THE "BLACK PEARL" MODEL PENNYWHISTLE
"BLACK PEARL" is made of black polymer and pitched in the key of high D (soprano voice, nontransposing). It features a conical bore and profiled, undercut toneholes to bring out rich harmonics for free speaking, easy playing and robustness. Ornamentation is crisp with ample "chiff" for that familiar pennywhistle presence. Has excellent harmonic alignment (octave registration) and an accurate scale on A=440. For a traditional sound, "BLACK PEARL" has won the favor of Irish musicians at every level.
The player can easily tune this 2-piece instrument by moving the slender tenon that slides in the head's internal o-rings (while other o-rings serve as tuning spacers). The curved windway tends to shed moisture and reduce the chance of clogging. Backpressure is moderate, and the response is balanced throughout the compass (with resonant lows and gentle highs). Transitions are easy, smooth and stable. I have voiced hundreds and hundreds of whistles, doing my best work in polymers (with the approval of the FDA, of course). The head, block and body are machined in acetal (like Delrin); this material was chosen for performance, satisfaction, a beautiful finish, low maintenance, durability and affordability. The fingerholes are evenly spaced for the comfort of all players, especially those with large fingers. Laser engraving complements the fine workmanship. Lengths are 5.1" (head) and 7.7" (body) or 11.8" assembled (130, 196 and 300mm respectively).
| Price of the "BLACK PEARL" Model Pennywhistle: $150.00 | |
SHIPPING INFORMATION: All U.S Domestic orders will be shipped at a flat rate of $8 per order. International orders will be charged an initial $8 for shipping and upon completion of order processing through PayPal, the customer will be contacted and billed by WD Sweet Flutes for additional shipping charges based on the international location and value of the order. European customers should contact me prior to ordering for the best shipping options.
Testimonials
I received the whistles today! Beautiful craftsmanship and beautiful playing. Both the "BLACK PEARL" High-D and the "ONYX" Low-D are excellent instruments, beyond any of my expectations. They will be played and enjoyed for quite some time.
Bernard Keilty Milford CT June 2012
I played "BLACK PEARL" all day today (had the house to myself). I'm really happy with its responsiveness. I have much more control over tone, volume and articulations with this whistle. This whistle is everything I had hoped it would be. Once again, Walt has been a delight to deal with. I'm very pleased. Thank you so much!
Deb South Dakota February, 2011
Also, please see http://forums.chiffandfipple.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=80462
So, now I've done it. I just bought my first "real" whistle.
Up 'til now, my few whistles have all been the under-ten-dollar variety, and have served their purpose well. However, I suddenly found myself with a surplus in the instrument cash department and these pretty little "BLACK PEARLS" were calling my name.
I think I'm in love. I never knew that I, (a pretty good fifer and a fair fluter) could make a whistle sound so pretty. I'm not enough of an expert to give as detailed and accurate a review as [Audrey's], but I recommend "BLACK PEARL" highly to anyone who wants an indestructible, beautiful sounding whistle.
Chris Myers Rhode Island 2009
This whistle is nice and stable. Transitions between octaves are smooth and easy, just not "hyper." Octave balance is good overall. It's got enough volume and presence to hold its own in a session, but it's not going to break anyone's eardrums. Clogging simply doesn't happen. That curved windway does exactly what it's supposed to do.
The sound is absolutely enticing. Full, round and rich, with just the right amount of chiff; that lovely, wild, characteristic pennywhistle sound. It's a real pleasure to play. In the world of tunable plastic whistles, this one is definitely "best of breed."
Audrey Nickel Santa Cruz Mountains, CA December, 2008