The Complete Handbook of Tin Whistles

I bought this because I teach whistle and get asked the same questions about what to buy and how to fix a clog. The maintenance chapter is genuinely useful and I've used the tuning curve talk with a few older students. That said, it's a reference work, not a page-turner, and I wish the brand section gave more direct recommendations rather than describing positions. It's a good book to have on the shelf, but it didn't change the way I play.

I run a small music shop and needed something to help me stock better whistles. The chapter on specifications is the most valuable part - I now check the window dimensions and tuning slide fit before I order, and I've avoided a couple of poor batches. The business opportunities chapter is realistic, not just hype about getting rich. It's a solid reference, though I think you have to be pretty involved in the instrument to get full value from it.

Good, thorough handbook. I'm a session player and I found the comparison of materials and how they affect tone and maintenance to be spot on. The troubleshooting section on airy sound and clogging solved a problem I'd been having with one of my whistles for months. Minor gripe: the future trends chapter is a bit speculative and could have been condensed. But overall, it's a useful, well-organized reference that answers the kind of questions I actually have.

Finally, a book that treats the tin whistle with the seriousness it deserves. I have been playing for over twenty years and I still learned a huge amount from the physics and manufacturing sections. The distinction between a tunable and non-tunable whistle, and the practical implications for session playing, is explained with absolute clarity. The business chapter gave me a new perspective on why my local shop only carries certain brands. This is the reference I will be recommending to my students and fellow musicians.

As someone who started playing six months ago, I found the first chapter on how the instrument works incredibly helpful - it tells you why a cheap whistle is hard to play, and it's not just the player. The selection checklist is practical and I took it with me when I bought my second whistle. It is a bit dry in places, but that's what I expect from a reference handbook. If you're moving out of the beginner stage, this is a solid next step.

I'm a hobbyist who owns more whistles than I should, and this handbook finally helped me understand the root causes of the quirks in my collection. The maintenance chapter is worth the price alone - I have already salvaged a whistle I thought was dead by unclogging the windway correctly. I wouldn't recommend it to a total beginner, but for anyone who considers themselves an enthusiast, it contains the kind of practical detail you can't find on a forum. Four stars and a well-thumbed copy.

This is the book I wish I had when I first started repairing whistles. I work as a woodwind technician, mostly on flutes and clarinets, but I get these in from time to time. The chapter on understanding the fipple and windway geometry gave me a solid framework for troubleshooting, not just guessing. The tuning slide maintenance and repair section is absolutely accurate and now my go-to. It's straightforward, no fluff, and professionally written. Absolutely essential for anyone who works on these instruments.

Very comprehensive. I appreciated the detailed look at manufacturers and the realistic discussion of the market, which is something you don't get from the brands themselves. The book is clearly written for an intelligent reader. My only real complaint is that I wish the glossary was bigger - it's great, but I wanted a few more entries. As a serious hobbyist, I found the technical depth exactly what I was after, and it sits on my desk for reference next to my whistle collection.