Finally got some cash to purchase a low D whistle. I would like some suggestions on what to get. I know I will probably get a million different suggestions but I would like to make this purchase once and live with it. I’m willing to spend a few hundred dollars but I’m a value vs $$ kinda guy and would certainly play a cheap instrument if it plays well. My favorite hi D whistle is a Dixon poly and I have a low G Dixon traditional that I like so I am looking at Dixon’s. I also love the look and craftsmanship on the MK whistles but have never played one. Ian Lambe whistles are also beautiful. Any suggestions greatly appreciated.
If you like Dixon whistles, try the TB012D (tapered bore tunable low D), ergonomically easy to play and not expensive.
David
With Low Whistles you pretty much get what you pay for.
I went on a big Low D Whistle buying spree several years ago, I’ve tried many of the top makes out there (but certainly not all!) and for me the “big boys” have ended up being, so far, the following, in no particular order
Goldie
MK
Burke
Reyburn
Lofgren
Each is a top-notch professional quality instrument.
Each has its own unique sound and unique playing characteristics. Each has strengths and weaknesses- the Perfect Low D Whistle cannot be made.
A person needs to get then in hand and play them and explore all of the differences and decide what suits them best.
My newest toy is a Lofgren which is graciously on loan to me. It’s wonderful: a very easy 2nd octave, good efficiency, nice tone, big volume, smooth voicing. strong bellnote, great tuning… really no flies on it. A hair less air-efficient than the MK, Reyburn, or Goldie, that’s the only knock I can see. If it were as efficient as the others it might possibly be the closest thing to a “perfect” Low D that I’ve played.
The MK and Reyburn have the most complex, sophisticated, and compelling timbres, the two utterly different from each other. But each whistle has areas I’d like to see improved- there is no perfect Low D.
I’m quite happy with my Burke Viper.
I’ve not been in the market for another low D since getting it back in… 06, I think…
Of course, one area for improvement on it… it seems I need to clear out the fipple every couple of tunes… condensation (not beer… condensation) builds up far quicker than I would like.
Coffee - Have you tried the toothpaste and soapy water remedy ?
I’ve tried soapy water. Tasted funny.
I don’t think I did it right…
I’ve tried quite a few. I would say that MK Pro and Alba whistles are very easy to play and good sounding. The MK is generally considered one of the best on the market. The holes on both are easy to cover and they do not easily jump octaves when you don’t want them to. Lambe has a nice tone and a beautiful second octave, but is very sensitive to air pressure and not very loud in the lower octave.
If you get an MK Pro, I suggest you get the polished one as opposed to the satin one, as the polished one is less slippery…(!)
I would buy the MK Pro rather than the MK Kelpie if you intend to play with others.
Another good sounding one that is easy to play is the Kerry Pro.
Of all the new whistles I’ve tried, the Reviol is the one that sounded, played and felt the best to me. Were I in the market for a new whistle, I would grab one of those without hesitation.
..Joe
Hello SpiderJames, from one spider to another…!
In what kind of environment will you be playing this? Are you in a band or group, and do you use microphones? Or do you play solo, in your home, like me, or do you play in sessions? There are some quieter Low D’s and some louder, but most are not easily heard in the lower register when played with other instruments without amplification.
Do you play with others, or tune to recordings a lot? If so, then a tunable instrument will be required. Most Low D’s are tunable, but some are not, so it is another consideration.
Though top end instruments are usually pretty nice, you don’t always need one for playing solo. Used ones are the best deal, especially here on Chiff, so it might be worth waiting for one to come up that appeals to you, for your needs and wants and budget.
Edited to add:
Also a few of other considerations: do you favor playing in the high octave, or having a stronger low octave? (some either play more strongly in the lower register, or less emphasis there, and more easily played in the upper without much effort, usually). It all depends on the model and maker, and their offerings. Colin Goldie has all bases covered, and makes them to order. Other makers have different stock models that are good one way or the other, but sometimes makers will customize for you needs and desires. But it usually means top dollar too with that ability to customize.
And, do you have small hands, so finger spread might be a consideration (though it always feels awkward at first on a Low D), but piper’s grip solves most issues in a short time and patience (and practice).
Also, do you have a good lung capacity? Some are more free-blowing than others, so need a bigger breath to play a phrase, and others (with more back pressure) need less breath to play the same passage. Only you can answer this.
One other I can think of, and that is what tone you prefer-softer, louder, clearer, fuzzier, and bright (aluminum) or warm (brass). So yeah, there are a lot of choices, if you know where you want to be. For most of us, it is a long road to discovery, so the best advice I think is to buy and try it for yourself, and see where that leads you on the road. It’s the only way to really know what you want, and what suits you best overall in the end. Is there an end?!!!
