Geoffrey Ellis Low Whistle Review

[TC]

I've spent my allotted week with the Ellis whistles and it's been an enjoyable one. The maker has a list of requests in order to care for the instruments. The hardest one to honor is to let the whistles acclimate for 24 hours in your home before playing. Luckily I was away camping last weekend so they actually sat for 3 days before I could play them.

As has been said, the fit and finish on these whistles is stunning. Even giant words like chattoyance don't do them justice. Color and pattern in the grain make these 2 gorgeous whistles. You also see a fine finish on the inside of the bore. They are light and feel great to the touch. The F is very lively and the notes pop under the fingers.

The design is very similar to some whistles I play(Alba and MK), especially the way the sounblade is layered inside the body of the whistle. The Ellis' are more chunky on the blowing end which has been noted. This was noticeable to me, mostly on the D. The size keeps the whistle outside of your lips, which is good playing position, but to get a good seal, I felt like I had to pucker my cheeks in a bit which I didn't like. I'm certain I could adapt to this, I'm talking a very subtle difference and good players should be able to adapt to instruments, eh? Holding the whistle a bit more horizontally seemed to help this. The beak on the F is very similar to my MK. The MK beak is thinner at the beak end which I prefer. I didn't note any moisture problems. There was some moisture in the window but it never seemed to effect playability. The windways are very wide and open. Overall volume is strong but I wouldn't call them loud whistles.

So do they play as nice as they look? Absolutely. They both have a very smooth and open sound. On the D, the bottom 2 notes are both very strong. Even as an intermediate player, I could get a strong sound with little effort. This was true all the way up the scale. Both whistles transition very sweetly from octave to octave which is very nice. I felt like I had to push the F a little bit in the upper octave. The D felt very balanced to to me. My usual D is an Alba which has a great second octave but you really have to hit it to get there. The Ellis seems to speak easily with little breath but can also sing when you lean into it.
In short, these are both really fun whistles to play and the craftsmanship is top notch.

A quick take on the F
Sunny Banks
A few on the D
Minuet in D
Roscommon
Polkas

[PhilO]

I just spent my allotted time with the whistles and was also straining to abide by the "24 hour no play rule (which I grudgingly did)." The whistles are visually stunning, especially the D (to my eye). And yes the beaks are Abell-like but not a big deal to adjust to quickly.

I'll be brief because I really don't generally wander below G although I own Copeland, Burke Viper, and O'Riordan Traveler low D whistles.

The volume on these to me is moderate.

Truth be told, I was able to play jigs and reels to (my) speed on the F and stayed mostly with Airs on the D.

The outstanding characteristic of these whistles to me was the balance between octaves - strong enough woody resonant low end and singing highs. The F was particularly responsive. I had a joy leaning into the high Bs on the D.

Philo

[Geoffrey Ellis]

Yes, I feel like the 24 hour acclimation request is causing needless suffering It is probably overkill and not strictly necessary. The wood is well sealed and should manage climate changes just fine. Further tour participants can use their judgment on this--if it feels freezing cold then maybe let it sit a bit before playing for an extended period of time.

Thanks TC and PhilO!

[Cayden]

Yes, I feel like the 24 hour acclimation request is causing needless suffering It is probably overkill and not strictly necessary. The wood is well sealed and should manage climate changes just fine. Further tour participants can use their judgment on this--if it feels freezing cold then maybe let it sit a bit before playing for an extended period of time.

Thanks TC and PhilO!

Hello Geoffrey,
I just read this post moments ago. In actuality, Phil just emailed me last night that he had just sent your whistles on their way to me from NY. Given the short distance between our locations, it is probable that I will receive them tomorrow or Thursday.

I had contacted Feadoggie last night and vowed to not break ranks regarding
your instructions to give the whistles adequate acclimation time.It is cold here in the
Northeast and given one whistle had already previously developed a small crack, I do not
wish to cause any problems. What do you feel is a reasonable amount of time for
acclimation prior to playing them??? I can maintain the 24 hour regulation if you wish, but I
will admit it won't be easy. Anyhow, I just wondered if you have suggested upper
and lower parameters for adequate acclimation. I will abide by your wishes and I will also
notify you upon their safe delivery at my home.

All for now. Take care.

Slainte,
Cayden

[Geoffrey Ellis]

Cayden,

I think that sitting for a few hours in a warm room will be enough. If you feel any trepidation, you can wait a full 24 hours, but I suspect that the whistle will acclimate to its surroundings before that much time has passed. Like I said, I was probably being overly careful.

