The Puffin tunable Low /Bass Irish Whistle set in low D, low C, Bass Bb and Bass A handcrafted by Nick Metcalf from irishwhistle.com. This set includes a custom made aluminum case, the puffin low whistle mouthpiece and 4 separate bodies that each fit the mouthpiece.
Please note that if you were to buy these whistles separately, it would cost over $700, but with the single mouthpiece that fits each body I can give you a significant discount of over $200 off! Also please don’t be fooled by my low prices. This whistle model can hold its own next to any whistles out there. You can spend twice this amount on a single whistle from some makers, but if you play the puffin low whistles I think you will prefer them!
The Puffin low whistle is a newly designed low whistle that incorporates some fantastic design features. It has a very narrow walled internal tuning slide that gives a very effective range of tuning that is far superior to most tuning slides that often cause serious intonation issues when moved any more than a fraction due to their thick wall. You can effectively detune a whole half step and still have a whistle that plays in tune. it is almost like having two whistles in one. It is also made with a stabilization wall around the tone hole that gives the sound some great stability and strength. It has a narrow focussed windway that gives beautiful tone with a bit of back pressure, yet because of the materials used the windway won’t clog up. It has a very strong bell tone (lowest note) that you can really lean into and has a complexity of tone that gives that low whistle cosmic drainpipe type of sound that can be heard by the playing of Davy Spillane and other great low whistle players. The finish of the whistle is wet sanded starting at 120 grit all the way down to 10,000 grit so you get a silky smooth finish.
Another cool feature is that the tuning slide on these is effective down a half step, so you can play the D body in C#, and the C body in B etc. so with the four bodies you have a very large range of keys available.
Unlike some of my other whistle models that are individual works of art,I am making this model with a little more uniformity. I think this model is the culmination of nearly 30 years of whistle making with a massive amount of experimentation and development and learning what makes a low whistle work. I have created it out of easily accessible materials to keep the cost down and make a whistle that works in all environments temperatures and humidity. It is durable, strong and has fantastic sound. I believe you will not find a better sounding low whistle for a better price.
Please note that the whistle bodies below D (C, Bb and A) are made with an offset on the ring finger holes of each hand which makes it easier to reach the holes. I have it set for left hand on top style of playing. If you want it offset for right hand on top, or with no offset, I can make them that way, but please send me a message to request that before placing the order.
Please note that low and bass whistles are playable for people with medium to large hands. I have made the reach as easy as I could and even offset the lower keys but larger hands and longer fingers will make it easier to play.
This low whistle set has been hand crafted by Nick Metcalf in New York, USA. Nick has been making Irish whistles since 1998 and has sold over 15,000 instruments worldwide! This is a multi- item listing. You will get a whistle that is nearly identical to the one in the photos but as they are handcrafted there might be small differences that don’t affect playability.
I will ship your whistle usually within 1-2 business day of when the order is received. (I do not ship on Saturday, so if you order is placed on Friday it will ship the following Monday). In the US I will ship using USPS Priority mail which usually takes 2-3 days to arrive, however there is no guarantee of delivery time with USPS priority mail. If you need it by a specific time choose express mail.
International Shipping is handled by Ebay's Global Shipping Program.
This is a multi-item listing. You may not receive the exact instruments that are picture, but ones that are virtually identical.
This Whistle Features:
- keys of low D, Low C.l, Bass Bb and Bass A
- Tunable with an internal tuning slide
- Made from CPVC and Delrin
- Fipple plug is make from Delrin
- Hand crafted and hand tuned to concert pitch A440 @68•F
- Curved Windway
- Offset holes to make the stretch easier to reach optimized for left hand on tope style of playing on all but the D body
- each body features a puffin design on the bottom in which you can see the key that the body plays in.
Please note that each whistle body had the main key you can play in, but other keys are playable. So, for example, a D whistle also plays many songs in G or E minor then with the special tuning slide design you can play the same body in C# or F#. Alternate fingerings can allow for a few more keys as well, so with this set you can play in most any key depending on the voicing of the song.
Please see my other listing for more beautiful handcrafted instruments
Please note that Priority Mail will come with an estimated shipping time that is not guaranteed, and sometimes it may take longer than the estimate. If you need the whistle set to arrive at a specific time, then Priority Express is available with a guaranteed delivery time.