I play in a progressive rock band and will be working the whistle into our music eventually. I also play traditional tunes at home and improve on whistle. No sessions yet. Live would be with a mic. Tunable would be a must. I do have somewhat stubby fingers but I don’t think the reach will be a big issue. I have good lung capacity as I play saxophone so free blowing is not an issue. In fact, it took me awhile to get used to how little air whistles take compared to say a tenor sax so a free blowing whistle might be better.
Opinions on Reyburns?
I sometimes play low whistle in a blues/rock band. The big challenge is to be able to hear oneself, even with a good monitor. The lower octave easily disappears in that kind of setting.
If playing it in a band is what you’re aiming for you need a loud whistle. The Lambe certainly won’t do.
My Chieftain NRs are very loud whistles. The loudest I’ve tried, but non-tuneable, alas.
Maybe you should consider the Chieftain Thunderbird?
Designed to be a loud whistle.
Are the Dixon low D Trads no longer available anywhere?
I was very happy when I got a Burke Viper back at around that time, I think it was in 06 too.
Voicing smooth as butter, great tuning, huge booming bell-note, nice tone. I know Burkes get the knock for having a plain/bland tone, and for sure it’s more pure than the tone of an MK or Reyburn, but as Low Ds go as a whole the Burke’s tone is more or less in the middle, with a certain amount of NAF-ness to it.
As I tried more and more different makes of Low Ds three things about the Burke became apparent
- the unusually fat tube, and wider finger-holes than some, make it one of the less ergonomic Low Ds
- the note E in the low octave is noticeably weaker than its neighbors
- the Burke is one of the less-efficient Low Ds: B in the second octave can be held twice as long on an MK, Goldie, or my new Reyburn than on either of the two Burke Vipers I owned. I don’t like a whistle limiting my phrasing to that degree. For sure when I was playing the Burke all the time I got used to it, in reels and jigs playing in that old-time huffy-puffy flute style. Playing airs was when I most felt the pinch.
About clogging, I’ve never had any issues with any of my Burkes. But I can clog an Overton in seconds!
Interesting! I’ve tried quite a few different Chieftains over the years, and their volume was middle of the road.
Considerably louder than the Chieftans I tried are MKs, Burkes, and Reyburns, in that critical low range.
I’ve had a half-dozen different MK Low Ds and one was a bit louder than the rest, the loudest Low D I’ve ever had. I sold it, it was louder than I need.
Reyburns and Burkes have a fat loud low range too.
Here’s Tony Dixon, Yours Truly, and a load of Chieftains. I played all of the Low Ds there, I think. I had my super-loud red MK with me that day and none of the Chieftains were close. I’m holding the prototype Dixon one-piece all-plastic conical-bore Low D which was very nice, though rather quiet.
There’s a perfect example of Horses for Courses!
I got a Reviol Low D, and for me it didn’t stand out from the crowd in any way, so I sold it.
Thing is, whistles vary of course, and had I got a half-dozen Reviol Low Ds perhaps some would have been great. My sample size, unfortunately, was only one.
Did you try the NRs? My OS isn’t nearly as loud as the NRs. I’m on my second Mk Pro and although it is a very playable and good whistle, the NRs are considerably louder. The MK Pro I hade earlier was very similar in tone and volume to the one I have now. At least as far as I can remember.
For slightly quieter gigs, I quite often use the Mk, but with a louder band it doesn’t cut through very well.
I guess it just goes to show that no two whistles - even when made by the same maker - sound exactly the same, when it comes to tone and volume.
Thanks for all of the replies. It seems as I suspected that low whistles like high whistles are subjective. So don’t think buying just one whistle and saying that’s it is not going to do. I decided to take the plunge and try a few until I find one I like and then pass on the rest. I under bid and missed an MK on Ebay. 
So I went for a Holifield, A seemingly well crafted whistle that looks similar to the MKs. Also looking into a Reyburn that a forum member offered to me. And lastly I purchased a Dixon tunable polymer. I am really interested in trying the Dixon low D trad if anyone has one they are interested in parting with as they seem to be unavailable online.
I found this while searching for a Dixon trad A. It seems that a trad low D might be an option here:
http://www.whistleanddrum.com/tony-dixon-trad-irish-whistle
Yes the booth in the photo had both styles, if I understand them correctly. Isn’t the OS the Overton style, and the NR the curved style?