Question about a Harper whistle

[devondancer]

I've just bought a Harper from ebay (cheaply, I must add) and wonder what the rest of you think of them. I read the reviews before getting it and they sounded pretty positive, but mine seems to sound like a scalded cat. The lower octave sounds strangled and the upper one buzzes. Granted that may be me, but I don't usually sound quite that bad. I realise it has a higher air requirement than my Burke and Silkstones, but not more than the Overton, I would have thought, and that usually sounds OK. The back pressure feels more like the Alba Q1 but the sound is nowhere near as pleasant. The windway is clear and it looks a "healthy" instrument. Is it a characteristic of Harpers, do I just need to persevere, or is it a "Friday afternoon" whistle? Any ideas? Thanks.

[emtor]

To me that sounds like a voicing problem. I've never played a Harper, but I can't imagine that the sound you describe was the maker's intention.

[slowair]

Is it a characteristic of Harpers, do I just need to persevere, or is it a "Friday afternoon" whistle? Any ideas? Thanks.

I was just reading about Harpers the other night. Great looking whistle, for sure, but I believe the promo said something to the effect that it wasn't a whistle for beginners.

Don't know your level, but that would certainly put me off getting one until I could actually try one.

I believe they are made in the UK. What the heck, it's just an island, so how long could it possibly take to drive on over and have the maker take a look.
Then again, being in the same country, you could just mail it cheaply too.

Good luck. I'd be interested to know how you make out.

[Parkwood]

I have some Harpers.. I managed to get hold of the maker on the phone to ask some questions. I'd suggest phoning up Hobgoblin music and saying you bought the whistle there - I'm sure they'd be happy to pass the number on.

[scoutcow]

I played a engraved Harper in D a few months ago. It wasn´t the best whistle I´ve played, but it definitely sounded better than yours. Is it clean, no dust or even small pieces of metal in the windway?

[devondancer]

Thanks for the tips. Yes, it's clean and the windway is as clean as . . . a whistle. Thoroughly checked. I've been playing for many years, Overtons, Burkes, Silkstones, Alba, so hope it's not my technique! That would be embarrassing. I will do as suggested and contact Hobgoblin for the maker's details. Thanks a lot.

[pjuuldk]

Hi Devondancer.

I have an engraved Harper D/C set.
The Harpers are very beuatyfull and the most difficult whistles I have tryed.
The sound of my whistles is very bright, good strong low octave, clear high octave without beeing shrill. a very beuatyfully sounding whistle.

As mentioned the Harper is the most difficult whistles I have tryed.
Thats because. (Speaking from experience of the whistles I owne/have tryed) The backpressure is very, very high so you realy have to work with your stommack (diafram?) to make it sing. The air requirement is, in spite of the high airpressure you have to use, lower than other whistles so actually you can play longer passages than on other whistles.

If you have to work on getting stronger stommack muchles or there is something wrong withe your whistle, well I cannot tell you that, but perhapse you know another whistleplayer who can try the whistle for you.

I hope that you get it sorted out and learn to like the whistle.
In my experience The Harper whistles are very beuatyfull, both looks and sound. And allthough I prefere my Copeland I do play my Harpers often.

Peter Juul