Easy step to a nicer whistle…
Say you’re fairly new to the whistle, but think you’re ready to move up to something a little nicer than a standard Generation, Feadóg, Oak, or whatever. But, you don’t think you’re quite ready to spend $100 - $200+ for a handmade job. Fortunately, there’s at least one maker who can help you out - Mack Hoover. There may be others who do this, but Mack has a stellar reputation and comes immediately to mind for improving one of your current cheapies.
If you go to Mack’s site, check out the Whitecaps and Blacktops. These are just whistle heads made to replace the stock head from one of your cheapies. Personally, I only have one Whitecap, which I have been keeping on my Feadóg, though it’s also spent some time on my Oak. I haven’t played a Blacktop, but have been thinking about getting one for my Mellow Dog.
My Whitecap has a pure, clean tone with just a little chiff. The volume is about the same as the Feadóg head it replaced. It takes a very different blowing technique though. It has more backpressure, so you have to push it more to stay in the second register. While this may sound like a negative, it’s actually nice once you get used to it. It allows you to lean into the tone, giving you more freedom for expression.
As I said, I haven’t played a Blacktop. From the sound clips I’ve heard, it sounds like it has a bit more chiff - although that could be a personal request from the customer. I have heard that the Blacktop is less likely to clog, but honestly I haven’t had any clogging problems with my Whitecap. One more difference (I’ve read) is that the Blacktop is all plastic (delrin, I believe), where the Whitecap is CPVC with a brass insert.
So, for around $50 (or less), you really can get a great whistle. And since they’re handmade, you can tell Mack exactly what you want (more or less chiff, quiet, louder, etc.), and he’ll work with you. While his specialty is a fairly quiet whistle with a pure tone, he can build them to suit. So, if you’re ready to move up to a better whistle but don’t want to break the bank yet, send Mack an email.