[Cayden]

Geoffrey,
I will give the whistles more than ample time to acclimate to my home environment.

Cheers,
Cayden

[Cayden]

So, I have been the fortunate participant for the last week of the ongoing Ellis Whistle Tour. Prior to writing this post, I spent some time on both the low F and low D playing "The Parting Glass" which seemed apropos given I will soon be sending the whistles on their way to an eagerly awaiting Steve Bliven.

As all before me have mentioned, both of the tour whistles are visually delightful with respect to Geoffrey's selection of materials for color, grain / figure, and attention to detail that speaks to his outstanding abilities as a fine craftsman.

It is my hope that my participation in this tour and the perspective I now share, lends the view of a relative newcomer to the world of the low whistle. Though I have been playing high whistle for several years, my introduction to playing low whistle came about six months ago along with the purchase of my MK Pro Low D. I have since added Kerry, Burke, Overton / Goldie, and O'Riordan low whistles to my growing fleet, all very nice and very different
whistles in their own right. Though my overall experience pales to most of the participants in
this tour, I thought it might give an interesting view by someone who not very long ago was
freaking out in trying to make the stretch needed to very slowly and awkwardly get through
a tune on a low D whistle, this is not to mention the near hypoxic conditions faced in the
transition to the demand for air by low whistles versus that of the relatively tiny high tubes.

So, going beyond the initial beauty of the Ellis Whistles, I did notice a strong influence of the MK intrinsic to Geoffrey's overall design, this being particularly true with respect to the window and blade. Though the dimensions vary, the overall shape is very similar. Certainly any emulation of the MK design has it's merits. The most obvious deviation from the MK inspired Ellis window would be the all wooden blade, a feature that I would surmise is
certainly much more labor intensive to produce. I would think the employment of the all
wooden blade might lend itself in more individuality from whistle to whistle as voiced by Ellis.
A feature not shared between the MK and Ellis designs is the overall geometry of the beak,
that of the bulkier Ellis seemingly being more problematic for some participants than others.
Truth be told, it did seem a bit strange to me initially, but I found adaptation to be both
quick and having little effect on ability to play the instrument as easily as others of a more
standard form. I get a sense of Geoffrey's background as a maker of Native American
Flutes when viewing the overall geometry of his whistle design, particularly with respect to
the mouthpiece. As was discovered early in the tour, there is an associated risk with the
use of Ebony in the mouthpiece along with the use of varying wood species that can cause
problems due their individual characteristics relative to expansion and contraction due to
changes in humidity and temperature, such is the nature of wood. That said, it is clear that
Geoffrey is a thinking man and is seeking to employ alternative methods of stabilization of
materials while maintaining the outstanding and very unique aesthetic of his original design.
The application of vaccum kiln drying techniques and epoxy for the stabilization of wood is
an effective strategy and surely somewhat innovative relative to making whistles.

Momentarily keeping with wood as a material, I found that for me, the surface treatment of Geoffrey's whistles was not at all slippery as compared with the anodized finish on the
aluminum body of my MK Pro Low D. I knew that a grip on the surface of the MK might be problematic when I received it from Uileann Piper Pat D'Arcy with strategically placed surgical tape on the tone tube for added traction of grip. I definitely find the Ellis whistle to be more
friendly with regards to grip ergonomics than the surface of my MK. It is difficult to say accurately if this has led me to believe that the Ellis is generally much more comfortable to play with regard to stretch / dexterity needed to play it, as I have become much more proficient in use of the piper's grip. Given I do not visually perceive a great variation in the reach between tone holes and their size relative to the MK versus the Ellis, I am comfortable
saying I find Geoffrey's instrument less demanding to play, especially for longer periods of time. As well, I found the wooden whistles to be surprisingly light for additional comfort during extended periods of play.

There is the continuing debate as to how much the material of which a whistle is made has on the overall tone of the instrument. It seems there are two distinct schools of thought
regarding the issue, those that say there is a direct correlation, and those that say any such effect is minimal if at all. Yet, long standing and accomplished players within the tour
participant group describe the whistle as "woody" or "husky" sounding, others speak to a warm timbre. Call it what you may, these whistles have a very nice, complex, and unique tone, one that I might speculate to be associated with wood. Not any nicer / better than metal, delrin, or composite, just different and another in the spectrum of tones produced by whistles. Pat Plunkett and Feadoggie both suggest that there is a noted sound of air moving through the whistle. Pat and the others with whom he plays at sessions did not like that
characteristic while Feadoggie stated he did like it. I found it to be more prominent in the low F than in the low D and I tend to lean more toward Pat's camp regarding that aspect.

