MICHAEL
BURKE WHISTLES-- REVIEW BY DALE WISELY
I hope that by now you
have read the Chiff & Fipple interview with Michael Burke (http://www.chiffandfipple.com/michaelburke.html ). If you haven't , please do so,
because it will provide some background to this review.
Michael Burke has been
making whistles in the entire range of keys for a relatively short time. He
makes them out of Bakelite, a composite material familiar to many readers. It
allows the whistles to be thin-walled, exceptionally lightweight (the low D is
a featherweight), but plenty strong. The material is attractive enough. It's
black, or maybe a kind of very dark charcoal color, with some little flecks
that are apparent close up. The whistles are cylindrical, but with some
variations that Mike describes in the interview. They are tunable. The tuning
slide is a bit less intrusive than other whistles I've seen. It's very well
fitted, a little harder to move than others, which I regard as a plus.
I have been playing
Burke whistles in B-natural, Bb and Low D for a couple of weeks now. Mike makes
2 models of Low D, the EZ and the Pro. The EZ is designed for beginners and
people with smaller hands, and the volume and tone is compromised a bit for
this ease of play. The Pro model has a more traditional spacing of holes (and
size of holes) but it is NOT more difficult to play than most Low Ds that are
on the market. Michael tells me that, given the opportunity to compare the two
low Ds side-by-side, newer players favor the EZ consistently and experience
players tend to go with the PRO.
I will give you Angela
Wisely's review of the sound of the Burke whistles. She is my 14 year old
daughter and, like other members of my family, is doomed to hear me tooting
around on a huge array of whistles. She is not usually impressed anymore. She
is often understandably annoyed. She happened to be with me when I got the
package of Burke whistles. When I opened it and played a few notes on the Bb
she looked up from her homework and said, "Oh! That's smooth. That's
really nice. Who's this guy?" meaning, of course, who was this whistle
maker.
The Burke tone reminds
me a great deal of the O'Riordan whistles. I have written about how much I love
O'Riordan's work. I prize no whistles more than my O'Riordans. Yet, I am not
sure how I would do in a blindfold test, trying to pick out Burke vs.
O'Riordan. Burke takes a more functional approach in choice of materials. But
the tone is very much like O'Riordan. Full, round, pure. The bottom end is
solid. The top end is smooth--not loud and not strained in tone. Really, very,
very good. The balance of volume and tone across the range is absolutely
outstanding.
The tuning is precise.
The wind requirement is moderate on the low, relatively less on the higher
whistles. The holes are comfortable. Now, a loyal subscriber with some
experience has told me that he has had a little trouble adjusting to the holes
on his Burkes. He notes that they are more recessed into the shaft. He uses the
term "scalluped." I haven't noted this at all.
I love these whistles
and am as enthusiastic about these as I've been about any whistles in a long
time. As I've indicated, I think Michael's work lands him squarely in the most
select group of whistle craftsmen. And when you consider how new he is at it,
it's nearly frightening.
Michael's business is
picking up, as you might guess! His waiting list is growing. My advice: get on
it and avoid the rush......oops. Too late!
UPDATE: Michael Burke is now making whistles in
brass which are receiving uniformly excellent reviews. I’ve played the wide and the narrow bore
brass Ds and I love them.
Mike Burke’s website: