I need a whistle in D that is louder than a Susato Kildare in D. I read that the Chieftain should be a likely candidate. Can anyone confirm this? What about its quality, and above all, condensation issues?
Thanks, Guidus
I’ve played a Chieftain D a couple of times in shops.
It’s very loud, especially the top of the second octave.
I reckon it’s louder than any Susato.
I have several lower pitched Chieftains, e.g. C, Bb…,
and there are no clogging issues once the
whistle is warm.
Recommend ear protection.
I don’t like this whistle much, too loud,
but if loud is what you’re after…
Maybe I would have liked it better if
I’d played it more. I prefer chieftains
in lower pitches.
Thanks for the info!
I often play the whistle outdoors, where occasionally even a Susato is not loud enough. I assume that the Chieftain’s overall intonation is good, right?
Ciao,
Guido =8-)
In my experience, yes… Good intonation.
I’m busking with an old Susato C, which does very well, FWIW.
Outdoors, automobile traffic. Carries nicely. Haven’t much
played D Susatos. Too loud upstairs.
Anyhow do recommend ear plugs.
I had a brief encounter with a Cheftain C. Found it very loud in the second octave and the top notes of the second octave were difficult to hit for someone who is used to whistles like the Dixon Trad, Thornton and my homemade whistles made from your excellent instructions. I know there are people who love Cheftain whistles, but I am not one of them.
I like a whistle that is sweet sounding right into the top of the second octave and where octave jumps are effortless and easily controllable. In my opinion, the Cheftain is nowhere near meeting these requirements.
Owen
There is mounting backpressure at the top of second octave
in Chieftains, which certainly can take getting used to.
Not a defect but a different strategy, I believe. Again this
eases as the whistle’s key lowers.
I had an Overton G once that was ‘hard blowing,’ and
for a good while I couldn’t get the top of the second
octave. Went out to the desert, finally, and wailed
on it… Had to get stronger. There was a mass exodus
of coyotes from the area. I do think you can ‘lean into’
these notes, finally, though what happens to your
ears and your brain when you do this on the
higher whistles, I don’t wish to consider.
Perhaps there are people more experienced
with these whistles who can say something
more.
I actually saw a Chieftain high D in a local shop a few weeks ago. I didn’t play it, but I could tell just by looking that it was loud. Wide bore, great big holes - just looked like a beast.
Jason
I don’t know if he makes them anymore; however, if you can talk him into it, Michael Cronnolly of M&E flutes can make you a large-bore whistle that’s very much louder than any Susato.
I have one of these. It’s as loud as a clarinet.
–James
The Chieftain V3 D is the loudest whistle out there. Period. It’s loud enough that when I use it busking, I don’t play anything that goes above the second octave G for fear of damaging my eardrums and those of my audience.
If you get one, it’s going to take a lot of work to adjust to it, because the mechanics are very different from other whistles.
old-style Sweetheart whistles can be pretty loud, too.
I have an Impempe high D which is quiet loud, but has some magic in it: it can be heard from a longer distance than any other instrument in my band. Its sound is VERY focused, which makes it less necessary to be very loud in volume. I play it outside often. It also doesn’t suffer from wind or any.
I have a Chieftain high D and it’s VERY loud with a nice “fat” round, clear tone and good intonation. Much louder than my Susato D or any other whistle I own. At first I hated it because I couldn’t play it well at all in the second octave. But after applying the same approach suggested to me by the Goldies for my Overton high D, I have no problem with the upper register and it’s actually easy to play through both octaves. It’s all in how you approach this whistle. But you do have to push from your gut and maintain a strong, steady air flow.
I happen to like this whistle because it’s good for unamplified outdoor stuff with the band or those occasional large, exceptionally noisy sessions. Quality is very good and I’ve had very little trouble with condensation. As mentioned, just make sure it’s nice and warm before you start playing. But I do agree that whistles with this kind of volume can affect your ears, especially in the high register if you hang out up there a lot. 
Can you say tinnitus?
If you get a new one, check for small metal fragments in the windway, window area, and body.