Hi there, I’m a long time whistler, first time poster. I’m looking to buy my first “high end” whistle. I’ve decided on a Burke session bore, but would like to know if there is any difference in sound between the brass and aluminum models, I’m looking for a warm, sweet tone with little “chiff”.
They say that aluminum is brighter. I really prefer aluminum over brass, but a lot will argue that.
Two fine whistlers I know chose aluminum. One says it’s a little more responsive. I have brass and I like it fine but I haven’t played aluminum extensively. The aluminum is lighter.
I have played both and prefer and own brass because it is warmer and has a great second octave. Best, Cyril
I much prefer playing my aluminium session D to my brass one. They are both great whistles though.
I would like to add that my brass session, DBSBT is dated 2/2008 and I believe is the latest rendition by Mr. Burke. It does have the longer mouthpiece and longer streamlined tuning slide. It does seem to have a wider bore and a slightly thinner wall dimension; however, my memory might be off.
Apart from having different construction i find the tone has been substantally strengthened. It is a true session whistle as it has enough volume to stand out in a crowd. The bell note is rock solid and very pleasent. It doesn’t surprise the player and suddenly slip into D2. The volume balance between octaves is spot on and the second octave is wonderfully expressive and can be “pushed”.
All of the second octave is easily accessed to include a very pleasent B2 that is not in the least bit shrill.
BTW, I think the Burke DBSBT is a steal and will hold it’s own wih other high end whistles that cost at least twice as much.
Good luck finding what you want. If you deal with Mr. Burke and find you don’t like the brass; I believe he would swap it out for an aluminium.
Best, Cyril.
I have owned three (and still have two) Burkes and played a couple others over the years and would say that Brass has a much better tone the aluminum is bland to me and has no character whereas the brass has mych more susbtance. This is all opinion of course, you may like aluminum. Really the only way to find out is to try one and see for yourself.
This link may help:
http://chiffboard.mati.ca/viewtopic.php?t=53895&postdays=0&postorder=asc&vote=viewresult
Mike
Burkes are my favorite whistles (of those I have tried). My aluminum session D is my favorite D whistle, and my brass session C is my favorite C. I guess that doesn’t help much, but if pushed, I might say I prefer the aluminum.
I don’t find it bland. It’s incredibly pure, and sort of “chirpy”. Also, I seem to get better speed and articulation on it. Maybe because the aluminium has a less “sticky” feel to me than brass. Either way, you can’t lose. They really are fine whistles, IMO.
Thanks for the tips, I think I’m leaning more towards the brass, FRom what I read so far, it sounds warmer and rounder, plus I like the look of it more so than aluminum.
If this is slightly off-topic, please excuse…
I’m curious why there seems to be relatively little discussion of the Burke composites. The debate always seems to be, aluminum vs brass. Do people not consider the composites because:
a. they aren’t loud enough for sessions?
b. people prefer the tone of a metal whistle?
c. other?
As for myself, I’m increasingly interested in a Burke composite. To date I have been more interested in low whistles than regular ones, due to the fact that when I play a regular high D whistle the sound is so high and loud and shrill that it bothers my own ears.
But I’m grudgingly realizing that a low whistle isn’t the right tool for every musical job, so, I wonder: what kind of high D whistle could I get that might not bother my ears? I think I want a high D that’s relatively quiet and mellow, and the Burke composite seems like it might fit the bill. I’d be using this in small, living-room-esque sessions. And for practice of course.
I think it’s probably only because they’re new, and so few of us have had a chance to try them. Doc Jones has said a composite (G, think), was one of the nicest whistles he has ever played. I don’t doubt that they’re outstanding, as well.
The brass is very shiny when new but dulls into a nice patina after awhile, which I do not polish off. The aluminum, I think, has less drastic appearance changes.
Good point on the composites. I would particularly love to hear thoughts on aluminum vs. composite low D.
Doc Jones sent me a composite session D to give a try. I almost bought it. It was feather light and had a very warm complex tone with enough volume for sessions.
I ended up with a 2008 DBSBT; which I found to have incremental advantages across the board. If Mr. Burke would incorporate his latest tweaks in the Composite Session, I would be very interested. Cyril
This comes up rather often here. You can do a search to see previous discussions on this question. The composite Burkes are very sweet whistles.
A frequent question I hear is “What whistle does Joanie Madden play?” Now while the answer is “her well-loved O’Riordan”, she is known to play quite a few Burkes as well and they tend to be brass or aluminum. Not a bad reommendation to follow. Quite a few other professionals play metal Burkes as well.
Certainly brass and aluminum Burkes are more prevalent at the workshops and festivals I’ve been to recently compared to the composites. Players may tend to buy based on what they have had a chance to try. At Augusta last year there was one Burke composite high D but maybe 25 brass or aluminum Burkes. I left my composites at home too.
I own a lot of Burkes in the various materials. I have several composite Burkes, including high D and low D models. The composite whistles are not new, one of mine dates back to 2000. Mike is rumored to have wanted to discontinue them in the past. They are as well made and designed as the metal models but have a different tonal character which many describe as “woody”. That may not be the tone that most buyers are seeking. I think they have the most complex tonal signature of the Burke line. They are just as loud as the metal whistles but perhaps mellower. The composite whistles are durable but perhaps not quite as hardy as their metal counterparts and that may be a deciding factor as well. They are astonishingly lightweight. That may be misconstrued as being weak or frail by some. I keep them on hand for their unique timbre. The sound of the Burke composite low D is as haunting as any low whistle out there. The composite whistles also have that “stealthy” aesthetic going for them which may be attractive in some circles but not in others. Just some thoughts.
Feadoggie
I can never decide if I prefer my narrow bore composite D or the DAN. I love them both, and pick them up for different occasions. The composite is so easy to play it almost plays itself - so responsive - but I love the tone and the bell note of the DAN. I like my old brass session bore, but I love the other two.
Another question I haven’t considered before: How is the wind resistance on the newer Burkes? I will be playing outdoors from time to time. I know The Whistler said that his Burke had low wind resistance, but I wonder if that was due to the C nat thumbhole. The talk about the composites has tweaked my interest as well, but I can’t find any sound samples of a Burke composite.
My DASBT was awful in a wind. No thumbhole.
Both Burkes I tried outdoors had difficulty with a mild breeze unless I turned my back into the wind. Sweetheart and Susato whistles do well in cross winds. I remember an old review of Reyburn whistles indicated they also do well in wind.
Now that I think about it, many of the whistle reviews at www.tinwhistler.com include tests of outdoor playing. (I really miss his reviews.)
If you want more suggestions, there have been two or three good threads about which whistles work best outdoors. There were also good tips on how to deal with windy conditions. I imagine searching for outdoors or crosswind would bring them up.