For all you whistle-playing people out there, I am wondering what kind of whistles you like to play. I personally like feadog whistles, but I found that if you take the fipple off a feadog D and put it on a walton alluminum D, it is slightly less breathy than a normal feadog D. This combination is the nicest (in my opinion) whistle I have played, but that isn't too saying much, as I have not played that many other whistles.
Does anyone have a favorite whistle? If so, then what is it that you like about it? Do you prefer the cheaper whistles (walton, feadog, generation, sweetone etc...) or do you like to pay more and get a really well made whistle?
While I play flute much more than whistle these days, I played a O'Riordian whistle once, and wow, it was unbelievable - unfortunately, it was a friend's whistle.
Personally, I play a Clare 2 piece right now. I have a Mack Hoover whitecap replacement fipple on the way, and they supposedly do wonders for the lower end whistle tubes.
I really like playing the Tony Dixon whistle. Lovely tone and nice volume. Only problem is lack of consistent quality. I bought six of them, for various whistlers and they all sound different. But if you get a good one they are great!
Still like the consistency of the Generation and love the Susato for power and volume, especially in a big noisy sess.
I am planning on buying a Sindt, as having had a couple of tunes on one was mightily impressed.
Have also recently been recommended a Grinter wooden whistle but they are a wee bit dear.
Rarely play the whistle these days, but when I do, it's my old war-worn Clarke "C" -- 25+ years old and still going. Had the "honour" of being arrested with me by the Grenadier Guards (or was it the Green Jackets?). Rough, breathy, reedy and cost me 15p. Wee bit quiet in the bottom D now, but still sounds great over amplification.
I like the sweetone whistles but then my friend bought me a proper one as a leaving pressie. It's hard to play but sounds much better, I don't know what it is. Takes a lot of puff but then I'm not really a whistle player.
As for low whistles, I love my alba whistles.
I was fortunate to acquire two Kerry Low D whistles three years ago before the change. . . whatever change that was. Kerry sold out? Something. . . I don
I love Tony Dixon's: decent volune and lovely tone while I prefer playing Susato in the session. which is a bit too loud to play by myself. Little bit expensive, but Burke's metal ones seem nice.
I have a number of whistles strategically postitioned in various places around the house (the problem is, the places keep changing and I cannever remember where they are). I'll try and rmember my entire whistle collection:
Generation brass C;
Generation nickel C;
Oak D;
Susato tuneable D;
Tony Dixon D;
Clarke's Sweetone D;
Fead
I have a couple of Sindt's a D and C and think they are great whistles. I even sat on the D and bent it about 20 degrees but it straightened out and works fine. I find the sound exactly to my liking, rounded, clear and not over-loud. The bottom D can be slightly weak but I can live with that.
Generations are my next favourite I find most of them very reliable, those being the D, C and Eb in any colour, I don't know about the G, having banana fingers put me at a disavantage. The only problem I have is with the Bb model which can lose it's sound entirely, like blowing through an emptly tube with no holes.
For the rest I personally think they need to be run in for a couple of weeks to get them singing. People often say "how do I find a good Generation" Well I would say find a big pot of them close your eyes and grab one!
My favourite one that I own is my feadog with a generation bottom. I filed the holes so it's bang on in tune, but its too quiet for a session. I used a feadog top thats about 6-8 years old (the best IMHO).
I've got an Abell on order though, I think his are the best. Such a pure, sweet tone and a lovely looking instrument.
I play a Waltons usually,but I got to play a Sindt this summer,and it was wonderful.I've ordered one,but the waiting list is eight months long,so I won't have it for a while.
I have also made a couple of whistles,one of which is nice and loud,but hard to jump into the higher octave.The other is bamboo,and pretty quiet,but it plays really nicely.I like to play that one if I'm playing alone,it would get drowned out by any other instrument.
-Kelly
I had a lovely red top (brass) Generation D, battered and banana shaped from years of being dropped, kicked, sat on, trodden on, masticated, used for prising open tins of paint etc. - one of those whistles that just plays itself. But the top, having been cracked for some years, finally fell apart.
Now, I also had a Waltons black aluminium whistle. This had also been sat on, and had folded almost double as a result, although it still played fine. Inevitably, it soon gave in to metal fatigue and one day, when I pulled it out of the pocket of my guitar case, half of it stayed behind. The top half of this whistle languished, forgotten, for years, in a cupboard, awaiting an opportunity to be put to some use.
