I have a Burke high D whistle (brass) and a Chieftain low D (alloy). I have had both for many years, and have never done anything to them to keep them in decent shape, except for the occasional buffing of the exterior. Yes, I’m ashamed of myself. So what should I be doing, and how often? They both sound fine to me, but maybe it’s because I’ve gotten used to less- than- optimum sound quality. Thanks for your help. And go easy on me.
hi
i never did any maintenance for my whistles. i have a TWZ XL1 and its full of patina.
only the cork part from my Ian Lambe Low Whistle need some humidification from time to time, otherwise it would shrink. but i have no idea what else i should do than some small cleaning. but im interested what some more experienced players will say
I went to a folk festival event a year or so back and run into some people I knew years earlier. She asked me if I could take a look at her whistle (hey, I’m a flute maker, so I know all about whistles!) It was a really nicely made wooden instrument, but didn’t play like that. My old Soodlums (admittedly hand-tweaked - OK, I do know about whistles too) sounded far better. It soared, while her’s muttered.
I noted hers had a very thin (in the vertical sense), curved windway, and it was hard to see down it, even holding it up to the light. I suggested it might have accretions of breath condensate that needed cleaning out. I pointed out the obvious dangers of getting things stuck in there, or of damaging the leading edge of the ramp. We discussed possible approaches. Unfortunately, I was there to enjoy a few tunes, and hadn’t come equipped for whistle maintenance. Silly boy!
Anyway, bumped into her again next morning, and she was ecstatic. Lots of gunge had been expunged, and the instrument was back in full as-new playing condition.
So I’d say to you, look to your windways. When you think of all your breath going through there, and the amount of moisture in that breath, and the salts dissolved in that moisture, it would be surprising if at least some of it didn’t lodge in the windway, and perhaps on top of and under the “edge” of the ramp.
People get concerned about exposing woodwinds to water - don’t be. Every time you play, they are getting wet. Wash them as and when needed, just don’t leave them wet if they are made of wood.
Unfortunately, I can’t remember what we had determined to try to clean the windway, but perhaps others can make suggestions of what has worked for them. I’m imagining pipe cleaners, unfurled paper clips and strips of plastic to dislodge things, etc, etc. And detergent solution, with lots of fresh water to rinse.
I’ll add to Terry’s excellent comments and say that I always come out with a new sounding whistle (sometimes quite dramatically so) by:
1. Soaking it in washing up liquid and tepid water for a few minutes
2. Rinsing out the fipple with some water pressure (no power washer needed though) afterwards until the windway and everything looks clear
I do this with my Burkes, Killarneys and Sindts and it works like a charm every time.
Mr. Burke has some maintenance on his site.
A dental water flossing device works very well, with no chance of scratching. Be prepared for some splashing.
Terry McGee: “I’m imagining pipe cleaners, unfurled paper clips …”
If I may be so bold as to gainsay a reputable flute maker, I would be a little wary of using anything made of wire, for fear of damaging the windway – especially if it is plastic or wood, but even brass and aluminium can be scratched by iron wire. I have always used card or paper.
Definitely not metal. Thin strip of card or folded paper will clear any build up. Soak beforehand to soften.
Thanks for all the comments and suggestions. I’ll have a look at mine to check they are all playing properly.
Thanks for all the comments. It hasn’t helped my playing at all, but the mistakes sound much sweeter!
@bkehew — Improvement will come. With a bad (or badly maintained) instrument, you put all your energies into compensating for its faults, instead of focusing on and eliminating the faults in your playing.
“If I may be so bold as to gainsay a reputable flute maker, I would be a little wary of using anything made of wire, for fear of damaging the windway – especially if it is plastic or wood, but even brass and aluminium can be scratched by iron wire. I have always used card or paper.”
Your caution is appropriate, CreadurMawnOrganig, which is why I had warned my whistle-playing friend of the danger of damaging the leading edge of the ramp. I don’t think there’s much risk of damaging the windway - it’s essentially just a tube that forms and points the jet. Card and paper should be good enough for routine maintenance, but may not be strong enough in situations where a lot of hardened condensates have built up over time, as was clearly the case with the whistle I saw. This was one clogged whistle!
I should probably have made clear in regard to unfurled paper clips, that I was thinking of using a formed loop of the wire, rather than the pointy end! But having said that, even the pointy end might be needed to bust up some condensate. But do try to keep it well away from the tip of the ramp!
These work well, no wire involved:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/iDontix-IDontix-Brace-X-Floss-Green/dp/B00L73M09I
I clean the windway with this plastic bands used to tie packets