OK OK OK i know that there is probably some post about this, but after searching for ten minutes i didn’t find what i was looking for so i’m going to ask you guys. I’m thinking about getting an Overton Low F (christmas present for meself 
) and i’m trying to figure out the difference between Colin Goldie and Bernard Overton. Let me know if i’m wrong, but i think i have seen that the overton whistles very greatly, some are easy blowers while some have to be leaned into. I was just wondering if this was true. I’m looking for something with a sweet second octave but not a weak first octave. Something that sounds like what mick has on the breton breeze clip on http://micksvirtualwhistle.net/whistle/index.html . Also who do i contact to actually get the whistle/ where can i find it on the net (or somewhere near San Fran, Ca). Thanks for any help you guys can give me this christmas should be a good one 
There are Lark in the Morning shops in both San Francisco and Mendicino; they probably stock the Goldie Overtons (call them). The Goldie Overtons in my experience vary but not unexpectedly, that is, Colin will make one for you as you like it. That said, I don’t know what you’d find in the shops that are already made. There are also internet retailers including Song of the Sea that carries Goldies and I think overseas Big Whistle carries Bernards. I won’t comment on the characteristics of the whistles because I don’t play that type, although at one point I had a whole line of Goldies - fine whistles just not my cup of tea.
Philo
You will never find Colin’s instruments with Lark for sure, sorry no offence meant here Phil . Alto Fs I would not know any shop in the US at the moment who might have still one of these, try Song of the Sea but I doubt it at the moment, sorry. Big Whistle in UK does have Bernard’s and Colin’s whistles. I suggest to contact them and see if they have stock. You can also contact Bernard directly and get him to make you one (please send me an email and I give you his phone info, he is not that much online) or Colin. Regarding your wish for christmas with Colin I have to say, that with the Alto Fs (nor any other whistle ordered now) it would not work for Christmas, waiting times with him are between 4 months to close to a year depending on the key you are looking for at the moment. In the shops you will find a mixture from easy/middle to middle/harder blowers, very easy or very hard blowers Colin only makes if someone asks specifically for them.
Hope this helps…
Brigitte
P.S. While I am writing about whistles… if people are wondering why they have not heard back to an email they have send to us (and I mean not days but weeks), it is basically my fault. I am completely behind on these. I have had hand problems during the summer which stopped me two months solid typing. I have til now not been able to catch up and cannot estimate when you can expect normal response times again… I am very sorry for this situation but I cannot help it at the moment as I also have a day job which limits my time for the emails and office stuff for Colin. 
P.P.S. There have been Alto Fs offered recently on the board, I remember at least 2, the sellers could describe the playabilities to you, may even play them for you on the phone to give you an idea about the sound… just an idea…
On the actual differences between Bernard’s and Colin’s whistles, I can think of these: Colin sand-blasts the interior of the whistles and bevels the finger holes, whereas Bernard doesn’t. Colin signs his whistles inside the bell. Colin’s whistle’s beaks tend to be a bit longer than the ones I’ve seen on Bernard’s whistles. They all play fabulously. I have both Colin’s (three hi Ds, eight-hole D/C, C, A, F, low D) and Bernard’s whistles (Low C, bass A).
I have bought four Overtons made by Colin. Three were pre owned and the low D came from Song Of The Sea. Ann at song of the sea is very helpful. You can try whistles and send them back if they are not to your liking. I did have to pay for them and shipping. But in the end it was cheaper than driving to the store. I bought three whistles and sent two back, and received a prompt refund. I can tell by looking in the windway why each one takes a differant breath to play. Belive it or not but the Overton Bass A is easier to blow than the bass Bb. The wind way height is lower in the Bass A. I have adjusted to all four plus a Chieftain Low C, and I can play them one after the other with muscle memory adjusting my breath. Basically just practice.
No offense taken, Brigitte, and thanks for the clarification. Hope all is well with you guys.
