Hello… I’ve searched the archives here and am even more undecided, so I though I’d ask for some further opinions… looking for my first Low D (I’ve played a tiny, emphasis on tiny, bit of keyless flute)and have up to $125 at most to spend. I’d like something without excessive air requirements, fairly reasonable to finger, and sounds pretty good. I’m considering Dixon and Chieftain so far… I’d certainly appreciate any advice. Thanks much - Toddyboy
May I suggest an Overton. Particularly if you are familiar with flute, you shouldn’t have a problem with either the air consumption or fingering stretch. It is around $45 more than you indicated that you wanted to spend, but in my opinion, worth every penny.
Good luck with your decision,
Erik
[ This Message was edited by: ErikT on 2001-09-02 14:19 ]
Got to agree with Erik here: Beg steal or borrow the extra dough and buy an Overton Low D.
Much as I think the Dixon is a great whistle for the money, you’re better off making the financial stretch in this case and getting one of the very best Low D’s money can buy. The difference between the Overton and Dixon, in terms of improved tone, volume, and tunining, can’t be overstated - Night and Day really.
Buy the Dixon, and in 6 months you’ll be wanting another Low D. OTH, if you get the Overton you’re pretty much set for life. (Yeah yeah okay, we all know that WhOA demands more whistle purchases - I’m just saying, medical diseases aside, you wouldn’t ever really NEED another Low D. Unless of course you forget to get an anodised Overton…)
Loren
Not that I’m disagreeing with dear Loren here…but I think your idea for the Dixon is a good one to start. You may also want to look into a Hoover, or perhaps a Cilian O’Brien(sp?) whistle from Steve at http://www.shannaquay.com
I’m not the biggest fan of the Kerry and Chieftain whistles I own (Sorry Phil). They’re notoriously difficult to play, and keeping the windway clear is sometimes a joke. The tuning is good in about a five degree span, which here in Utah, is rarely stable.
Anyway, I’ll cast my vote for the Dixon for the first Low D. Wish I’d have gone that route myself actually.
B~
Yes, choices, dilemmas…
I have 3 low D’s: A Kerry, a Chieftain and an Overton.
The Kerry was my first and definitely not my favourite.
The Overton has got a wonderful complex sound and is very strong. I still have difficulties sometimes getting used to the finger stretch of the low d note; the 6th hole is quite far removed from the 5th - but it’s a great whistle.
Phil sent me a chieftain low D that has very equal finger spacing, and is very easy to play. The more I play it, the more I like it.
It seems to be different from the one other Chieftain low D I have seen - so I have no idea what is standard.
I have heard a lot of good things about the Dixons. I have only shortly played the one Jens got, before Tony Dixon replaced it with the tunable model. Not enough to get a full impression, but I sure wished that would have been my first low d, and it is still on my wish-list.
Good luck with your choice.
Jeroen
\
Poetry and Hums aren’t things which you get, they’re things which get you. And all you can do is to go where they can find you.
(W. the Pooh)
[ This Message was edited by: pixyy on 2001-09-03 03:52 ]
I would consider a Kerry low pro F or Overton low F as a first outing into low whistledom as both are incredibly easy to play with gorgeous tonality. 
Mike
On 2001-09-03 03:50, pixyy wrote:
The Overton has got a wonderful complex sound and is very strong. I still have difficulties sometimes getting used to the finger stretch of the low d note; the 6th hole is quite far removed from the 5th - but it’s a great whistle.
Jeroen
[ This Message was edited by: pixyy on 2001-09-03 03:52 ]
Hi Jeroen,
It sounds like you have an older Overton Low D… or perhaps one made by Bernard rather than Colin. I’ve measured the finger stretch on many Low D’s and the Goldie Overtons have the shortest stretch I’ve found yet.
Would you mind measuring the distance (in mm) from the top edge of 4th hole (3rd from the bottom) to the bottom edge of the 6th (bottom hole)? It would be interesting to see how this compares to my Overton.
Loren
If I may put in a word for the Howard
low D, it’s a good low D in your price
range. As Dale says in his review of it,
it’s underrated. I actually measured
the distance between the holes of
the Copeland, Overton, and the Howard
low Ds and they turned out in that order,
the Howard the easiest to finger.
(Sorry, I didn’t have the presence of mind to write anything down.) I like the tone of
the Howard very well; I confess I still
haven’t figured out what to make of the
Overton’s tone. Dale refers to it
affectionately as the ‘cosmic drainpipe,’
and that rather sums up my confusion.
