Chiff and Fipple Forums

When I received my Granite Falls Manufacturing soprano D whistle I wrote to Chuck Tilbury, giving my reactions. He was already working on addressing some of the little complaints that have come back to him, and he offered to let me try an experimental model. Of course I jumped at the chance!

The new model is made very slightly thinner aluminum. The airway height has been reduced from .062" to .049", but the windway is wider. The old whistle has a bit of black tape on it.



The narrower tubing made it so the tuning slide now just has teflon tape placed over a section of threads instead of the two o-rings. Chuck says he is working on a using teflon gasket material, which will be much more permanent.



Here's what I like better on the new instrument:

• There is a very, very slight increase in back pressure.
  The tone is more even, with lower registers more evenly matched.
  The whistle is "quicker," not as mushy in getting out fast ornaments, though still not the fastest of whistles.
  The low bell note is firmer/more focused.
  The too-narrow hole spacing has been fixed. (see near black tape on older whistle)

The first edition of the GFM whistle had an open, quiet, flutelike tone in the lower register. Phil Hardy said in his review that it the GFM is a good whistle for those not wanting to bother their neighbors. But I felt like that would only work on the older whistle if you stayed in fairly low range. The new whistle is loud enough for session whistle, in my opinion.

So which one should I keep? Here are two comparisons:

http://www.sweetums.net/oreo/GFMFarewellToWhiskey2.mp3
http://www.sweetums.net/oreo/CollegeHornpipe.mp3

And should the GFM be my favorite, or this mystery whistle? (Sorry, no prizes will be given for guessing what this is!)

http://www.sweetums.net/oreo/mystery1.mp3
http://www.sweetums.net/oreo/mystery2.mp3

Oreo Phil

Hi Oreo

I don't know if I am the only one having problems with the sound files GFMFarewellToWhiskey2.mp3 and mystery1.mp3.
As far as I could hear from the others I would agree with your point about the new whistle having e better focus on the bell note. Perhaps it is the reason why it appears to sound warmer to me. I'd prefere that one.
But I think the sound may appear different in different tunes or when played together with other instruments. The question is difficult.

Silvano

All the MP3s should play now, I hope!
Oreo

Well, I think it's been long enough. Mind telling us the mystery whistle?

Boy, the silence was deafening!

I listened to my recordings the other day and was embarrassed. No ornaments, too slow... But I am enjoying this hobby.

The mystery whistle is a Serpent Music Village Smithy, but Bill Whedon told me recently that the recording shows that it has an overtone that is not like the typical VS. But I like the chiff for sure.

I haven't heard what the news is from GFM. Will Chuck make his whistles like the prototype I have, or is there an even newer design?

Thanks for asking.
Oreo Phil

Well a little bit of bad news. Chuck has a finger injury and has to wait 2 to 3 weeks for some stiches to be removed before he can make any new Whsitles, he sent a mass email out to everyone who has one on order (I have been waiting for 2 from a trade since Decmeber I think, but I am in no hurry). I don't know abut his current desgin, though.

i wondered what happened to chuck. i'm nosey. i thought all kinds of things and was glad to hear it's just stiches. get well chuck.

It could be my speakers or something else. Both GFM whistles sound good, but the same. Bill's whistle has some good chiff. Keep both whistles, and a favorite tune for each.

It seems to me that sound samples over the computer may come close but there is notheing like the real sound in the same place as the whistle.
Then the acoustics of the room are another variable. Large room, small room, carpet, no carpet, drapes, celling tile, or any number of things.
I have one whistle that I played at home and it was to loud, and when I got to a session it was to soft. Most of my house has tile floors and wood paneling, and battery clocks can be heard ticking.

You mentioned a number of things you liked better on the new whistle. Are there things you liked better on the old whistle?