I've been playing the whistle for over 10 years now and have been content with my Dixon from day one.
But I've decided to move up a class where whistles are concerned I've looked into buying a Burke whistle. Could anyone give me there opinion on this model?
Mile buiochas!
I would say asking here about Burke, MK or Overton is pretty much pointless. Those than can play them well have developed their preference but the vast majority of low whistle players are hopeless, and you can't judge a low whistle if you're hopeless. But having said that, never heard much bad about a Burke though I'm an Overton guy myself and can't see past them. Next best or even on a par for me would be the MK.
I have several Burke whistles, all of them are excellent. I'm particularly fond of his narrow bore composite high D, its a very sweet sounding instrument.
They are very good. They can be a bit bland and hollow sounding if your ear is attuned, as mine is, to the more complex sounds of a good Generation. (And you can get a lot of cheap whistles for the price of one Burke.)
Best not to take them apart, because the O-ring seal in the tuning slide can break, and then you are stuck until you can track down a replacement. This happened to me on the one I had years ago. (Actually it was John Sindt that broke it because he wanted to have a look inside!) I ended up selling it because I found the tone too unsatifsying.
I am very fond of my Burkes which I have had for about four years. Clearly, the quality of the player is what counts, but the Burkes are extrememly playable and produce very nice tone. As mentioned, above they are 'bright' and don't have the gravelly chiff of the Generations.
But after you spend a ton of time and money fixing up those Generations fipple (seems to be from of witchcraft or zen trying to reconstruct a cheap chinese whistle that won't give you anything above high B if you are lucky) the more expensive whistles are worth every penny of nt having the hassle.
I got a Burke low D this past December, and am happy with it (in comparison to the Susato low D I already had, which is no longer worth playing in comparison). The O-ring issue that Jeeves mentions is addressed in the maintenance sheet shipped with the whistle - you can send it back to the maker and have them fix it back up.
I don't really remember what Burke called it - "issue" is my choice of wording. If you buy a silver flute, you expect to have to replace the pads eventually. If you buy a Burke whistle, expect to replace the rings eventually. True, its more maintenance than you typically expect from a whistle, but it's not out of the ordinary in the larger world of instruments.
Yes, you'd expect pads on a flute to wear out eventually but that's hardly comparable with the "issue" I'm talking about - accidental breakage of the O-ring on a newish whistle when a well-meaning person took it apart, instantly making the instrument unusable.
Sending the whistle back to the maker for repair, you say? If you live outside the USA, not such a trivial matter.
Lots of Burke happy owners out there... enjoy them, but be careful with that O-ring!
Sorry to hear that Jeeves. For what it's worth I have Burke whistles in 4 keys & always take them apart for cleaning. The o-rings are holding. In case one fails I am fortunate that my local hardware store stocks a variety of sizes.
The Low D did seem to have a bit of an edge on the cylinder which slides through the o-rings. I smoothed it, ever so slightly.
Celtic Connection, you don't specify what key or keys of Burke you're interested in.
I've owned at one time or another, or played, Burke aluminum whistles in these keys:
D session bore and narrow bore
C
low A
low G
low F
low D "Pro Viper"
One great thing about the Burkes in general, for a musician doing gigs, is their consistency across the range. In other words, you can go from the low F to the low A to the D and they play pretty much the same.
Another good point is that the voicing of each whistle is smooth and even over its gamut.
Another plus is that they don't clog. I've played my Burke Low D for hours with no moisture issues.
Negative things about Burkes: 1) they're not very air-efficient, in other words your breath passes through them at a higher rate than with most whistles, so that you have to take breaths more often. 2) some Burkes have an odd tuning thing, the B (or equivalent note, in other words the "one finger note") being flat in the first octave but sharp in the second octave. 3) their tone has been described as "bland" or uninteresting or lacking in character by many. Tone is a personal thing I suppose and I like the tone of my Burkes just fine.
I play Low D as my primary whistle and after trying quite a few I settled on the Burke Pro Viper. To be fair, I wasn't able to try every brand in existence so there might well be better ones out there that I never got a chance to try.
The Burke Low D plays amazingly smoothly over its range, like butter, and has a huge powerful booming "bottom D".
I tried a Dixon Low D once and it wasn't in the same league as the Burke.
Recently I've switched over to an MK Low D. It does a lot of little things a bit better than the Burke in my opinion. It's more air-efficient, has a more interesting tone, and has a stronger low E (often the Achilles' Heel of Low D whistles). But it doesn't have as powerful a bottom D as the Burke, at least the MK I have. (I've played another MK which is somewhat superior to mine in every way.)
About the O-rings, I've never had any issues with them.
I have a Burke composite C. It sounds very good. I got the composite because I can pull it out in the midst of a session when the fiddlers decide G minor would be fun, and its intonation will be reasonably stable for the set.
I've heard that the composite Burkes have a more "woody" tone than the aluminum ones. I've heard several people who own both say they prefer the tone of the composite.
