Would anyone be interested? (potential CP)

[brewerpaul]

Someone posted an ad for one of these on the used instrument forum:

http://www.peelerfifes.com/fifes/resin/

Do you think there would be any interest in a whistle made from this beautiful stuff?

[Byll]

Ach... In what is left of my old mind, I see a 'beautiful stuff' Busman Bb... Wondrous...

Best.
Byll

[ecohawk]

I'm with Byll. Paul, why do you keep us waiting....

ecohawk

[brewerpaul]

I'm with Byll. Paul, why do you keep us waiting....

ecohawk

Inertia and economics.
I can make all of my current pitches (C,D,Eb) using the same tubing ID and OD.
To start making Bb, I'd have to have a new custom built gundrill made before I could even start making wooden tubes and start experimenting with finger hole sizes and locations, windway dimensions, etc. That done, I'd have to get a custom drilling jig made for those finger holes, and work up and order custom metal fittings. All in all, more time consuming and costly than I'm prepared to tackle at present on top of working full time, rehearsing weekly with a band, etc. Someday....

[osage59]

Wow!

[mutepointe]

Would glow in the dark and black light affected colors be possible?

[Byll]

It is no surprise to me, Paul, that you have your priorities straight.

Best to all.
Byll

[ecohawk]

To answer your original question, I'd think about one in some crazy combo color like that blue/Red in the front of the pic. It seems if you're going to go outside of the conventional, you might as well go for it!

ecohawk

[jkrazy52]

Stacey O'Gorman, of Alba Whistles, made a whistle of very similar stuff in a gorgeous green well over a year ago. She did have a picture up on her forum, which is now defunct. IIRC, she planned to test that one whistle for a bit before deciding if it would be worth (or worthy of?) producing. Don't think she ever made the second one ... mainly because it was supposed to be mine if she did.

So ... yes, Paul, I would be interested in a fine Busman whistle in a wildly colored acryclic tube ... green, blue, purple, gray ... hard to choose one color.

[jemtheflute]

I'd say yes, for sure, Paul. Moss green with gold or silver marbling would be cool - or black with rich metallic green veins...... of you can get the stuff in such!

[CrazedHavoc]

I'd say yes, for sure, Paul. Moss green with gold or silver marbling would be cool - or black with rich metallic green veins...... of you can get the stuff in such!

I second this!

[killthemessenger]

Inertia and economics.
I can make all of my current pitches (C,D,Eb) using the same tubing ID and OD.
To start making Bb, I'd have to have a new custom built gundrill made before I could even start making wooden tubes and start experimenting with finger hole sizes and locations, windway dimensions, etc. That done, I'd have to get a custom drilling jig made for those finger holes, and work up and order custom metal fittings. All in all, more time consuming and costly than I'm prepared to tackle at present on top of working full time, rehearsing weekly with a band, etc. Someday....

On the other hand, it is slightly boring that the majority of wooden whistle makers make the same 3 keys, when they even make more than one. You'd probably find you had quite a market if you made an excellent F/G combo, or A/Bb. Personally, I look at a new whistle maker's site and see - how exciting! He makes a beautiful C/D/Eb combo!

[MTGuru]

On the other hand, it is slightly boring that the majority of wooden whistle makers make the same 3 keys

Well, "boring" is an odd word. Would be like saying all those C and F recorders are boring, when it's what the repertoire calls for.

The D/C pair is the standard session kit, to cover 90% of the session tune keys. Eb is popular for solo playing, for the brighter sound. It's reasonable that makers like Paul with limited output would focus on the keys that trad players mostly want and need. Those other keys are quite specialized. Yes, he'd have a market - a small market. And I'm sure that makers who do already have those other keys in their range will gladly offer the combinations mentioned.

[killthemessenger]

On the other hand, it is slightly boring that the majority of wooden whistle makers make the same 3 keys

Well, "boring" is an odd word. Would be like saying all those C and F recorders are boring, when it's what the repertoire calls for.

The D/C pair is the standard session kit, to cover 90% of the session tune keys. Eb is popular for solo playing, for the brighter sound. It's reasonable that makers like Paul with limited output would focus on the keys that trad players mostly want and need. Those other keys are quite specialized. Yes, he'd have a market - a small market. And I'm sure that makers who do already have those other keys in their range will gladly offer the combinations mentioned.

Fair enough (for the second time today!). For someone like myself, who plays either alone or with just one or two other musicians, I look for some variety in tone and range, which can be found by having a variety of keys. If I mainly played in sessions (which I'd love to do, for the education in traditional style as much as anything else, if there were any nearby) then I'd probably be very happy with the high C/D and low D combination.

About the C and F recorders, I think the situation is a bit different. It would be harder to transpose continuo and other parts parts on the fly in baroque music (although no doubt it can be done) than simply change whistle and accompaniment key on a guitar.

[MTGuru]

About the C and F recorders, I think the situation is a bit different. It would be harder to transpose continuo and other parts parts on the fly in baroque music (although no doubt it can be done) than simply change whistle and accompaniment key on a guitar.

Not so different, actually. It's really the exact same issue in session playing. You can't just grab, say, a nice F whistle as a transposing instrument and expect the other session players to follow. Fully chromatic instruments will be (mostly) unused to transposing out of the accustomed key of a tune, and diatonic instruments may be unable. Even when they can, a change of key can mean a different approach to ornament and phrasing, which takes a good deal of skill to work out on the fly.

So as you suggest, you tend to hear the odd whistle keys played in solo settings, or small groupings where the other instruments can be capoed or chosen to match the key, or bands/groups where all the requirements of the key are worked out in advance for the arrangement.

Of course, there's the session dirty trick of using an odd-key whistle (or learning a tune in an odd key) when you actually want to prevent others from playing. Nasty. But there are times when you might want to play a setting or arrangement for your mates and have them just listen, not reflexively join in. Choosing to play in e.g. Ab or C# is an effective deterrent - if you can make it through before they start throwing their shoes at you.