I fell in love with the Burke whistle. I just bought a Composite Session C. Thing is that it has quite a lot volume, playing indoors with my band the volume is on the edge of being too loud. Of course, therefore it’s a session whistle. I already saw Doc Jones on YouTube playing all the Burke whistles. I wonder, has anyone experience with the narrow bores in a group or in outdoor playing and can compare it to the session whistles?
Your question comes up frequently (along with “which material?”) and you could do a search to see what many people have stated on the topic. I play both session and narrow bore Burkes. The narrow bore Burke is not a quiet whistle, if that is what you are looking for. It is slightly quieter than the session bore whistle. The narrow bore doesn’t take as much air as the session bore. Playing dynamics are a bit different, a lighter touch works well on the narrow bore. I have played both narrow bore aluminum and brass Burkes in large groups and had no difficulty hearing myself or being heard by others. And I have never been told either Burke is loud. I like the session bore most for aggressive playing. A narrow bore brass D is just about my favorite whistle for general use. They are both nice whistles.
Feadoggie
Thanks Feadoggie. I’m gonna save for a Burke narrow bore brass in D. So if there’s someone who wants to sell or make a trade, let me know.
Just curious…did you mean Composite Session D? I have a Composite C and it’s not particularly loud and I don’t think Mike calls it a “session”. The Composite C, however, is one of the finest whistles I’ve ever played. It’s one of those whistles where material, key, and craftsmanship come together to produce something very special.
I pretty much agree with Feadoggie’s assessment of the narrow bores. I use several Burkes as well in our band, in sessions, and in the studio. I’ve had two DBNs, and just be sure to check the c-nat accuracy.
Arnie: I have not found the narrow bore Burke whistles to be appreciably softer than the standard bore. They have a thinner, more crystalline timbre, but the volume measures almost exactly the same.
However, here is one possible solution for you: Mack Hoover will custom build for you a whistle that will play at any volume you desire. You can talk to him, here:
mackhoover at bresnan dot net
Be well.
Byll
I have a wide bore Composite C. I have a Sindt, which is beautiful but not an outdoor player, the C is. I guess the narrow bore has not much less volume, maybe only slight. If I come across one, I’'m gonna go for it.
Your mind is pretty well set, so go with your gut. If it works out…great. If not, move on and try something else. We’ve all been there.