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Tweaked Shaw Whistle
Key of D
Sorry, no longer
available from Jerry Freeman
Comments
about the Tweaked Shaw from
Thom Larson (owner of The Whistle Shop):
Shaw whistles are
very similar in appearance to the
Natural Original Clarke whistle, in that they are made of rolled tin with a
wooden fipple plug. They are usually a favorite among participants in "Period"
events (Renaissance Fairs, Civil War reenactments, etc.).
We have never stocked Shaws in the past, simply because all
of them that I have tried playing myself have been too breathy and required too much air. I
find that Jerry's tweak of these whistles is excellent; he makes them
very sweet sounding and totally fixes the higher air-requirement problem. I
highly recommend this whistle!
Comments about the Tweaked Shaw from Dale Wisely of
The Chiff & Fipple:
"The Shaw whistles are very solid and well made whistles, similar in overall
design to the original Clarke. Jerry Freeman's tweak of the Shaw whistles
transforms them. He completely eliminates the wind requirement problems and
produces a focused tone and a much more responsive instrument. The
Freeman-tweaked Shaw becomes an excellent choice as a step-up from the most
inexpensive, mass-produced instruments."
The "tweaked" Shaw whistle has been fine-tuned by Jerry Freeman. You'll find
Jerry's comments about what he does (and why) below:
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It is customary for
serious musicians to make special modifications and adjustments
("tweaking" or "voicing") to bring out the full musical potential of this
traditional folk instrument.
The windway, windcutter
blade edge and (if necessary) fipple block have been tweaked by Jerry
Freeman to:
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Fine-tune the airflow so
the instrument produces more musical sound and noticeably less
"breathiness" for a given amount of air blown in,
-
Create an optimal amount
of "back pressure" so the whistle is more receptive to subtle breath
control. This produces a more expressive and responsive instrument. The
sensation is that this whistle "sings."
-
Reduce the amount of air
needed to a comfortable level without sacrificing volume.
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Sweeten and strengthen
the upper register
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If necessary, strengthen
and stabilize the lowest two notes.
I'm particularly fond of
these tweaked Shaw whistles for two main reasons:
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They are well made
instruments from quality materials. The metal is German silver, and the
fipple block is hardwood. They are more solidly made than other whistles
of the conical, rolled metal construction. These whistles have a
quality, authentic traditional appearance.
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They produce a beautiful
tone, the best example I know of a "pure-drop authentic tinwhistle
sound." They have a much cleaner and stronger voice than other
tinwhistles of similar construction, and they provide a pure, "ethereal"
sound that's associated with traditional whistle music.
Enjoy
your whistle!
Best wishes,
Jerry
P.S. FOR A REVIEW AND
DISCUSSION OF THE TWEAKED SHAW WHISTLES,
Click Here.
Text in this box is used by kind
permission of Jerry Freeman
© COPYRIGHT 2003, HOMESTAR PROPERTIES, L.L.C.
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If you are new to playing
whistle, we always recommend that you start with a whistle in the key of D. See our
Beginner's Section for more info on whistle keys.
PLEASE NOTE:
This whistle may or may not include the display box shown in the pic above (most
shipments to us do not include this box anymore...).
(Don't forget to order a
Whistle Pouch for your whistle!)
Sorry, no longer
available from Jerry Freeman
Tweaked Shaw, Key of D
Price - $36.50
each
Catalog# -
178T
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