I've been playing a few cheap whistles for a couple of weeks now and I'm realizing that I should've taken the advice I always give people about guitars: buy as good as you can afford because a cheap sounding instrument discourages many would-be players.
With that in mind, a couple of days ago, I ordered a Jerry Freeman tweaked Mellow Dog D/C set and I'm hoping that's a step up from what I'm playing now (Clarke, Walton, Generation), but in the event it isn't, I'm thinking about stepping way up to a Burke or an Oz. There's plenty of information here and elsewhere about Burke whistles but little about the Oz. The videos on their website blows me away though...
I hadn't even heard of an Oz whistle before you wrote this post. So, needless to say, I haven't tried one. But, if you're considering a high-end D whislte, do consider a Copeland. I simply adore my Copeland "nickel whistle" for it's ease of playing as well as its clear, rich voice. And it's a handsome instrument, to boot.
I sure would like to know what you think about your tweaked Mellow Dog when you get it. A few months ago I was preparing to buy a few new whistles, and after doing a lot of "whislte-research", I ordered a J.F.tweaked Mellow Dog (among a few others). Unfortunately, I sent it back two days later because it was so unstable on the B and C in the upper octave. It had a nice mellow, warm tone, but in order to keep that high B and C from cracking, I had to blow hard enough to practically break the windows out of my house!
I'll check back to look for your review of your Mellow Dog. Good luck with choosing a whistle!
I've never heard any high D whistle, no matter how fancy or expensive, that's as good as a really good Generation.
Yeah, sure, the more expensive whistles are more consistent, and you have to go through a heck of a lot of generations to get a good one, but such is life.
Find a music shop with a decent stock, the more the better, and ask to try them all. Start with a quick run through two octaves to the third D and make two piles, those that can and those that can't. Then whittle the "cans" down with another test into two piles. Just keep whittling until you're down to just a few and then have a couple of tunes on each of them. Then prepare yourself to say to the assistant, "No sorry. When are you getting your next batch delivered?"
Eventually, you will get an absolute cracker. And anyone who tells you otherwise is either a maker of expesive whistles, a friend of a maker of expesive whistles, or a grumpy sales assistant who works in a music shop.
Mitch hasonly been making whistles a short time which accounts for his being not yet well-known. The videos are impressive and the high praise given seems very genuine. Oh .. and the adventures of "stick" on his website are a great read.
I have an OZ, JCT, and I love it. After playing it for a few months all my cheapies have been put away. Mine is made of Gidgee (an Australian timber) and it is beautifully made.
I have realised the potential of a better whistle. It seems to be fuller and richer than any of my others (Generation, Sweetone, Feadog. ) I love the feel of the wood - the sound vibrates under my fingers.
This is the only 'high end' whistle I've tried but I am very happy with it. Mitch may be fairly new at making whistles but the reviews say it all.
The guitar rule you state in the first post applies to most instruments, but not to whistles. There are lots of cheap whistles that are just as good (or even better) than many expensive whistles. (As llig points out, there can be some variation in mass produced whistle quality.) Of course, there are some very good expensive whistles, too, but the point is that there is no correlation between price and quality in whistles. It is true that some of the expensive whistles can seem easier/more consistent to a beginner; but with a little time learning breath control, the cheap ones become just as playable.
Thanks, JCT111 for the update. I heard some years ago that Mike had taken a sick leave for a while, but that he was back to making whisltes, so I posted without checking. So, you're right and I'm wrong. Sorry about that - good luck choosing a new whislte!
llig, of course, the method you propose to select the magic Generation whistle works much better if you acquire one or all of the following before doing the selection process:
Staph throat, herpies, mononucleosis, halitosis, influenza.
Then sue the store owner for infecting you.
A better method is to find a player who already has a magic Gen and steal it. He'll be the one with staph, herpies, mono, bad breath and the flu.
Heh - a mere fashion of the times - I am sure things will come around again.
I seriously do recommend beginers get a Gen or similar. The extra effort is well spent to gain the ncessary control. On top of that, a good gen has a sound that is timeless and will likely remain a permanent part of a player's kit.
Having access to a musical instrument that is playable at negligable cost is an important thing to have. Music enhances one's life in many ways - best to not have a money barrier preventing people from gaining these benefits. Cheap whistles fit the bill nicely.
For myself, I don't make whistles for beginners. They turn out OK in terms of consistency and playability, but the point is to build in something extra - not just to copy what the Generation company (and others) have already done well enough.
I had an Oz whistle but didn't think it was as good as made out in the reviews. Don't get me wrong, it was a good whistle, but I didn't think it was a miracle as Tony said. I sold it and used the money to buy an Abell which I prefer.
You mention Burke whistles - I have one of these as well (brass) and think they are great. They have beautiful tone and are easy to play. If I were you I'd go for the Burke.
