The Chiff & Fipple
Inexpensive Whistle Poll
Results
Subscribers to Chiff & Fipple recently voted in a web-based poll on the best-known inexpensive tinwhistles. The following table presents the data. For each whistle, the second line collapses the two positive votes ("love it" and "like it") and the two not-so-good votes ("It's fair" and "not so good"), for a quick way of reading the data. Some additional ways of reading the data appear after the following table. There is a good bit of variability in the number of votes, of course, due to the popularity and sales of different whistles.
Final note. This is unscientific-- and a few votes here and there could make a big difference. Let's just have fun with this. No need for anyone to get emotional about the results. These are WHISTLES we are talking about!
|
Whistle |
Love it |
Like it |
It's Fair |
Not so good |
Total votes |
|
Clare (reg) |
3% |
61% |
26% |
7% |
26 |
|
64% |
33% |
|
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|
Clare/Eagle 2-part |
19% |
54% |
12% |
12% |
31 |
|
73% |
24% |
|
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|
Clarke Original |
31% |
39% |
18% |
11% |
122 |
|
70% |
29% |
|
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|
Clarke Sweetone |
36% |
39% |
18% |
5% |
121 |
|
75% |
23% |
|
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|
Feadog |
23% |
36% |
30% |
9% |
98 |
|
59% |
39% |
|
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|
Generation |
13% |
20% |
41% |
25% |
123 |
|
33% |
66% |
|
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|
Oak |
23% |
27% |
26% |
23% |
69 |
|
50% |
49% |
|
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|
Shaw |
19% |
43% |
19% |
17% |
62 |
|
62% |
36% |
|
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|
Walton's/Soodlum |
31% |
42% |
16% |
8% |
91 |
|
73% |
24% |
|
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|
Walton's Aluminum |
25% |
40% |
22% |
11% |
87 |
|
65% |
33% |
|
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|
O'Grady |
16% |
16% |
50% |
16% |
12 |
|
32% |
66% |
|
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|
Mel Bay |
0% |
54% |
18% |
27% |
11 |
|
54% |
45% |
|
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|
Susato |
39% |
43% |
11% |
6% |
97 |
|
82% |
17% |
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Inexpensive whistles ranked by highest percentages of voters voting "love it" or "like it."
1. Susato
2. Clarke Sweetone
3. Clare / Eagle 2-part (this is a bit of a surprise. I like it, but I wouldn't have expected this ranking)
4. Clarke Original
5. Walton's (Soodlum's)
6. Walton's Aluminum
7. Clare (Regular)
8. Shaw
9. Feadog
10. Mel Bay (really too few votes to judge. I liked the Mel Bay just fine).
11. Oak (go up to the table and look at the figures. I've always maintained that this whistle gets the most mixed reviews of any. The data sure prove me right!!)
12. Generation (This is a shame really. Over time, I've learned that a good Generation (sometimes they are good off the rack and sometimes tweaking makes them good) can be fabulous. Also, if I broke this down by key, Gen would have done better in keys other than D, I think. I just really wish that they would do something about their quality control problem. )
13. O'Grady (O'Grady's, I believe, are just assembled from stock parts by the U-pipe maker. Also very few votes were cast).