G'day all you Mudcat whistlers,

Bev Lawton: Factory makers are not going to make a whistle that is "Right" or "Left" handed - they would have to make 2 models, shops would have to be persuaded to stock extra whistles &c. A custom maker can place the holes off line with no problem - except that the whistle is now "bespoke" - made to fit one person (although it may now work better for 90% of the rest).

The next test piece I make this weekend (another low "D" in 25mm PVC electrical conduit) will have the holes for right and left ring fingers slightly offset (only 3mm/~.125")... unlike last weekend's effort that was a little too far out of line!

I will also cement an extra thickness of PVC tube wall into the whistle area to let me make it all deeper and sharper. I suspect this will give me better low tones and I quess that making wooden whistles gives you a real cahnce to make things as deep-cut as you want to.

Vixen: Yes ... notice that the thin flat tops of tin tin whistles does nothing to protect against cross-winds. The moulded plastic channel is a lot better and the "Soodlums"/Irish style, with quite a deep wind channel would be best of all. I have always tried to keep the whistle in the lee of my body when playing outdoors.

Jon Freeman: Of course, really good players have been playing for a long time ... and therefore started on what was available. Once generations got over the badly designed plastic mouthpieces of the 1960s (or even 1950s?), that were useless on anything bigger than their standard "D", they became almost as good as their old lead fipple versions ... and a damn sight better for your life expectancy! I still have some lead ones (with shrink-fit tube over the fipple and they ae lovely ... but are in rather high old pitch.

j0_77 and Magpie: The way I heard it, Capt O'Neill of the Chicago Police Force hired every passing Irish musician onto the Force - then sat them down to play every tune they knew to Sgt O'Neill (not a close relative) who transcribbed them all!. I would have to check, but my O'Neill's is something like 1875 tunes ... the 1001 is a more recent edit down to amnageable proportions.

Regards,

Bob Bolton