I have two Oz whistles, a low F made out of blackwood and a C made out of curly birch. They are truly beautiful instruments, thanks Mitch you are a genius! I use them mostly for ensemble playing (harmonies with another whistle) and the band thinks they sound lovely too.
Sadly, I am yet to find a D whistle of his make that I like the sound of. But I play his new ones every chance I get and I have great faith that the perfect one for me is just around the corner ...
I was given an Oz "D" whistle 2 weeks ago by a very generous flute-player from Australia. I like it very much, and it's been much admired by several players when I've been playing in sessions.
I plaid an Oz whistle from a friend it is amazing.....the sound is beautiful the best I ever heard , I orded one and it will arrive in a couple a days I can't wait.....
I just bought an Oz in D, 2nd hand, which arrived yesterday. I have a slew of other windy tube like devices but I have to say this is the best. Of course it takes a tune or two to really. Get going but once it does it really sings. Responds sweetly in both octaves and has the feel of a much bigger instrument. I'll be holding on to this one!
Oz Whistles ...anyone here ever play one?
Oz Whistles ...anyone here ever play one?
I've been playing a few cheap whistles for a couple of weeks now and I'm realizing that I should've taken the advice I always give people about guitars: buy as good as you can afford because a cheap sounding instrument discourages many would-be players.
With that in mind, a couple of days ago, I ordered a Jerry Freeman tweaked Mellow Dog D/C set and I'm hoping that's a step up from what I'm playing now (Clarke, Walton, Generation), but in the event it isn't, I'm thinking about stepping way up to a Burke or an Oz. There's plenty of information here and elsewhere about Burke whistles but little about the Oz. The videos on their website blows me away though...
http://www.ozwhistles.com/shop/Sozwhistles.php
Anyway, I was just wondering if anyone has played one and what they're thoughts on it may be.
# Posted on March 4th 2009 by JTC111
Re: Oz Whistles ...anyone here ever play one?
I hadn't even heard of an Oz whistle before you wrote this post. So, needless to say, I haven't tried one. But, if you're considering a high-end D whislte, do consider a Copeland. I simply adore my Copeland "nickel whistle" for it's ease of playing as well as its clear, rich voice. And it's a handsome instrument, to boot.
I sure would like to know what you think about your tweaked Mellow Dog when you get it. A few months ago I was preparing to buy a few new whistles, and after doing a lot of "whislte-research", I ordered a J.F.tweaked Mellow Dog (among a few others). Unfortunately, I sent it back two days later because it was so unstable on the B and C in the upper octave. It had a nice mellow, warm tone, but in order to keep that high B and C from cracking, I had to blow hard enough to practically break the windows out of my house!
I'll check back to look for your review of your Mellow Dog. Good luck with choosing a whistle!
# Posted on March 5th 2009 by Quarter Irish
Re: Oz Whistles ...anyone here ever play one?
I've never heard any high D whistle, no matter how fancy or expensive, that's as good as a really good Generation.
Yeah, sure, the more expensive whistles are more consistent, and you have to go through a heck of a lot of generations to get a good one, but such is life.
Find a music shop with a decent stock, the more the better, and ask to try them all. Start with a quick run through two octaves to the third D and make two piles, those that can and those that can't. Then whittle the "cans" down with another test into two piles. Just keep whittling until you're down to just a few and then have a couple of tunes on each of them. Then prepare yourself to say to the assistant, "No sorry. When are you getting your next batch delivered?"
Eventually, you will get an absolute cracker. And anyone who tells you otherwise is either a maker of expesive whistles, a friend of a maker of expesive whistles, or a grumpy sales assistant who works in a music shop.
# Posted on March 5th 2009 by llig leahcim
Re: Oz Whistles ...anyone here ever play one?
Quarter Irish, I was under the impression that Michael Copeland wasn't taking any whistle orders these days. Am I wrong about that?
# Posted on March 5th 2009 by JTC111
Re: Oz Whistles ...anyone here ever play one?
Mitch hasonly been making whistles a short time which accounts for his being not yet well-known. The videos are impressive and the high praise given seems very genuine. Oh .. and the adventures of "stick" on his website are a great read.
# Posted on March 5th 2009 by cabers
Re: Oz Whistles ...anyone here ever play one?
I have an OZ, JCT, and I love it. After playing it for a few months all my cheapies have been put away. Mine is made of Gidgee (an Australian timber) and it is beautifully made.
I have realised the potential of a better whistle. It seems to be fuller and richer than any of my others (Generation, Sweetone, Feadog. ) I love the feel of the wood - the sound vibrates under my fingers.
This is the only 'high end' whistle I've tried but I am very happy with it. Mitch may be fairly new at making whistles but the reviews say it all.
cheers,
Taminka (a fellow Aussie)
# Posted on March 5th 2009 by Taminka
Re: Oz Whistles ...anyone here ever play one?
