. The tone of these instruments is very sweet with a tad of breathyness.
Constance
Doc - I hear you now have a Rose; what’s your verdict?
Wood is Good!
When I started playing whistle, just about the only things available were Generations, Oaks, Clarkes (C), and my idea of high end was a Shaw. I was already a pretty serious recorder player and owned several very good wooden instruments. Although I enjoyed playing my whistles, their sound and feel left a lot to be desired. Then, I came across a Thin Weasel at Andy’s Front Hall… I had to think long and hard to shell out the $125 that the rosewood whistle cost back then, but it was a wonderful investment.
By the very nature of wood as a natural, (formerly) living material, each piece has it’s own personality. No two wooden instruments, even made from the same species of wood, will ever be exactly the same. To me, just holding a beautiful piece of wood is a sensuous experience. As a whistlemaker, one of the most exciting moments for me comes when I first apply the finish to a smoothly sanded wooden tube, and see the wonderful graining that emerges. Magic!
To be sure, a wooden whistle requires a bit more TLC, but most wooden instrument fans seem to feel the extra care is well worth it.
Maybe one day i will decide to buy a wooden whistle but for now I will stick with Tin…
I bought a wooden whistle but it wooden whistle.
I bought a steel whistle but it steel wooden whistle.
So I bought a tin whistle and now I tin whistle.
Avanutria, I have the rest of that saying, which you were wise to stop where you did:
I bought a lead whistle,
but they wouldn’t “lead” me whistle.
I made a dragon whistle,
and now now I’m “dragon” all my whistles with me.
Sorry~
JP