Chiff and Fipple Forums

Could anyone tell me please if the fipple of the sweetheart professional whistle (new model) is made from delrin or laminate material?

Thanks a lot,
Dublingirl

Mine looks to be Dymondwood laminate, not delrin.

Fantastic whistle BTW.

Mike

The original Pros had Delrin fipples (mine does, and the review I did for C&F reflects that), but even back then they were planning to go with Dymondwood (laminate) fipples eventually.

I agree...fantastic whistle!

Redwolf

On the topic of Sweetheart whistles, I was wondering if anyone would know how the tone of the Blackwood compares to the dymondwood. Is the natural wood mellower-sounding? I'm very interested in the blackwood model on the sweetheart website and am wondering if the blackwood tone is worth an extra $200! Can anyone advise me please?

Wish I could! The only blackwood sweetheart I have ever played was an old style, which was ear-splittingly loud and took lots of breath pressure. Both of these things have been addressed in the pro model, so I can't comment accurately.

Dublingirl, I'll be going up to the Sweets within a week and will try it out if you'd like and report back. I may....MAY be able to get soundclips while playing if I dig up the recorder and figure out how to use it again.

Hi Tyghress,
I'd REALLY appreciate that! Seeing as I live on the other side of the world, I have no opportunity to try out the blackwood whistles. I have a Laminate Pro which I like a lot, but I'm not mad about its tone.
Many thanks for your suggestion,
Dublingirl

I owned a Blackwood Sweet professional whistle (a D) and it was exceedingly intense, easily got shrill. It was also very poorly made and fell apart within a few months. I returned it to have the block refitted (and paid for that service), and it simply fell apart again a few weeks later, although now it was living in an entirely different environment. I was not dealing with Ralph Sweet but with the guy who sold it to me. Anyway, I don't recommend these instruments.

Emrys wrote:I owned a Blackwood Sweet professional whistle (a D) and it was exceedingly intense, easily got shrill. It was also very poorly made and fell apart within a few months. I returned it to have the block refitted (and paid for that service), and it simply fell apart again a few weeks later, although now it was living in an entirely different environment. I was not dealing with Ralph Sweet but with the guy who sold it to me. Anyway, I don't recommend these instruments.

You should have dealt directly with Ralph Sweet. He and his son Walt stand behind their instruments.

My Sweetheart Professional is one of the best whistles in my gig bag. It's a well-made instrument with an exceptional tone that people frequently comment on. Mine is a laminate, not a blackwood, but I can't imagine that the Sweets would make one with more care than the other...nor can I imagine them giving you the kind of treatment the person you bought the whistle did.

Next time, I highly recommend you give the maker a chance to put things right. That's one of the reasons one buys high-end whistles, after all.

Redwolf

Redwolf wrote: You should have dealt directly with Ralph Sweet. He and his son Walt stand behind their instruments.

My Sweetheart Professional is one of the best whistles in my gig bag. It's a well-made instrument with an exceptional tone that people frequently comment on. Mine is a laminate, not a blackwood, but I can't imagine that the Sweets would make one with more care than the other...nor can I imagine them giving you the kind of treatment the person you bought the whistle did.

Next time, I highly recommend you give the maker a chance to put things right. That's one of the reasons one buys high-end whistles, after all.

Redwolf

Major ditto...Sounds like the previous owner didn't take care of the instrument at all.

This is the first I've ever heard of a Sweetheart being anything less than superb craftsmanship.

I likewise am surprised, and I've owned 3 of his whistles now, each of high quality craftsmanship.

I also admire Ralph Sweet's whistles. Every one I have ever played has been really high quality, including the older models.

Hi Tyghress,
I was wondering if you had had a chance yet to get up to the Sweetheart flute factory, and what you thought of the blackwood whistles!
thanks!

Emrys wrote:I owned a Blackwood Sweet professional whistle (a D) and it was exceedingly intense, easily got shrill. It was also very poorly made and fell apart within a few months. I returned it to have the block refitted (and paid for that service), and it simply fell apart again a few weeks later, although now it was living in an entirely different environment. I was not dealing with Ralph Sweet but with the guy who sold it to me. Anyway, I don't recommend these instruments.

My first Sweetheart Pro D (Dymondwood), purchased directly from Ralph, fell apart about a month after I got it. But it was my mistake not taking it apart after each use, which is highly recommended by Sweetheart. Since none of my other whistles require disassembly, it's not a common practice for me, and I'd forget. The cork material became hard and shrank, and the barrel would just fall out. But, as many others have said, the Sweets are a class act, and the whistle was replaced at no cost...except shipping the first one back. Only thing is, that first one was a very nice sounding whistle, and the replacement isn't quite as good. As a result, I only use it for unamplified outdoor gigs when I need extra volume. I much prefer my Burke narrow bores for everything else. The best thing about the Sweetheart Pro is the impregnated laminate design that is basically impervious to extreme weather conditions and needs no maintenance normally associated with wooden whistles...other than disassembly after use.

I'm not a big fan of the Sweetheart Pro's tuning slide cork material. Again, I much prefer the Burke design. If you do get a Sweetheart, ALWAYS disassemble it after use.

BTW, I had a nice phone conversation with Ralph Sweet, and I asked him about the tonal and playability differences between the blackwood and Dymondwood. He said that overall, they sound and play the same.

From what I've heard, and from my own experience, the Pro Ds can vary widely in tone and playability. Some are sweet and some aren't. Some screech in the upper register, and some don't. So if possible, always try before you buy, or buy from a vendor who offers a no-nonsense return/replacement policy. I'd suggest ordering direct from Ralph. If there are problems, he and Walt are great to work with and stand behind their products....at least from my limited experience.

DC
SlipJig Celtic Band

Redwolf wrote:

Emrys wrote:I owned a Blackwood Sweet professional whistle (a D) and it was exceedingly intense, easily got shrill. It was also very poorly made and fell apart within a few months. I returned it to have the block refitted (and paid for that service), and it simply fell apart again a few weeks later, although now it was living in an entirely different environment. I was not dealing with Ralph Sweet but with the guy who sold it to me. Anyway, I don't recommend these instruments.

You should have dealt directly with Ralph Sweet. He and his son Walt stand behind their instruments.

My Sweetheart Professional is one of the best whistles in my gig bag. It's a well-made instrument with an exceptional tone that people frequently comment on. Mine is a laminate, not a blackwood, but I can't imagine that the Sweets would make one with more care than the other...nor can I imagine them giving you the kind of treatment the person you bought the whistle did.

Next time, I highly recommend you give the maker a chance to put things right. That's one of the reasons one buys high-end whistles, after all.

Redwolf

i have returned a second hand flute back to Ralph because of some defects---------------without even a thought , he told me to return it to him and he gave me a new one right off of the assembly line -Ralph sweet is a highly regarded man in my books -he in kind and cares about his product and the people using them ---------he would have not thought twice about this issue--------------guaranteed is his middle name ----a great American buisness man--------- ----just PM me anytime Ralph with that brother in-law discount