It so happened, shortly after Generation's partial demise, that I rediscovered the broken Walton's whistle. I dipped the latter in boiling water, to try and get the mouthpiece off, but to no avail - it was apparrently held on with superglue. I eventually managed to loosen it by heating the metal over a gas cooker, nearly choking to death on the fumes produced by the black plastic coating.
And so, head and body were united. Although it retained some of the Generation's character, owing to its misshapen body, having a Walton's head meant it sounded like a Walton. So it becme my knockabout whistle.
This summer, on the Friday or 2nd Saturday of the Willie Clancy Week, unable to get into any pubs, I was itching for a tune. I found a couple of fiddlers playing in the street, but they were tuned almost a quarter tone sharp. Being my sharpest D whistle, I took out the Walton-Generation Hybrid and puched the head as far as it would go - but it was not sharp enough. Out of desperation, I yanked the head off and started trying to file down the top of the body on the pavement. I soon came to my senses and realised that it would take me until the Fleadh to get it that sharp. Filing it down, of course, left a burr on the edge, so I couldn't get the top back on again.
A few weeks later, I discovered it had disappeared from my whistle case. I pity the poor f%?
Listen Guys,when your ready to graduate to a true whistle you will find that there is no finer instrument than the "Copeland". Hand made in Philadelphia. Mine is a D, it's tunable and can be heard
very well in the lower register. Yes, it is expensive, but you get what you pay for.
I still like my good old Susato for loud sessions, but it takes some management, esp. if amplified (read: Danger! DANGER!).
For cheapies, I like Oaks the best.
And for expensive ones .... I just took the plunge and spent about $120 on a Burke VSB (Very Small Bore). It's absolutely lovely, albeit a touch soft. But you can't beat it for ease, clarity, and sweetness on the high notes.
My teacher has a Burke regular bore he regularly tours and records with. As I recall, his Bb whistle is a Sindt. Both are super whistles.
Anyway, if you want to look, I think the url is michaelburkepennywhistles.com or some variation of that. I have a feeling the Burkes will get more expensive in the next year or so as more people see how nice they are. I'll probably spring for another in another key eventually .....
Oh, one other cool whistle -- if you can find it ....
I took a class with Daraigh De Bruin this summer, and he had a Seery polymer. (Looked a lot like the Abells) I got to play it, and I have to say, it was really cool! I went looking for one but didn't have much luck ....
I don't know, Dony Boy. . . getting what you pay for ain't always true. The market is responsible for this whole pricing war to begin with. I've been playing and teaching wind instruments for over 20 years and don't own but a couple of expensive ones. I've more often found the sound I want on less expensive, sometimes very inexpensive instruments so I don't associate price with quality.
We all know that each instrument is as different as the individual playing it. Finding the right fit between the two is the only real issue. There is no one size fits all whistle.
The level of the player has to be considered when finding the right match. The occasional weekend player is going to approach the instrument much differently than one who is engaged in practicing and playing on a daily basis.
I find in general most players don't know how to effectively use their air, from breathing to moving the air consistently through the instrument from note to note, phrase to phrase. Therefore they're looking for the instrument to magically compensate for this and they search and search and search.
All this taken into consideration, no wonder there is such a variety of favorite whistles, as it should be.
Sorry for getting on my teacher soap box. Just can't help myself.
I agree, Richard. I have been told that Sean Potts, who used to play the whistle for the Chieftains prefered cheaper whistles to the more expensive ones. It's all a matter of preference, style, ability etc...
I just modified my Clare 2 piece tonight. I bought one of Mack Hoover's whitecap replacement fipples, stuck it on my Clare, and just seriously upgraded the whistle. The whitecap itself is $20, the Clare about $12, so for $32 I now have a whistle that rivals the Sindts and O'Riordians of the world. Also, Mack is really nice, modified the whitecap for me (made it to fit the clare barrel which is thinner than a generation or other cheap whistle barrel).
I have to weigh in with Richard, and not just because he's from my state Bottom line, it's who's playing the thing, and how. After that, it's just what you prefer to play on -- but there is no magic bullet other than time and familiarity with your instrument. (Tho' I sure wish there was!)
On the plus side, our "Grail quests" for "perfect" instruments do wonderful things for the economy, the livelihoods & ingenuity of instrument-makers, and of course, these message boards!