The guitar rule you state in the first post applies to most instruments, but not to whistles. There are lots of cheap whistles that are just as good (or even better) than many expensive whistles. (As llig points out, there can be some variation in mass produced whistle quality.) Of course, there are some very good expensive whistles, too, but the point is that there is no correlation between price and quality in whistles. It is true that some of the expensive whistles can seem easier/more consistent to a beginner; but with a little time learning breath control, the cheap ones become just as playable.
# Posted on March 5th 2009 by mcswiss
Re: Oz Whistles ...anyone here ever play one?
Thanks, JCT111 for the update. I heard some years ago that Mike had taken a sick leave for a while, but that he was back to making whisltes, so I posted without checking. So, you're right and I'm wrong. Sorry about that - good luck choosing a new whislte!
# Posted on March 5th 2009 by Quarter Irish
Re: Oz Whistles ...anyone here ever play one?
I have an Ozwhistle from Mitch and it's my D whistle of choice.
# Posted on March 7th 2009 by Chief Wanganui
Re: Oz Whistles ...anyone here ever play one?
llig, of course, the method you propose to select the magic Generation whistle works much better if you acquire one or all of the following before doing the selection process:
Staph throat, herpies, mononucleosis, halitosis, influenza.
Then sue the store owner for infecting you.
A better method is to find a player who already has a magic Gen and steal it. He'll be the one with staph, herpies, mono, bad breath and the flu.
# Posted on March 9th 2009 by Mozle
Re: Oz Whistles ...anyone here ever play one?
ha ha, yeah. The last time I went into a music shop and asked to try all their generations, they had them all shrink wraped in condoms
# Posted on March 9th 2009 by llig leahcim
Re: Oz Whistles ...anyone here ever play one?
Heh - a mere fashion of the times - I am sure things will come around again.
I seriously do recommend beginers get a Gen or similar. The extra effort is well spent to gain the ncessary control. On top of that, a good gen has a sound that is timeless and will likely remain a permanent part of a player's kit.
Having access to a musical instrument that is playable at negligable cost is an important thing to have. Music enhances one's life in many ways - best to not have a money barrier preventing people from gaining these benefits. Cheap whistles fit the bill nicely.
For myself, I don't make whistles for beginners. They turn out OK in terms of consistency and playability, but the point is to build in something extra - not just to copy what the Generation company (and others) have already done well enough.
# Posted on March 9th 2009 by Mozle
Re: Oz Whistles ...anyone here ever play one?
I had an Oz whistle but didn't think it was as good as made out in the reviews. Don't get me wrong, it was a good whistle, but I didn't think it was a miracle as Tony said. I sold it and used the money to buy an Abell which I prefer.
You mention Burke whistles - I have one of these as well (brass) and think they are great. They have beautiful tone and are easy to play. If I were you I'd go for the Burke.
# Posted on April 7th 2009 by KAB
Re: Oz Whistles ...anyone here ever play one?
I have two Oz whistles, a low F made out of blackwood and a C made out of curly birch. They are truly beautiful instruments, thanks Mitch you are a genius! I use them mostly for ensemble playing (harmonies with another whistle) and the band thinks they sound lovely too.
Sadly, I am yet to find a D whistle of his make that I like the sound of. But I play his new ones every chance I get and I have great faith that the perfect one for me is just around the corner ...
# Posted on June 2nd 2009 by janeh
Re: Oz Whistles ...anyone here ever play one?
Curly Birch...remember him well, - scholar and a gentleman -, and a very good musician. Good ol' Curly.
# Posted on June 2nd 2009 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: Oz Whistles ...anyone here ever play one?
Used to live up by Jingellic. Loved nothing more than a cold beer, a steak, a couple of cooked mushrooms and a few tunes. Those were the days eh.
# Posted on June 2nd 2009 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: Oz Whistles ...anyone here ever play one?
I was given an Oz "D" whistle 2 weeks ago by a very generous flute-player from Australia. I like it very much, and it's been much admired by several players when I've been playing in sessions.
# Posted on June 2nd 2009 by Kenny
Re: Oz Whistles ...anyone here ever play one?
I plaid an Oz whistle from a friend it is amazing.....the sound is beautiful the best I ever heard , I orded one and it will arrive in a couple a days I can't wait.....
# Posted on November 17th 2009 by JackyQ
Re: Oz Whistles ...anyone here ever play one?
I just bought an Oz in D, 2nd hand, which arrived yesterday. I have a slew of other windy tube like devices but I have to say this is the best. Of course it takes a tune or two to really. Get going but once it does it really sings. Responds sweetly in both octaves and has the feel of a much bigger instrument. I'll be holding on to this one!
# Posted on April 17th 2010 by Eulic McGee