brass vs. Aluminium. whats the dif?
Here are some threads that answer your question pretty good, although I’d be interested in hearing if anyone has something to add to this.
http://chiffboard.mati.ca/viewtopic.php?t=20001
colour 
Listening to James’ (peeplj) samples, it seems that his brass narrow bore sounds more like my aluminum narrow bore than his AlPro Session does, so I suspect that bore is a bigger factor than material.
I suspect I’ll never know for sure, though, because if I eventually get another Burke high D, it’ll probably be a brass wide-bore.
JessieK, let me do the honors:
brass stinks.
I have a brass Burke wide-bore high D (1999) and love it. Brass v. Aluminum… it’s a matter of opinion. To each his/her own. Like wine, it comes down to what you personally like. Forget the critics.
I’m the one who started the thread: http://chiffboard.mati.ca/viewtopic.php?t=20001 (DRC), couldn’t decide…so ended up getting both the brass and aluminum black tip narrow bore Burkes. I certainly don’t regret that decision. I have several other high end whistles, and I can tell you that the Burke NBs are at the the top of my favorites. Sweet, clear, perfect intonation, well balanced, and easy playing.
What I’ve found is the aluminum NB is slightly louder and brighter than the brass, and is a perfect gig whistle because it cuts well without being too bright. It plays effortlessly and can be pushed a little harder than the brass. Great response. I use it in session a lot. I also have a Burke AlPro session, and the volume is similar between the two. The NB has surprisingly good volume. I prefer the high end of the NB Aluminum, and I also prefer a smaller diameter whistle than the session. As another response pointed out, it’s all a personal thing and how a whsitle will fit your needs and tastes.
The brass NB is a bit quieter with a slightly rounder, sweeter tone and I absolutely love it for recording and general playing. It’s wondeful for amplified gigs, and I trade off bewtween the AL and Brass, depending on the tune. The high end is pristine, and easily slides into the third octave without screaming. Excellent whistle for airs and still has enough volume for small to average sessions. The brass is slightly smaller in diam than the aluminum, about the same size tube as a Gen, Sindt, etc. By the way, I love my Sindt but prefer the Burke NB brass, which has a slightly fuller tone and still has that clear, pristine high end…AND has an accurate C-nat, which is the Sindt’s downfall. C-nats using the standard OXXOOO on Sindts are very sharp. Burkes are much more accurate.
So it really depends on your taste. But if I had to choose, as much as I love the brass, I’d suggest the NB Aluminum because it can be played very sweetly and softly, as well as pushed a little harder than the brass and produce a little more volume when needed. It’s also extremely light and feels like a feather in your hands. The tonal differences are very slight, and actually, what sets the aluminum apart is the slight edge in brightness, particularly in the second octave. The brass inherently isn’t as bright, so sounds a little more “round”.
The only thing that bothers me about Burkes is the sharp edges on the mouthpiece that tend to irritate my bottom lip. So I always carefully sand those edges down with #220 grit sandpaper to round them off just enough to take the edge off. Makes a big difference in comfort.
Hope this helps.
DC
SlipJig Celtic Band
Hutsville, AL
My aluminum NB has a slightly larger outside diameter than the brass NB, but their inside diameters appear to be the same. Other than this, I agree completely with DRC’s impressions.
Good call, Ridseard. Yes, it can be seen when looking directly at the ends of the whistles side by side, that both IDs do visually appear to be the same. It can also be easily seen that the aluminum Mike is using is slightly thicker than the brass, thus the slightly larger OD. When I said the brass is slightly smaller in diam than the aluminum, I was referring to the OD and should have been more specific. The difference is very small but I can definitely feel it when switching between the two.
DC