Camac whistles: Who remembers them?

Cayden · Post by **Cayden** » Mon Dec 10, 2001 4:19 pm

During the second hald of the 1970s a French company specialising in Traditional/Folk instruments had a line of tin whistles on the market. They were brass whistles with a red plastic head of the company's own design on them. The head was well designed if a bit chunky, in fact looking at one just now I thought it quite similar to the heads on a Sindt.
The range of keys available was the same as those of the Generations (as far as I remember). I have seen them in shops in Frane, Germany, Belgium and The Netherlands at the time. Never though have I come across a mention on this board. A spot maybe missed by the vintage whistle collectors among us?.#
Has anybody any memory of those whistles?

I personally have a Bflat, which is playable if maybe a bit coarse in tone.

Feadan · Post by **Feadan** » Mon Dec 10, 2001 4:57 pm

I own a Camac in C. I would describe the plastic headjoint as more "recorder" like than bearing any resemblance to a Sindt. The intonation isn’t bad. Low breath requirement. Nice tone. Quieter than Generation. They did make an A (which Generation does not). Was there a low G as well?

Cheers,
David

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Feadan on 2001-12-10 17:58 ]</font>

Reyburnwhistles · Post by **Reyburnwhistles** » Mon Dec 10, 2001 6:23 pm

Yes David, a friend of mine has a Low G Camac and it plays very nicely. All in all I would say a very nice whistle.
The fipple comes apart with a gentle tap which I really like.
Ronaldo

Whistlepeg · Post by **Whistlepeg** » Mon Dec 10, 2001 9:24 pm

Camac was a folk/early music camp out in Quebec. I am trying to find out more information about this camp - does it still exist? I can't find anything anywhere on the web. Maybe I'm looking in the wrong places. Anyone help me?

Cayden · Post by **Cayden** » Tue Dec 11, 2001 2:03 am

The head is actually recorder like, but I thought it resembles the Sindt because of the way the head is constructed: unsusally for a plastic whistle head it is a two piece construction with a plug closing the back of it, and I just noticed this plug is easily pushed out (which helps greatly cleaning the gunk out of it). Ihe bflat is quite powerful I thought. Didn't remember any lower ones, interesting.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Peter Laban on 2001-12-11 04:15 ]</font>

Feadan · Post by **Feadan** » Tue Dec 11, 2001 10:30 am

All these years and I never knew that the fipple could be removed! Cool!

Cheers,
David