Max,
I made the first one out of brass tube and wood.The head is wood glued onto the brass tube.I was hoping to make it tuneable, but it didn't fit quite right,so I had to glue it.
-Kelly
I bought a Harper whistle a couple of years back. It's a powerful whistle for competing with melodeons and not very breathy. Unforntunately (as with most whistles) it wasn't quite in tune but friends have ones that are. I now have an Overton which is similar to my harper but not so harsh a sound. I would recommend overton any day!
Favorite Whistle?
Favorite Whistle?
For all you whistle-playing people out there, I am wondering what kind of whistles you like to play. I personally like feadog whistles, but I found that if you take the fipple off a feadog D and put it on a walton alluminum D, it is slightly less breathy than a normal feadog D. This combination is the nicest (in my opinion) whistle I have played, but that isn't too saying much, as I have not played that many other whistles.
Does anyone have a favorite whistle? If so, then what is it that you like about it? Do you prefer the cheaper whistles (walton, feadog, generation, sweetone etc...) or do you like to pay more and get a really well made whistle?
Thanks!
-Max
# Posted on November 22nd 2003 by Max Becher
Re: Favorite Whistle?
While I play flute much more than whistle these days, I played a O'Riordian whistle once, and wow, it was unbelievable - unfortunately, it was a friend's whistle.
Personally, I play a Clare 2 piece right now. I have a Mack Hoover whitecap replacement fipple on the way, and they supposedly do wonders for the lower end whistle tubes.
Eric
# Posted on November 22nd 2003 by Jayhawk
Re: Favorite Whistle?
I really like playing the Tony Dixon whistle. Lovely tone and nice volume. Only problem is lack of consistent quality. I bought six of them, for various whistlers and they all sound different. But if you get a good one they are great!
Still like the consistency of the Generation and love the Susato for power and volume, especially in a big noisy sess.
I am planning on buying a Sindt, as having had a couple of tunes on one was mightily impressed.
Have also recently been recommended a Grinter wooden whistle but they are a wee bit dear.
# Posted on November 22nd 2003 by breandan
Re: Favorite Whistle?
My session leader has a Sindt now that you mention them. Heck of great whistle!
# Posted on November 23rd 2003 by Jayhawk
Re: Favorite Whistle?
Rarely play the whistle these days, but when I do, it's my old war-worn Clarke "C" -- 25+ years old and still going. Had the "honour" of being arrested with me by the Grenadier Guards (or was it the Green Jackets?). Rough, breathy, reedy and cost me 15p. Wee bit quiet in the bottom D now, but still sounds great over amplification.
# Posted on November 23rd 2003 by LongNote
Re: Favorite Whistle?
I like the sweetone whistles but then my friend bought me a proper one as a leaving pressie. It's hard to play but sounds much better, I don't know what it is. Takes a lot of puff but then I'm not really a whistle player.
As for low whistles, I love my alba whistles.
# Posted on November 23rd 2003 by fiddlevet
Re: Favorite Whistle?
I was fortunate to acquire two Kerry Low D whistles three years ago before the change. . . whatever change that was. Kerry sold out? Something. . . I don
# Posted on November 23rd 2003 by LowDRichard
Re: Favorite Whistle?
I love Tony Dixon's: decent volune and lovely tone while I prefer playing Susato in the session. which is a bit too loud to play by myself. Little bit expensive, but Burke's metal ones seem nice.
# Posted on November 23rd 2003 by slainte
Re: Favorite Whistle?
I have a number of whistles strategically postitioned in various places around the house (the problem is, the places keep changing and I cannever remember where they are). I'll try and rmember my entire whistle collection:
Generation brass C;
Generation nickel C;
Oak D;
Susato tuneable D;
Tony Dixon D;
Clarke's Sweetone D;
Fead
# Posted on November 23rd 2003 by CreadurMawnOrganig
I've just noticed a slight ambigutiy in the foregoing posting:
"The Sweetone and the Fead
# Posted on November 23rd 2003 by CreadurMawnOrganig
Re: Favorite Whistle?
I have a couple of Sindt's a D and C and think they are great whistles. I even sat on the D and bent it about 20 degrees but it straightened out and works fine. I find the sound exactly to my liking, rounded, clear and not over-loud. The bottom D can be slightly weak but I can live with that.
