Buying Highend Whistles

Whistle
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  1. Is their such thing as knock off/Fakes when it comes to tin whistle, if so how can I tell if it is a genuine article made by that specific craftsman?

There are photos on websites of craftsmen. On the other hand, I´d buy directly from them (price will be similar or lower, and many problems don´t happen).


2) What is a good price point, and brands? Does price always dictate quality?

Hm, I think you have very cheap whistles (which don´t have to be bad at all, I think that Sweetones, for example, have great sound for their price) and “high end” whistles. You have something inbetween, but I don´t think it´s worth it mostly (when you want something better than cheap whistles, why not to pay few extra bucks to get the cream of the crop? Top guitars cost how much? 10 000 dollars? Top whistles are rather cheap compared to other instruments). Price doesn´t dictate quality. If I wanted the best value for money, I´d dump my Overton and went for Sweetone :slight_smile:

Good brands…I think there are three rather well known - Copeland, Burke, Overton (I tried all of them and I favoured Overtons by far).

In higher levels, it´s matter of preference really.


3) Do the high end whistles feel heavier and made of a thicker material?
Some. Overtons do, Burkes don´t - that depends :slight_smile:

  1. Do the high end whistles sound cleaner and less toy like or is that an attribute that some brands or keys have?

Sounds is damn misleading attribute (which sort of sucks with musical instrument :slight_smile:). When I give you two records, one with definitely high-end Overton and one with definitely low-end anything (let´s say sweetone), and I want you to tell me which sounds better, I bet my hat you´ll say Sweetone sounds much better, sweeter etc. Why´s that? 0,11s, 0,15p echo, for example. Or reverb. I couldn´t find a whistle with that great “whistle” sounds, until I put slight echo on the mic…that´s the miracle, sadly.

In the same conditions, many people prefer high-end whistles (I do too) - but the whistle isn´t everything.

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I think it CAN make you play better if the not good instrument doesn’t work properly. My first and lowest end whistle tends to be unresponsive, get “stuck” when switching octaves/on some ornamentation, and just generally not lend itself well to actually being played. I did not notice these flaws until I invested in a slightly better Clarke and finally in an Alba and actually had a responsive instrument. It was therefor easier to learn/improve because I wasn’t fighting with the whistle. It’s not a huge difference, but it is important to note that it can be easier to learn on a better quality more reliable instrument and then, by default, you sound slightly better. I think a good rule for “upgrading” instruments–or anything for that matter–is that you need a better one when the old one can no longer serve your purposes.

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I really don’t get why some folk push the low end to people new to whistles. I remember my music teachers always maintaining that one should get the best instrument one can afford.

I have five professional level whistles and together they cost less than a middle of the road guitar. I also have some run of the mill whistles that I tweaked and they sound pretty good but not even on the same planet as my Copeland or Overton.

But, if you are stuck in the 1970s and just have to have that sound, be my guest. My first whistle album was Chieftains Five that I got in 1975, the year I started playing my Genaration high D. Whistles and the music has come a long way in the past 30 years.

Nostalgia ain’t what it used to be.

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Depends on what kind of sound you’re looking for, really. I’d choose my favorite cheapie over an Overton or a Copeland… in fact, I have. I’ve owned an Overton (sold it) and played a Copeland (interesting but didn’t make me want to buy one). Some people say cucumbers taste better pickled. :slight_smile: That’s why you won’t hear me say “X whistle is better than Y whistle”, it’s just a matter of personal taste.

For my own amusement I just really like the personality of the cheap whistles. That’s probably because most of the whistlers I listen to recorded with them years ago and I’m accustomed to that sound. I can’t get into the pure studio sound of most modern whistle recordings. All the reverb and processing kills it for me. I think folk music should be earthy and gritty. My favorite recordings are the ones made in a kitchen or live performance using mics instead of pickups.

When I play on stage or in a session I often grab my Sindt because you don’t hear much of the cheapie chiff and character through the other session instruments or the sound system anyways. The Sindt has many of the same qualities that I like in the cheaper whistles but with a more focused tone.

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CranberryDog makes a good point, that the beginner is not well served by trying to learn on a defective instrument. However, I reject the notion that the playability of whistles automatically gets better as the price goes up, in lockstep. Until I tried a Burke I found no whistle that played as well as my 20-year-old Feadog. I tried dozens of the highest-end whistles by nearly evey maker on the planet, and while some of them were louder, or had more character in the low register, or looked prettier, none PLAYED as well for ITM. A good Generation can be just about as good as a whistle can be- I have one, picked out from many, that plays like a dream. So a beginner can start out with a fantastic-playing instrument for $10- that’s the beauty of it.

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A good Generation can be just about as good as a whistle can be

I own an old Generation D with a blue head,-the ones that have a line in the head from the casting. A better cheapo than this one is hard to come by.

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The red top Generation I got in 1975 was a dream. I let a friend borrow it … and you know the rest of the story.

As another poster mentioned, quality doesn’t always increase with price. I have found large variations in quaity with a very well know and expensive line. And giving credit its due, I have found that Goldie Overtons are consistently great quality.

I sure wish I had my original Generation.

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I have yet to meet a bad Burke. …

Any reputable maker stands behind their work. Mike Burke and Paul Busman are just two of several I’ve tried, and highly recommend.

As others have said, the player is just as important as the whistle, with excellent players getting excellent sound out of the least expensive whistle, and inexperienced whistlers making the best whistles available sound like dime store toys.

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Short and sweet.
I just acquired my fifth Burke. Play 'em daily. For years.
From the motherload of joy they bring me…they’re CHEAPIES…

Happiness to all whistlers.

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Amazing that I’ve kept my trap shut throughout this thread, but I hardly know where to begin. Like Mitch, I’m a bit over the old cheapie v. high-end debates - they’re all so wonderful (yes, I’ve happily been afflicted with and given in to the pure soul-stealing joys of WHOA), you should just try and enjoy all the whistles your budget, time and inclination will endure.

I have a great cheapie collection and unlike some others have never really come upon one that was “unplayable” or even close to that; a handful may have been a bit crappy or tinny in tone but most (probably at least 60 or so) have been just fine, with a bunch of really outstanding ones as well. I have happened upon long ago a couple of nearly unplayable high-enders, though.

The middle and high-enders? Yep, a bit more substantial in the hands and mouth, cosmetically superior (perhaps; nothing better looking than an old Clarke or Shaw, e.g.), and generally perhaps fuller in tone and volume.

There are issues of consistency all up and down the cost continuum, and there are some makers, consistency notwithstanding, that make some superlative whistles that defy description.

I love my Copelands, Abells, O’Riordans, Sindts, Burkes, Busmans, Weasles, etc. I have a great Reyburn and a great Syn and wonderful Susatos, etc., etc., etc…I’m also testing out a relatively new maker’s model that’s hard to put down as well. Seeing a pattern here (I need help)?

Simply put, as was said above, decide what you want in a whistle (play solo, sessions, airs, church music, outside, etc.; prefer wood, delrin or metal, playability and tonal quality characteristics…?) and pick your price line (someone laid it out really well into four categories).

If you want affordable relatively high end stuff, you cannot go wrong with Burke and Sindt.

I give up; try 'em all…

Enjoy,

Philo

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PhilO shares some true wisdom as others have on this thread and for that I am ever thankful. Debates are often worth chuckling over, but wisdom now that’s rare and useful! I have a dozen whistles all over the spectrum and each has their setting. That being said, my first Sindt just arrived, a “Low A,” and what it does to slow airs is nothing short of amazing to me.

pastorkeith