Philo
Bloomfield…(or anyone else who knows…)
Maybe you can clarify something for me. A few months ago, I bought a used Overton Low D. (From W.T.Anderson) It was billed as a “Colin Goldie Nontunable Low D, Short Reach.” After seeing your description of the different physical characteristics of the two maker’s whistles, I’m thinking my Low D may be one of Bernard’s.
It seems to be made exactly like my Bernard-made Low Eb. No signature in the end of the barrel. No sand-blasted interior. And the tone-hole upper edges are sharp on both whistles. Hmmm. Maybe Bernard made some “short reach” Low Ds?
PS Both of these whistles are just plain magic to play.
PSS Thanks for any info…
It sounds like one of Bernard’s whistles, Colin alwas sandblasts and signs. It would already be a one of if he would forget to sign one but not sandblasted would not happen.
Glad to hear you like the whistles 
. Bernard’s finger spacing is not far apart, it maybe different to Colin’s but in the last few years also Bernad had made the finger spread shorter, compared to the older models or even early models this makes a difference for fingering.
Brigitte
Brigitte…
Thanks for the response. (Oh NO! Now I must deal with WHOA, and think about getting a whistle made by Colin!!!)
I have “pure” sounding whistles…“brassy” sounding whistles…and “raspy, Rod Stewart-sounding” whistles…but, as with others who have fallen under the spell, I find a certain COMFORT in the mellow, quirky, cosmic-connector, distant-yet-intimate, warm, compressed, hollow, husky, musky, friendly, easy-listening, foggy, expressive, and altogether ADDICTIVE sound of Overton. Pant Pant…did I cover it?
Boy, don’t write stuff like that on the Flute forum…
M 
May I ask why?
We have evolved to a higher plain of enlightenment over on the flute forum and no longer use anything so banal and subjective as adjectives.
(Just like a bunch of Whistlers to try to describe the sound of an instrument…How base!..snort…harumph!)
Doc
Reaches over, puts his finger gently (well, maybe with a little bit of force) and pushes (no had to pry) Doc’s nose back down to where it belongs.
So anyway, back to the whistles, what kind of car would you say Colin’s whistles are like versus Bernard’s?
I thought I mention something, which may not help though but I think it might not really work in describing it with one car or another one, as each whistle the two make is individual and more or less different to the next, which one you like more is to your personal taste. If decribed by cars types you might need more than one car to describe the work of each of the two; so most likely the one or other car shows up on the both’s lists then, so there will be most likely a mixture… well I would think… and I think this is with most makers who individually make their instruments, they can vary by a great lot and that is intended. Some might be strong like a bulldozer in the bottom end other might be fast responding like a Ferrari, some have the softness of a Rolls, others the growl of a Landrover, there can be a very big range of playabilities and sounds…
Brigitte
My Overton-like-instrumentish copy plays like a Skoda.
OK I have given this some thought and What I came to. Tweaked whistles are hot rods. The cheapos are Detroit factory cars. and high end whistles, Buseman, Greenwood, Overton, etc… are full blowen Double A fuel dragsters. They perform at the max right out of the box.
Each car is a differant color, and each whistle plays a differant color but plays that color well. So back the to the old thread of what is your favorite color of whistle? 
…
This has gone in an amusing direction. I think the cheapies are like your standard Honda’s and Nissans, normals everyday cars. The tweaked one’s are like those souped up Japanese cars from Fast and Furious and all that. Your Hoovers, O’Briens and the like are a step up, like a Lexus or something. Burkes and Sweethearts and those catagory are like the nice British or German cars, Aston Martins or Mercedes-Benz, and then with the Abells and Copelands you have your Ferrari, Maserati type stuff.
Wow, I put way too much thought into that!
My generation with (what remains of its) cracked and burned/melted (literally! I tried to fix it… 
) head reminds me of a beat up pickup truck or something 
It was my best whistle too… ah well.
King Friday, and where does the Overton fit in?