Intonation seems to have been adequately spoken to by prior participants. I would concur that the whistles are in tune with themselves, play quite evenly throughout octaves with no tendency to jump. Like Pat, I found myself pushing to hit certain notes on the mark. I think that most would agree that for these whistles to be considered viable options for session play, that the addition of a tuning slide is a crucial design consideration going forward. Discussions regarding the pro and con arguments for a brass versus a wood on
wood design should focus on related issues specific to risk of failure / cracking, the need to increase wall thickness and thus additional weight, the effect such changes might have on tonal qualities inherent to the current design, and increased labor / production costs. It is clear that the addition of a tuning slide would add substantially to the final price tag, yet
that is just the reality of the cost of a whistle that offers the best of both function and form.

I did note that neither the low F nor the low D is exceptionally loud and would agree with others that they rank as moderate in terms of volume. I did not experience any clogging issues of the curved windway of either whistle. Both instruments were as responsive as my own limitations allowed for. Air demand was at a comfortable level for me.

I could see where amplification might be needed for larger sessions or venues. I spent a
good amount of time yesterday playing into my Zoom H4N recorder while monitoring through earbuds. I experimented to listen both while I was playing, and to what the whistle sounded like when I was just listening during playback mode. I think most would agree that we hear our whistles differently while playing them comparative to what we hear while just listening. I also played the whistles into the recorder while using just the integral microphones and some of the programmable onboard effects such as delay, reverb, and echo, the resulting sound being being extremely nice and conceivably applicable to impart a variety of emotions musically.

So, speaking of imparting musical emotion, this old Lad will be singing the blues the minute I ship these wooden gems off to Steve Bliven on Friday. The week spent with these finely crafted instruments was highly enjoyable and it sure made my time spent riding out the blizzard that just slammed us here in New England pass by in a flash. My thanks to Geoffrey Ellis for his sharing his craftsmanship and giving me the opportunity to participate in the tour. My thanks also goes out to Feadoggie for his work in facilitation of this tour, and for his ongoing avail of himself as a resource to me in my quest to become more proficient in
both playing whistle and subjects related to audio recording.

Very Nice whistles Geoffrey!

Cheers all,
Cayden

[Steve Bliven]

I sit here with my mind somewhat boggled at the concept of a whistle, much less two whistles, actually leaving Cayden's hands.

Best wishes.

Steve

[Cayden]

I sit here with my mind somewhat boggled at the concept of a whistle, much less two whistles, actually leaving Cayden's hands.

Best wishes.

Steve

Steve,
Keep it up wizeguy, they haven't left me hands yet!

Woefully,
Cayden

[Feadoggie]

Cayden, don't do anything rash! Please pass the whistles along to Steve. Then contact Geoffrey. I am sure he can make more.

Thanks for your thoughts on the whistles, Cayden.

Feadoggie

[Cayden]

Feadoggie,
Just when I think I'm OK, that wisenheimer Bliven comes to mind and I get all to shaking and twitching. Seems the only cure is tooting on an Ellis low whistle to calm my convulsions. Old Stevie could be out of luck come Friday unless I undergo some kind of miraculous cure between now and then. God save me!

Spastically yours,
Cayden

[Steve Bliven]

Take two Sindts and call me in the morning...

Best wishes.

Steve

[Cayden]

Take two Sindts and call me in the morning...

Best wishes.

Steve

Dr. Bliven,
Ye may be onto a cure Lad. I hope the monitors might overlook your dispensing of "medical" advice. Surely not the typical quackery associated with the medical profession. Ya, I think that might just be the needed Rx.

On the road to recovery,
Cayden

[PhilO]

All following me should consider themselves quite lucky, as I once HIGHJACKED a touring whistle; that's right I did it and am forever happy about it! of course, after considerable begging and threats (to my own self), the whistle maker gave in and provided me an extraordinary deal. Now, this behavior is neither for amateurs nor the faint of heart, so please do not attempt to replicate my despicable behavior. I've since been through a long regimen of whistle acquisition disorder control sessions and believe I'm rehabilitated. As I said, don't get any ideas; it'll inhibit this fine tradition.

Philo

[Cayden]

I've since been through a long regimen of whistle acquisition disorder control sessions and believe I'm rehabilitated.
Philo

A classic case study specific to WIDD ( Whistle Induced Delusional Disorder ).

Philo, never forget you are just one O'Riordan away from total self destruction.

In solidarity,
C C C A A A Y Y Y D D D E E E N N N (sorry, a spontaneous twitch came on me)