I just ordered a Freeman Tweaked Generation in C (and the high G for fun).
I ordered the Gen C because I’m having a hard time finding a key of C whistle I really-really like. Well, other than my Reyburn which I really like.
Does anyone have experience with the Burke CBW they would like to pass on? I mean pass on your feedback, not the whistle. Though I would never turn down a free whistle.
My Sindt C is possibly the best whistle I have ever played. Of course if you can find one used jump on it otherwise it is about a year long wait. I would reccommend the Black Diamond as the D I have is great, and I assume the C would be also. Syn Cs are also very good.
If I had my wish it would be a Glenn Schultz made Water Weasel or Thin Weasel.
I bought a Black Diamond D. It’s surely decent enough, but the voice is a little anorexic. I might have gone for the Syn a year ago, but as I play more brass and wood whistles I like aluminum less and less.
For years the best C whistle I had was the discontinued Walton Golden Tone; now, suddenly I have a bundle of great Cs - Sindt, Burke black tip, Copeland, O’Riordan, and Erle’s Black Diamond. If you want something right away at a modest price, the Burke is very fine.
I have a Burke C that does very nicely. In fact ALL my C’s do nicely. I think its a matter of it being a C whistle, really. I have a Walton’s, Gen, Sweetheart, Burke, O’Riordan, Abell. . .(that’s roughly in order of what they cost). . .and I love them all.
Burke CA is my favorite. Generation nickel with a Walton mellow D mouthpiece is also wonderful. Sometimes I love the richness of the Susato C, which is quite unlike their Ds.
I had a dickens of a time finding a decent C other than the Tin Weasel. I didn’t like my Burke, but the person I sold it to loved it. I have several that are okay. But a couple of years ago, I stumbled upon a Walton’s nickel C that’s absolutely fantastic. It sounds like a C whistle, not a D whistle that someone stretched. It has a little bit of a throaty sound, a real mezzo rather than a coloratura pushing her voice down a notch.
I have a tunable Burke brass C, one of the older ones, made in 2000. It is excellent. My favorite C, though, is a brass-barreled Hoover white cap. The Burke is chiffier, the Hoover more pure in tone.
I’ve played a Burke C Aluminum Narrow Bore and thought it sounded fantastic. If you want to spend a lot less, Syn makes an awesome C. I own one of those too and I love the way it sounds.
I tried a few good whistles that didn’t quite meet my fancy. Nothing wrong with them - I just have a certain backpressure and tone that I like.
Here’s the two I’ve decided to keep:
Jerry Freeman Tweaked Generation;
Water Weasel.
Gerry did this Gen whistle good. Nice Gen tone and chiff, a touch of backpressure, and very comfortable to play.
I contacted Glenn’s daughter Bree and bought a remaining Water Weasel. All I can say is, I never played a Weasel I didn’t love. They have the exact air requirement, balance, and playability for that I like. The craftsmanship is nearly perfect, and the pitch and intonation is right on.
So that leaves me with a few nice whistles to sell. I’ve decided I should sell the whistles I don’t play often. I have several I absolutely favor, and several others that are really nice - but not getting the attention they deserve.