Here are some comments from happy Busman whistle players:
Dear Paul,
I at last got to spend time with your whistle and it’s a truly fine
instrument! The tuning is perfect and the tone, as with all good
instruments, has many levels and rewards “probing” with a range of colours
which bely its size. Oh, and it looks great! I will probably revue it on
Phil Hardy’s site at some point and I look forward to playing it “in anger”
for the first time. I will keep you appraised of any recordings where I play
it. Thank you SO much and keep up the good work. We hard-pressed players
need people like you! – Tony Hinnigan– multi-instrumentalist heard on numerous film scores,including Titanic.

I would swear every time I play it, I learn things I could never do on my old whistles. The feel that I get is really incredible. But, it is more than that… the break in period you refered to is there… I am convinced the whistle just keeps sounding better, and the character keeps coming out… Rick
My whistle arrived yesterday!! I am just breathless over it!! You were right, the Olivewood is just awesome. It is sooooooooooo beautiful. And it sounds as good as it looks!! The 2nd octave is effortless and it comes out very sweet and clear…even on the high B which is usually a killer!!
I am really going to enjoy every second of every minute when I play this whistle!!!
Thank you, thank you!!!!!!!!!……………..Andrea
Hi Paul,
I opened the package, and in a matter of nanosecond I felt dizzy.
Thank you, thank you, thank you…..and, this is simply great, just when I opened the box the quality screamed…The feel and color of the whistle are so stunning.
I just love the pattern of the wood (one could take pictures from a hundred different angles!) and particularly the perfect match of its color with brass fittings. It’s a joy just to look at this beautiful thing. I like the way the brass is finished. I love it!!
Sliding mechanism work is excellent, too. The very look is indeed professional. What I also like about is the size of the finger holes; relatively smaller B and bottom D which is relatively bigger.
And, these crispy edges makes my finger dance with pure rapture. This, in my opinion, also prevents Coming Down Wrong On the Hole, and makes rolls/taps easier and merrier. Tak (Japan)
Hi Paul,
Yeah, whistle and (tabor) pipe arrived today, and wow, these are beauties indeed. The pink ivory is just too sweet and the olive wood is absolutely breathtaking (to look at, not to play). I just spent the evening putting my three Busmans side by side, marveling at the sight of these lovely buggers, playing this one, trying the other, smiling madly …
And another great thing, the not only look good, they play just as terrific as the look. Just great, great work you’ve done, thanks so much. Claus (Germany)

These are terrific whistles Paul and I’m proud to own one. You are nipping at the heels of the giants in the wooden whistle race. Patrick

Paul – I just received the whistle and it looks and plays great. A beautiful piece of wood with a well-fitted tuning slide, nice hardware and a different touch on the bottom ferrule. I gave this my compulsive totally sick magnifying glass test (I always do that with wood) and the wood appears perfect to view and touch. The holes are well-done and comfortable. Excellent fit and finish.
Now to the sound. Good bottom end and exceptional (IMHO and to my tastes) upper end. Full round sound (which is what I like) yet retains some sweetness (yes that awful non-specific term, but you know what I mean). Mostly pure sound with just a hint of chiff.
Ease of play – No unusual air requirements, easy transitions and very goof proof. Phil
Hey Paul,
I’m really having problems coming up with words to describe how awesome my new whistle is! Do they all turn out like this one? I just can’t describe how tickled I am. I… assumed that in order to get the beauty of wood you would have to sacrifice a little bit on playability. You have certainly proven my theory wrong.
Crisp, crisp crisp! Ornaments sizzle I really like the spacing, size and slight bevel of the finger holes. Nice balance between octaves. The fit and finish is awesome. I really like the stainless steel ferrules…no tarnish! The wood itself is very pretty. Thanks so much for such a wonderful piece of craftsmanship. -Eric
Paul,
The Bocote whistle has arrived, and it absolutely knocked my socks off! It’s not as yellow as I’d hoped, but the grain is SO cool, and the fittings are lovely. The sound is wonderful, kind of somewhere not as chiffy as a (other whistle), not as breathy as a (ditto), and not as sweet as a (ditto). And it plays like a dream. -Charlie