Generations are my next favourite I find most of them very reliable, those being the D, C and Eb in any colour, I don't know about the G, having banana fingers put me at a disavantage. The only problem I have is with the Bb model which can lose it's sound entirely, like blowing through an emptly tube with no holes.
For the rest I personally think they need to be run in for a couple of weeks to get them singing. People often say "how do I find a good Generation" Well I would say find a big pot of them close your eyes and grab one!
Dave
# Posted on November 23rd 2003 by Twiz
Re: Favorite Whistle?
I got to play an Oak D recently; a freind of mine has one. I really like the sound. I agree with you totally about the generation G. I can't stand it!
-Max
# Posted on November 23rd 2003 by Max Becher
Re: Favorite Whistle?
Richard, what kind of flute are you playing in the mp3's on the web site.?
peter
# Posted on November 23rd 2003 by ppitussi
Re: Favorite Whistle?
Peter, the Kerry.
Richard
# Posted on November 23rd 2003 by LowDRichard
Re: Favorite Whistle?
My favourite one that I own is my feadog with a generation bottom. I filed the holes so it's bang on in tune, but its too quiet for a session. I used a feadog top thats about 6-8 years old (the best IMHO).
I've got an Abell on order though, I think his are the best. Such a pure, sweet tone and a lovely looking instrument.
# Posted on November 23rd 2003 by borderpiper
Re: Favorite Whistle?
That
# Posted on November 24th 2003 by Pied Piper
Re: Favorite Whistle?
I play a Waltons usually,but I got to play a Sindt this summer,and it was wonderful.I've ordered one,but the waiting list is eight months long,so I won't have it for a while.
I have also made a couple of whistles,one of which is nice and loud,but hard to jump into the higher octave.The other is bamboo,and pretty quiet,but it plays really nicely.I like to play that one if I'm playing alone,it would get drowned out by any other instrument.
-Kelly
# Posted on November 24th 2003 by seisflutes
Re: Favorite Whistle?
That's neat. I thought of making a whistle once but never got around to it. What material did you make the your first one out of?
I don't really like the walton D, except the alluminum D, which is not bad at all. I also like the walton C.
-Max
# Posted on November 24th 2003 by Max Becher
BTW
BTW -- has anyone else out there made any whistles? I be interested to know how you went about it. Thanks!
-Max
# Posted on November 24th 2003 by Max Becher
Re: Favorite Whistle?
I had a lovely red top (brass) Generation D, battered and banana shaped from years of being dropped, kicked, sat on, trodden on, masticated, used for prising open tins of paint etc. - one of those whistles that just plays itself. But the top, having been cracked for some years, finally fell apart.
Now, I also had a Waltons black aluminium whistle. This had also been sat on, and had folded almost double as a result, although it still played fine. Inevitably, it soon gave in to metal fatigue and one day, when I pulled it out of the pocket of my guitar case, half of it stayed behind. The top half of this whistle languished, forgotten, for years, in a cupboard, awaiting an opportunity to be put to some use.
It so happened, shortly after Generation's partial demise, that I rediscovered the broken Walton's whistle. I dipped the latter in boiling water, to try and get the mouthpiece off, but to no avail - it was apparrently held on with superglue. I eventually managed to loosen it by heating the metal over a gas cooker, nearly choking to death on the fumes produced by the black plastic coating.
And so, head and body were united. Although it retained some of the Generation's character, owing to its misshapen body, having a Walton's head meant it sounded like a Walton. So it becme my knockabout whistle.
This summer, on the Friday or 2nd Saturday of the Willie Clancy Week, unable to get into any pubs, I was itching for a tune. I found a couple of fiddlers playing in the street, but they were tuned almost a quarter tone sharp. Being my sharpest D whistle, I took out the Walton-Generation Hybrid and puched the head as far as it would go - but it was not sharp enough. Out of desperation, I yanked the head off and started trying to file down the top of the body on the pavement. I soon came to my senses and realised that it would take me until the Fleadh to get it that sharp. Filing it down, of course, left a burr on the edge, so I couldn't get the top back on again.
A few weeks later, I discovered it had disappeared from my whistle case. I pity the poor f%?
# Posted on November 24th 2003 by CreadurMawnOrganig
Re: Favorite Whistle?
Listen Guys,when your ready to graduate to a true whistle you will find that there is no finer instrument than the "Copeland". Hand made in Philadelphia. Mine is a D, it's tunable and can be heard
very well in the lower register. Yes, it is expensive, but you get what you pay for.
