If you wanted to put together a set of whistles in the most used keys from any makers, what would you include (from among those you’ve played)? My set:
Eflat - Copeland
D - Burke black tip
C - Burke black tip
Bflat - Abell
A - Copeland
G - Copeland
F - O’Briain
D - Copeland
PhilO
I can’t separate some in certain classes, but here’s my list, as of today.
F Abell
Eb Overton
D Sindt, Busman
C Burke Al Pro
Bb Abell, Sindt
A Abell
G Overton
F Grinter
Eb Overton
D Copeland
From high to low:
E Water Weasel
Eb, D O’Riordan Traveller
C Thin Weasel
B Susato
Bb, A Water Weasel
G Thin Weasel
F Grinter
Eb, D O’Riordan Traveller
Good subject, Phil!
E – Thin Weasel
D – Geez, that’s tough – probably Wilson Woods
C – Thin Weasel
B – Burke composite
Bflat – Thin Weasel
A – Water Weasel
G – Burke black tip
low-F – Grinter
low-E – Burke composite
low-D – Copeland
(I’ve never played an Eflat that I liked.)
D Thin Weasel
C Burke black tip Brass Pro
Bb Burke any
A Chieftain NR
F Overton anodised
Eb Chieftain NR
D Overton
Interesting consensus on the F Grinter–you may count me as nominating it as well…
Whistle of the year?
Well, now I started, I may tell my faves’ list.
D - Silvertone, will have to get an Eb tube for it
C - Silberton (same with 8 holes and a bigger bore 
) Will need a Db/C# tube, too…
Bb - wish I had a Le Coant, blackwood. Can’t have them all: the bakelite Burke will do.
F (and G, and A, and B…) Strathmann’s “Stratoflute”, my “multi-alto”. I know it’s no fair as a “whistle”.
low Eb - Chieftain (new series)
low D? If I have to choose but one, then it’s Le Coant.
low C - Alba
Oooh! This is fun. 
High to low:
f - Abell
e - Burke composite
eb - Burke composite
d - Abell
c# - I have only a Sindt
c - Copeland
b - Water Weasel
Bb - Copeland
A - Copeland
G - Copeland
F# - O’Briain
E - O’Riordan
Eb - Olwell bamboo flute is all I have
D - Reyburn Standard bore
Actually, for Low D, I prefer flutes. This was fun.
Charlie, I wish I had YOUR Wilson Woods whistle…I mean I wish they had been able to reproduce it.
eb - tweaked Generation
d - Sindog, tweaked Generation, Overton (depending on circs)
C - Overton, Reyburn C (depending on circs)
Bb - Generation
A - Overton
G - Overton (don’t own one, though)
F - Alba Q1 (Want an Overton; and someone send me a Grinter F to try, please?)
D - Overton
What a list. I can’t afford them all.
Any recommendations on a good E and B?
I have Eb and Bb but not E and B.
“Oh but for an E and B I pray”
“That I may play all of our hymns today”.
I didn’t list my E because it’s not the perfect whistle. But if you want a very decent, good sounding E, buy a Susato VSB E and replace the blade with a straight blade (such as a guitar pic). All it takes is an exacto knife, a bit of blu-tac and superglue, and some courage. Very satisfying and eliminates the “Susato sound” and shrillness. You can do this with a Susato Bnat, too.
My Burke Brass Session Pro E is very sweet.It was already produced as a “black tip” before he changed the Ds. The Alpro E version is kinda dicey in the upper register.
I own two Susato Es that I got as a result of a cancelled back-order. Not brave enough to mess with 'em like Bloom. Hmm…mebbe they are both FS!!
Interesting that the low D position is dominated by Copeland and Overton with the Copeland ahead by a decent margin. I’m wondering if this is based largely on what people own versus what’s perceived as most desirable. I presume, having never heard one live, that the Copeland has the flutier sound. So, is the Overton cosmic drainpipe sound a sort of esoteric cult preference?
I took it for granted that you had to be familiar with a whistle to vote for it—own it or play it regularly. Also, I was voting for particular whistles I own. I couldn’t guarantee that your Copeland or Overton would sound or play just like mine, let alone that you’d like what I like.
I have several low Ds but the Copeland and Overton are both great whistles in my view. I voted for the Copeland because it has a slight edge; I only declared draws where I wasn’t prepared to flip a coin. If I’d got into the depending-on-the-mood game I would have listed nine different Overtons but that wouldn’t be in the spirit of the game as I understood it. So I think both Copeland and Overton low Ds are very mainstream preferences and my low Eb choice was an Overton. More esoteric would be Reyburn. I like them but not as much. Burke composites have a strong following too and I think there’d be a few votes for O’Riordans.
I didn’t – I voted for three whistles I’ve only played once (the three wooden whistles on my list). If I eliminate those, I’d vote for O’Riordan Traveller for C whistle, and Water Weasels for low G and F. (Though I’m hoping at least the low F Weasel will get replaced by an O’Riordan F someday…)
…I think there’d be a few votes for O’Riordans.
I already voted for it! Though I like the low Eb body better – it’s just enough shorter to be much more comfortable to play, and it sounds awesome.
so did I.
From highest to lowest:
G: Antiquie lead-fippled Gen-type
F: Overton
Eb: Overton
D: Silkstone
C: Overton
Bb: Overton
A: Overton
Lows
G: Chiieftain
F: Chieftain
D: Overton
Now, that said, I shouild also admit that some of the above are almost never touched or played. D and high G account for easily 90% of my playing, with Low D/G being virtually all of the rest.
Low D Copeland, or Overton? Two whistles with a personality, each with its own sound making most others sound bland.
I lean toward the Copeland, though the Overton has THE trad’ (said tongue-in-cheek) low whistle sound. Whether we’ll admit to it or not, we’re all Spillane’s victims when it comes to THE low whistle sound. Kozmic drainpipe and tapdance backup awright.
The Copeland, as Beth (Avanutria) coined it a while ago, is the Horn. I really wish Copeland would make it in low Eb some day…
So, I stick to my Yvon Le Coant: that Copeland “horn” type of sound, just warmer and with a stronger low end than my Copeland. Correcting: than my Copeland had.
Anyway, I don’t have a choice left: the Copeland was either lost in the Ocean, or in redtape…
So this thread is living testimony to the number of chiffsters who are HORNY
F: Generation
Eb: Generation
D: Sindt
C: Sindt
Bb: Generation
A: Overton
G: Overton
F: Kerry Pro
Eb: O’Riordan traveller
D: Overton
/Jens
HONK