It sounds to me sort of like a drainpipe,
but it is definitely cosmic. Certainly
a powerful whistle. Anyhow, the Howard
is worth considering, IMHO.
Jim, Jim, Jim…
You forgot to mention one important fact about the Howard - The tone holes are huge! I almost quit playing Low D because the Howard was the first Low D I purchased and I simply could not get a good seal on those giant holes.
I also suspect that you measured the tone hole spacing in the standard whistle maker fashion: From the Center of one tone hole to the center of the other. Unfortunately this doesn’t give the actual finger stretch required. I don’t have my list of measurments (or the Howard) around any more, but if someone with a Howard wants to take measurments and post 'em, we’ll know for sure.
Having said all of that, I do agree with you Jim that the “New” Howards play well and have a very cool sound. I agree that this would be a good whistle for a beginner with large hands and wide fingers. Small hands or narrow fingered beginners would likely be unhappy though.
Loren
Thanks, Loren. I measured from edge to
edge. You’ve acquainted me with an awful
possibility: maybe I’ve got fat fingers!
Comparing the Howard and the Overton, I
do see that the Howard holes are bigger.
I think I have kinda average human hands,
and, using piper’s grip (which I use
pretty extensively) I’m OK with
Howard holes. However I’m desperately
trying to lose weight–I’ll post
the awful truth if the Howard starts squealing.
I bought a secondhand Howard low-D a while ago, and I like it a lot, although I have a feeling it’s somewhat unlike the usual low-whistle sound. I can’t quite put my finger on why, except to say that it responds better if I play it thinking about pipes than if I play it thinking about whistle or flute, and that it accompanies pipes well. The upper octave is a little less remarkable in that respect than the lower.
But anyhow, I’ve no idea how old it is, because I don’t know how long the previous owner had it (although it was in near-pristine condition when I got it, and it’s not now!). Is there a way to determine whether or not it’s a “new” or an “old” Howard?
- -Rich
Coming to this thread late, I’d strongly suggest starting with the Dixon and saving the excess cash toward a top-end whistle later. I have both the Dixon and Overton and enjoy both, but if someone is just getting into it, why sink a couple of hundred bucks into a first low whistle when you don’t even know if you’ll like it yet? The Overton, when I bought mine, ran somewhat over $200 with shipping and all. The two are sufficiently alike in reach and hole size that transitioning up to the Overton from a Dixon later on wouldn’t be a problem, once you’re convinced that the big tube is right for you.
As I understand it, the principal difference
between old and ‘new’ Howards is
the mouthpiece. The ‘new’ ones (they
aren’t so recent, hence the quote marks)
have the advantage that it’s much
easier to play the second octave.
Well, the point is that if you
are having no trouble upstairs, it
hardly matters whether your whistle
is old or new (or perhaps that
indicates it is new). In a way, I
don’t think there is a standard low
whistle sound–Copelands sound very
different from Overtons which sound
very different from Howards, etc. Whatever
may be said about other low D whistles,
I agree with Loren that the Howard
low D sound is ‘cool.’
Chuck,
Celtic Fire advertises new Overton Low D’s for $170.95 U.S.
You’re point makes sense if the difference in price is a major issue. Guess I was just thinking the Overton sounds cheap compared to spending over $400 on a Copeland Low D
Of course having all three would be best =;^)
Loren
Good info, thanks to all, I’ve now narrowed 2 choices down to 5 … not to keen about the wooden fipple on the Dixon, if it’s anything like a Clarke I slobber all over it until it gets waterlogged … if I go with the Overton will I have to wait months to get it, not to good at WFAW(waiting for a whistle)..
Tod
On 2001-09-03 15:28, toddyboy50 wrote:
not to keen about the wooden fipple on the Dixon, if it’s anything like a Clarke I slobber all over it until it gets waterlogged …
Tod
Tod, are you sure that Tony Dixon’s current low D has a wooden fipple? The review on the C&F site states that both the high D and low D whistles have wooden fipples, but the tunable high D that I received from Tony 4 days ago has a plastic fipple. It may be worth e-mailing Tony on enquiries@tonydixonmusic.co.uk so that he can clarify this.
Regards,
Keith
An inexpensive Howard for sale just was posted to the flute forum. You may wish to check there.
E
The Dixon does NOT have a wooden fipple block - the whole thing is PVC.