Whistle instrument care
Brass Tuning Slide Tension Adjustment
Note: this applies only to brass tuning slides.
If you find that your brass tuning slide is a little loose you can tension it to exactly how you would like it…
To adjust tuning slide tension you are looking to gently squeeze the brass slide at the end.
If you have access to a vice, this is usually the best way of doing this (with some folded paper or paper towel to protect the brass/slide from the vice jaws). It doesn’t have to be a vice but it is the most precise method, so we would suggest visiting a friend with a vice before trying to make do with an old set of pliers, although wide jawed pliers should work also.
We usually recommend squeezing the sides rather than top and bottom – top and bottom would loosen it if you happened to over tension it. Best to start gently and try the slide after each squeeze to check tension. The first few times there may be no difference – but that’s fine – better to under-do it and build up than over-do it. You should be able to get it really nice and some slide grease should help make the seal at the end.
On mk pro whistles the brass tenon protudes from the bodytube on D, E, F and F# whistles, and from the head of mk pro G whistles.
mk whistle tuning slide being gently squeezed in vice to adjust tension.
Low Whistle Clogging
Clogging can be an issue for some whistle players. Because of this we have spent a lot of time creating whistles that are as ‘clog-free’ as possible. Even still, it can occasionally be an issue for some people. Everyone carries moisture in their breath, but some more than others, and this can condense in the airway forming moisture droplets which interrupt the airstream and cause air noise.
How do I know the issue is clogging?
Usually it develops over the course of a few minutes after starting to play. So if the whistle plays fine when you first pick it up, but then you start getting air-noise after a few minutes, then this is almost certainly because the moisture has been building up. Temperature may also have an affect. If the airnoise is more consistent i.e present every time you blow from the moment you pick-up the whistle, then the source of the issue may lie with something else.
What can I do about it?
The good news is that there are a few things you can try. A watery solution that we can provide, called ‘anticondense’, can be sprayed onto the surfaces at the end of airway (please see photo). We don’t have this available to buy at the moment but please get in touch ( info @ mkwhistles.com) if you would like some. This causes the moisture to form in a thin layer, rather than a droplet (for those with technical know-how this is releases the ‘surface tension’). It should be applied when the instrument is dry and then allowed to dry before playing. In most cases this does help a good deal, and it is worth experimenting with.
The problem may improve over time
Do bear in mind that some whistle makes are better than others for clogging – so it may be with experimenting.
Cleaning kit
We have recently released a new cleaning kit designed specifically for low whistles which is available to buy through Amazon in the UK, EU and US. If you are visiting this page, it’s very likely you have already purchased one!
Here’s a brief summary of the contents of the kit and its uses:-
Modular cleaning mop – this is a unique extendable cleaning mop developed by us for cleaning tunable and non-tunable low whistles. The head is replaceable and the handle should last a life-time.
Wistol cleaning and sterilising solution – a spray-on solution for cleaning and sterilising. Generally we would recommended using a spray on solution like this, which can be applied to the cleaning mop, cotton buds, or directly to a surface, instead of submerging ant part of a whistle in a liquid (e.g. soapy water). Water can promote biological growth, whereas a sterilising solution has the opposite effect.
Cotton buds – for cleaning the inside of the mouthpiece in conjunction with the cleaning solution
A tube of tuning slide grease to keep the tuning slide lubricated and moving freely.
A simple yet innovative tapered felt pull-through for clearing the airway. After playing for a little while, the narrower end of the pull-through should be threaded through the airway, and run backwards and forwards along the length of the felt. A little Wistol cleaning solution may also be used – apply by spraying at a close distance onto the felt.
If you’d like to see a video of us demonstrating how to use the different parts of the cleaning kit, then let us know by leaving a comment below. We also welcome feedback to info@mkwhistles.com.
Faulty Wistol Container
For those that have purchased one of the new cleaning kits, a small number of the bottles of Wistol are defective. If you are one of the unlucky people to happen to have received one of these, please don’t hesitate to get in touch to get a replacement!
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