# Posted on November 24th 2003 by Dony Boy
Re: Favorite Whistle?
I still like my good old Susato for loud sessions, but it takes some management, esp. if amplified (read: Danger! DANGER!).
For cheapies, I like Oaks the best.
And for expensive ones .... I just took the plunge and spent about $120 on a Burke VSB (Very Small Bore). It's absolutely lovely, albeit a touch soft. But you can't beat it for ease, clarity, and sweetness on the high notes.
My teacher has a Burke regular bore he regularly tours and records with. As I recall, his Bb whistle is a Sindt. Both are super whistles.
Anyway, if you want to look, I think the url is michaelburkepennywhistles.com or some variation of that. I have a feeling the Burkes will get more expensive in the next year or so as more people see how nice they are. I'll probably spring for another in another key eventually .....
cat.
# Posted on November 24th 2003 by cwildeky
Oh, one other cool whistle -- if you can find it ....
I took a class with Daraigh De Bruin this summer, and he had a Seery polymer. (Looked a lot like the Abells) I got to play it, and I have to say, it was really cool! I went looking for one but didn't have much luck ....
# Posted on November 24th 2003 by cwildeky
Re: Favorite Whistle?
I don't know, Dony Boy. . . getting what you pay for ain't always true. The market is responsible for this whole pricing war to begin with. I've been playing and teaching wind instruments for over 20 years and don't own but a couple of expensive ones. I've more often found the sound I want on less expensive, sometimes very inexpensive instruments so I don't associate price with quality.
We all know that each instrument is as different as the individual playing it. Finding the right fit between the two is the only real issue. There is no one size fits all whistle.
The level of the player has to be considered when finding the right match. The occasional weekend player is going to approach the instrument much differently than one who is engaged in practicing and playing on a daily basis.
I find in general most players don't know how to effectively use their air, from breathing to moving the air consistently through the instrument from note to note, phrase to phrase. Therefore they're looking for the instrument to magically compensate for this and they search and search and search.
All this taken into consideration, no wonder there is such a variety of favorite whistles, as it should be.
Sorry for getting on my teacher soap box. Just can't help myself.
Cheers from the Bluegrass State. . .
Richard
# Posted on November 24th 2003 by LowDRichard
Re: Favorite Whistle?
I agree, Richard. I have been told that Sean Potts, who used to play the whistle for the Chieftains prefered cheaper whistles to the more expensive ones. It's all a matter of preference, style, ability etc...
-Max
# Posted on November 24th 2003 by Max Becher
Re: Favorite Whistle?
I just modified my Clare 2 piece tonight. I bought one of Mack Hoover's whitecap replacement fipples, stuck it on my Clare, and just seriously upgraded the whistle. The whitecap itself is $20, the Clare about $12, so for $32 I now have a whistle that rivals the Sindts and O'Riordians of the world. Also, Mack is really nice, modified the whitecap for me (made it to fit the clare barrel which is thinner than a generation or other cheap whistle barrel).
Eric
# Posted on November 24th 2003 by Jayhawk
Re: Favorite Whistle?
I have to weigh in with Richard, and not just because he's from my state
Bottom line, it's who's playing the thing, and how. After that, it's just what you prefer to play on -- but there is no magic bullet other than time and familiarity with your instrument. (Tho' I sure wish there was!)
On the plus side, our "Grail quests" for "perfect" instruments do wonderful things for the economy, the livelihoods & ingenuity of instrument-makers, and of course, these message boards!
Happy playing,
cat.
# Posted on November 25th 2003 by cwildeky
Re: Favorite Whistle?
Thanks, Cat. Go Bluegrass State
# Posted on November 25th 2003 by LowDRichard
Re: Favorite Whistle?
Max,
I made the first one out of brass tube and wood.The head is wood glued onto the brass tube.I was hoping to make it tuneable, but it didn't fit quite right,so I had to glue it.
-Kelly
# Posted on November 25th 2003 by seisflutes
Re: Favorite Whistle?
I bought a Harper whistle a couple of years back. It's a powerful whistle for competing with melodeons and not very breathy. Unforntunately (as with most whistles) it wasn't quite in tune but friends have ones that are. I now have an Overton which is similar to my harper but not so harsh a sound. I would recommend overton any day!
# Posted on November 25th 2003 by Nutty Nessie