What makes me hesitant about the composite Burkes is that they're said to be very fragile: drop one and it shatters like glass, so they say.
My friend has a burke whistle and the sound of it is lovely and it's very easy to play. If we play together (i play a geneeration whistle) the sound makes my whistle sound rubbish.
I have seen, and tried quite a few Burke whistles.
In almost every one, the tuning was very good, the tone was nicely consistent along with the pressure gradient over 2 octaves - nice and clean.
I have heard quite a few very accomplished players play the "session-bore" (wide) High D in brass, aluminium and composite (delrin/bakelite). In the hands of such players they sound great. In the hands of beginners, they can sound somewhat soul-less.
The exactitude of Michael Burke's design eliminates a lot of the side-harmonics from the timbre which makes them, initially, much "cleaner" sounding than the classic Generation - but these harmonics can be had to a certain extent if you know how to get them.
Have a listen to Joanie Madden's performances on the Burke alumininium high D (session bore) - there's plenty on youtube. If you like that sound, then it's probably worth getting one for your kit.
Keep in mind that every player will find what they want in a whistle - to a certain extent, it will sound like them no matter what they are playing.
Most whistler's I know usually have a bunch of different whistles in their kit - they choose one depending on what they want to do with the tune.
Only you will know what you need. At least with a Burke, you have a good chance of getting something that behaves well.
Burke Whistles - honest opinions
Burke Whistles - honest opinions
I've been playing the whistle for over 10 years now and have been content with my Dixon from day one.
I've looked into buying a Burke whistle. Could anyone give me there opinion on this model?
But I've decided to move up a class where whistles are concerned
Mile buiochas!
# Posted on June 15th 2010 by Fiach Mac Carrain
Re: Burke Whistles - honest opinions
I would say asking here about Burke, MK or Overton is pretty much pointless. Those than can play them well have developed their preference but the vast majority of low whistle players are hopeless, and you can't judge a low whistle if you're hopeless. But having said that, never heard much bad about a Burke though I'm an Overton guy myself and can't see past them. Next best or even on a par for me would be the MK.
# Posted on June 15th 2010 by bogman
Re: Burke Whistles - honest opinions
I have a Burke low whistle, but I'm completely hopeless and as such, am not in any position to rate it
# Posted on June 15th 2010 by Nate Ryan
Re: Burke Whistles - honest opinions
Burke/Sindt/Rose = great, everyone of them
# Posted on June 15th 2010 by premier
Re: Burke Whistles - honest opinions
I have several Burke whistles, all of them are excellent. I'm particularly fond of his narrow bore composite high D, its a very sweet sounding instrument.
# Posted on June 15th 2010 by Michael Eskin
Re: Burke Whistles - honest opinions
They are very good. They can be a bit bland and hollow sounding if your ear is attuned, as mine is, to the more complex sounds of a good Generation. (And you can get a lot of cheap whistles for the price of one Burke.)
Best not to take them apart, because the O-ring seal in the tuning slide can break, and then you are stuck until you can track down a replacement. This happened to me on the one I had years ago. (Actually it was John Sindt that broke it because he wanted to have a look inside!) I ended up selling it because I found the tone too unsatifsying.
# Posted on June 16th 2010 by Jeeves Tones
Re: Burke Whistles - honest opinions
I am very fond of my Burkes which I have had for about four years. Clearly, the quality of the player is what counts, but the Burkes are extrememly playable and produce very nice tone. As mentioned, above they are 'bright' and don't have the gravelly chiff of the Generations.
But after you spend a ton of time and money fixing up those Generations fipple (seems to be from of witchcraft or zen trying to reconstruct a cheap chinese whistle that won't give you anything above high B if you are lucky) the more expensive whistles are worth every penny of nt having the hassle.
# Posted on June 16th 2010 by zippydw
Re: Burke Whistles - honest opinions
I got a Burke low D this past December, and am happy with it (in comparison to the Susato low D I already had, which is no longer worth playing in comparison). The O-ring issue that Jeeves mentions is addressed in the maintenance sheet shipped with the whistle - you can send it back to the maker and have them fix it back up.
# Posted on June 16th 2010 by dereksmootz
Re: Burke Whistles - honest opinions
"Issue" - manufacturer's euphemism for problem. Liability, I would call it!
# Posted on June 16th 2010 by Jeeves Tones
Re: Burke Whistles - honest opinions
I don't really remember what Burke called it - "issue" is my choice of wording. If you buy a silver flute, you expect to have to replace the pads eventually. If you buy a Burke whistle, expect to replace the rings eventually. True, its more maintenance than you typically expect from a whistle, but it's not out of the ordinary in the larger world of instruments.
# Posted on June 16th 2010 by dereksmootz
Re: Burke Whistles - honest opinions
Yes, you'd expect pads on a flute to wear out eventually but that's hardly comparable with the "issue" I'm talking about - accidental breakage of the O-ring on a newish whistle when a well-meaning person took it apart, instantly making the instrument unusable.
