The Low Tech Whistle - My Reaction

[Feadoggie]

I wanted to post my reactions to the Low Tech Whistles made by fellow Chiffer Guido Gonzato (aka: Guidus). Guido and I started exchanging emails after his posting about “Making Water Weasel-like Whistles”. Since I have recently had similar thoughts, I jumped into the thread to share some of my experiences on the subject.

http://chiffboard.mati.ca/viewtopic.php ... cff31ce161

After exchanging PMs and a few emails, we decided to exchange whistles. I had seen the photos on Guido’s web site, read Wanderer’s LTW review and even built a few whistles from the plans on the Low Tech Whistle Site but… One whistle can be worth a few thousand words!

I have made a simple plumbing pipe whistle for a number of years. I imagine quite a few members of C&F do the same. My original intention was to make an inexpensive whistle that kids might construct in a workshop and then learn a tune or two. You know, make a gateway whistle to hopefully hook them for life. The design I use works and plays in tune but would never pass for a “real” whistle. It is too breathy and it’s plumbing product origins are obvious. Based on Guido’s post, I thought he may be having similar issues with his design. Wrong!

The Low Tech Whistle is a very good whistle from the perspective of tone, tuning and playability. That's the stuff that matters. It may be simple in concept and construction but putting that aside – it plays like a champ. The volume is good, plenty loud for a session. The response is quite good too. The second octave A, B and beyond are easily accessible and do not require the push or extra air that many larger bore D whistles require. It is a very musical piece of work. Fit and finish are good too all things considered. The fit of the tuning slide is very good too and surprising to me considering how it is accomplished (see Guido’s web site).

http://profs.sci.univr.it/~gonzato/whistle/#Low

Of course this is all my humble opinion. I have to give Guido the props he deserves in making the Low Tech Whistle as good as it is.

In his original post. Guido was looking to the Water Weasel as a possible model to help improve his whistle design. I think the Water Weasel and the Thin Weasel are about as good as you can get and there is a lot to learn from any of Glenn’s instruments. And I don’t think anyone can replace Glenn Schultz. But, we’ve probably all heard the story of a young player approaching the old pro and professing that they wanted to play/sound just like the pro. The old pro, of course, advises him to spend his time practicing to discover his own sound. Wise words. Guido has been practicing. The Low Tech Whistle has it’s own sound. And I like it.

Feadoggie

[King Friday]

I've got one from Guido in the mail right now, I'm very excited to get it. Plus he sells them for very low prices.

[Guidus]

The design I use works and plays in tune but would never pass for a “real” whistle. It is too breathy and it’s plumbing product origins are obvious.

I strongly disagree.

Feadoggie sent me a low G and a soprano D, plus an unfinished D for my building pleasure. The low G has a lovely, solid and sweet sound, and its hole position is (IMHO) much more manageable than that of a Susato low G. And I really mean it: I'm going to sell my Susato low G that now is redundant.

The soprano D is a joy to play, I'll write a review on a separate post. I just can't hear the breathiness Feadoggie complains about - and believe me, I'm very fussy about it! In a nutshell, I'm enthusiastic about his whistles.

Feadoggie, "never pass for real whistles"? "Too breathy"? You kidding?

[Impempe]

Well I love a good trade and it was indeed a good trade with Guido. The soprano D he sent me is just fabulous. Easy to play, easy on the ears and has now become my car whistle. The look seems so simple, but when I have tried to make a PVC whistle, it always ends up looking pretty tacky. Not so with this. The tuning slide is really amazing, I followed his instructions to do this and found myself with a totally distorted end of a whistle. I think he kids you with his instructions on how easy it is - for him it sure seems the case though. I like the look and playability of this little gem a two thumbs up from me.

Ian

[azw]

The design I use works and plays in tune but would never pass for a “real” whistle. It is too breathy and it’s plumbing product origins are obvious.

.... Feadoggie, "never pass for real whistles"? "Too breathy"? You kidding?

Guidus, I think you've misread Feadoggie's message. He LOVES Guido's whistles. He was complaining about his (Feadoggie's) own whistles, not Guido's.

[Wanderer]

The design I use works and plays in tune but would never pass for a “real” whistle. It is too breathy and it’s plumbing product origins are obvious.

.... Feadoggie, "never pass for real whistles"? "Too breathy"? You kidding?

Guidus, I think you've misread Feadoggie's message. He LOVES Guido's whistles. He was complaining about his (Feadoggie's) own whistles, not Guido's.

Maybe I'm the one confused..
I thought Guidus=Guido
And that Guidus was saying Feadoggie's whistles were just fine

[azw]

Yep, you're perfectly right, Wanderer! Phew, this is confusing. Okay, ignore what I wrote above.

This is really just a love fest between Guido (AKA Guidus) and Feadoggie. Fooled me!

[Feadoggie]

Sorry for the confusion. I was not very clear.

There are really three whistles being referred to in these posts. Of course, one whistle is the Low-Tech whistle of Guido Gonzato and the reason for my post. The second is a simple whistle of my own making, dubbed Quando for QUick-And-DOwn-to-Earth. That is the breathy whistle. Whistle three, my solution to the breathy sound, uses a Water Weasel-like construction. I have exchanged examples of this type with Guido. Click on the thumbnail to see the full size photo. You can view more photos of my whistles from there.



The whistle at the top is one of my Quando whistles, the breathy one. It can be made with simple tools much as the Low-Tech Whistle.

The whistle in the middle is the Low-Tech Whistle of Guido Gonzato. This whistle benefits greatly from tubing with a thinner wall than the copper tubing size CPVC used in my whistles.

The whistle at the bottom is my improved whistle. This one requires a machine lathe to construct.

Thanks.

Feadoggie