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| For all intents and purposes, this is a basic penny whistle. A whistle can be made of almost any rigid material. It consists of a tube section and a mouth piece, known as a fipple. Fipple also referes to the wood plug used in some designs. The tube length and inner diameter determine the pitch or register that the whistle will make. The design of the mouthpiece will determine the tone quality and characteristics of the sound. I keep one of these in my pocket to play whenever I can. Click on the image to go to a great place to see more about whistles and other instruments. It has been my joy to discover the penny whistle as it is a portable and easily played instrument. |
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| These are whistles made of ABS plastic. They are manufactured by Susato, USA. To see more from this manufacturer, click on the images. These whistles can be great to play with a warm, breathy tone. The larger models are more challenging to play due the stretch that some fingering requires. I have a Low D and a Low G model as well as a set of the higher range. |
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| These are also manufactured by Susato USA. Notice the head joint below the mouth piece. These are not only beautiful to look at but they are also tunable so that you can more perfectly match another player. |
| This page last updated April 30, 2008 |
| If you would like to hear what a pennywhistle sounds like, I have these files for examples of whistle in the raw and slightly processed: Amazing Grace Dry.wav Amazing Grace Wet.wav Be thou My Vision Dry.wav Be Thou My Vision Wet.wav To obtain these files, please email me. Yahoo no longer allows sound files to be maintained free of charge so I cannot keep them on the page. I regret the inconvenience but free is good! |
| I have created a page of instruction to aid in the adjustment of inexpensive whistles. Note: This instruction does not apply well to Susato whistles. It contains pictures for every step to aid the user through the process. Please feel free to download, copy and share it with others. If you need any assistance, contact me. I will be adding an additional instruction on how to tune whistles. But that remains for another day. Click on the Tweaking Link below to view the instruction. |
| If you are interested in learning how to play the whistle but have not invested in any learning material, feel free to contact me. I have some information that will get you started on your way. |
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| The Calura Penny Whistle! |
| While antique shopping north of Lansing, MI, I found this penny whistle in a display case looking very lonely! I had heard of the Calura whislte as somewhat mythical as little is known about the company. It is believed that they were a sister company to Clark but Calura was located in Germany. A best guess is that the company disolved during the early 1930s. This must have been a sad day for many people! The whistle I have is in the key of B but I was told of one Low D that a Scottish player owned. He lives in Europe and only knew that it was not a Clark- although it looked like one. He reported that most of the paint had been rubbed off before he owned it! As I investigated, the two companies used similar assembly and design criterial so the product was similar. The most outstanding dis-similarity is that the Calura was painted brightly with rings around the finger holes. To the right is one in much better shaped owned by Dayton C. Miller (no relation). This gif is larger so you may want to download it and view it with more detail. Please click on the image for a large view or use this link to view it at it's web page: Calura Whistle- Dayton C. Miller Collection |
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| This is the book that was being sold with the whistle at the antique shop. Click on the images to see closeup views. This book is from the 1930s as well. Note the statement on the inside cover indicating that the whistle is a good preparation for the Clarinet! |
| Do you know who this little guy is? Click Here |
| The Asarkar Penny Whistle! |
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| I found these whistles in a local music shop that happened to use an importer that knew about these whistles. They are an interesting whistle in that they are inexpensive and can look poor but play well. They are made in India and have been seen on Ebay. This whistle is not known for quality. However, I was pleased to discover that this whistle maker can produce a whistle with some charm and a playable tone. According the the store owner, the importer indicated that the whistles are not made at a particular factory in India. The importer has tested for LEAD and that testing occurs regularly to ensure safety. There is a metalic taste to the mouthpiece from the brass that can be of concern. This is not an indication of lead content. I recommend that, should you obtain one of these whistles from any source, get a lead test kit from the hardware store and test it- just to be sure! The least expensive kit contains two swabs. Early Asarkar whistles were made with lead solder. I have detected lead in some early Asarkar whistles that I own. These whistles were made several years ago before testing and the use of lead-free solder became a standard. I have been in communication with the importer that I worked with and they continue to test regularly. I purchased two more Asarkar whistles from them in April '08 and did not detect lead in the solder. See the image of the test swabs. "If the tip is RED, there is LEAD". If the tip is clear, have no fear. Simply follow the instructions in the kit. The logo reads, "Asarkar" " and "Made in India". There is also a tag soldered onto each whistle. The "Low A" whistle on the left reads "Madhu Bansi" ("Sweet Flute") and the tag on the Low D (DD) reads "Pipola" (I will know shortly what this means). The holes are not in line but are located irregulary. Perhaps in an attempt to make them more finger friendly or simply due to poor workmanship. The Low A was $8 while the Low D was $32. I enjoy playing both and have obtained the rest of the series. I have so far aquired the Low D, Low G, Low A, C and D. They are slightly sharp but play well alone. To correct the sharpness, I am considering adding a sleave to make them adjustable. If you are interested in having one of these whistles, use this importer! If you should learn more about this manufacturer or if you discover lead in the mouthpiece, please contact me! |
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| Check this out! My daughter gave me this gift for Christmas of 2007. Does she have any idea how many things that she will be cleaning????? |
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| <<--There's lead in them thar' whistles! |
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| Good to Go! -->> |