Sending the whistle back to the maker for repair, you say? If you live outside the USA, not such a trivial matter.
Lots of Burke happy owners out there... enjoy them, but be careful with that O-ring!
# Posted on June 16th 2010 by Jeeves Tones
Re: Burke Whistles - honest opinions
Fair enough - I jumped to conclusions, assuming you'd had it long enough for wear and tear to...er...tear it ;)
# Posted on June 16th 2010 by dereksmootz
Re: Burke Whistles - honest opinions
Sorry to hear that Jeeves. For what it's worth I have Burke whistles in 4 keys & always take them apart for cleaning. The o-rings are holding. In case one fails I am fortunate that my local hardware store stocks a variety of sizes.
The Low D did seem to have a bit of an edge on the cylinder which slides through the o-rings. I smoothed it, ever so slightly.
# Posted on June 17th 2010 by Ben Steen
Re: Burke Whistles - honest opinions
Celtic Connection, you don't specify what key or keys of Burke you're interested in.
I've owned at one time or another, or played, Burke aluminum whistles in these keys:
D session bore and narrow bore
C
low A
low G
low F
low D "Pro Viper"
One great thing about the Burkes in general, for a musician doing gigs, is their consistency across the range. In other words, you can go from the low F to the low A to the D and they play pretty much the same.
Another good point is that the voicing of each whistle is smooth and even over its gamut.
Another plus is that they don't clog. I've played my Burke Low D for hours with no moisture issues.
Negative things about Burkes: 1) they're not very air-efficient, in other words your breath passes through them at a higher rate than with most whistles, so that you have to take breaths more often. 2) some Burkes have an odd tuning thing, the B (or equivalent note, in other words the "one finger note") being flat in the first octave but sharp in the second octave. 3) their tone has been described as "bland" or uninteresting or lacking in character by many. Tone is a personal thing I suppose and I like the tone of my Burkes just fine.
I play Low D as my primary whistle and after trying quite a few I settled on the Burke Pro Viper. To be fair, I wasn't able to try every brand in existence so there might well be better ones out there that I never got a chance to try.
The Burke Low D plays amazingly smoothly over its range, like butter, and has a huge powerful booming "bottom D".
I tried a Dixon Low D once and it wasn't in the same league as the Burke.
Recently I've switched over to an MK Low D. It does a lot of little things a bit better than the Burke in my opinion. It's more air-efficient, has a more interesting tone, and has a stronger low E (often the Achilles' Heel of Low D whistles). But it doesn't have as powerful a bottom D as the Burke, at least the MK I have. (I've played another MK which is somewhat superior to mine in every way.)
About the O-rings, I've never had any issues with them.
# Posted on June 17th 2010 by Richard D Cook
Re: Burke Whistles - honest opinions
I have a Burke composite C. It sounds very good. I got the composite because I can pull it out in the midst of a session when the fiddlers decide G minor would be fun, and its intonation will be reasonably stable for the set.
# Posted on June 17th 2010 by ElaineT
Re: Burke Whistles - honest opinions
I've heard that the composite Burkes have a more "woody" tone than the aluminum ones. I've heard several people who own both say they prefer the tone of the composite.
What makes me hesitant about the composite Burkes is that they're said to be very fragile: drop one and it shatters like glass, so they say.
# Posted on June 18th 2010 by Richard D Cook
Re: Burke Whistles - honest opinions
My friend has a burke whistle and the sound of it is lovely and it's very easy to play. If we play together (i play a geneeration whistle) the sound makes my whistle sound rubbish.
# Posted on June 18th 2010 by Grace949
Re: Burke Whistles - honest opinions
Love the tone of the Burke Aluminum Low A - it just sings!
# Posted on June 21st 2010 by Laughtonb
Re: Burke Whistles - honest opinions
I have seen, and tried quite a few Burke whistles.
In almost every one, the tuning was very good, the tone was nicely consistent along with the pressure gradient over 2 octaves - nice and clean.
I have heard quite a few very accomplished players play the "session-bore" (wide) High D in brass, aluminium and composite (delrin/bakelite). In the hands of such players they sound great. In the hands of beginners, they can sound somewhat soul-less.
The exactitude of Michael Burke's design eliminates a lot of the side-harmonics from the timbre which makes them, initially, much "cleaner" sounding than the classic Generation - but these harmonics can be had to a certain extent if you know how to get them.
Have a listen to Joanie Madden's performances on the Burke alumininium high D (session bore) - there's plenty on youtube. If you like that sound, then it's probably worth getting one for your kit.
Keep in mind that every player will find what they want in a whistle - to a certain extent, it will sound like them no matter what they are playing.
Most whistler's I know usually have a bunch of different whistles in their kit - they choose one depending on what they want to do with the tune.
Only you will know what you need. At least with a Burke, you have a good chance of getting something that behaves well.
# Posted on June 21st 2010 by Mozle