I know there has to be a thread for this one. There has got to. I looked and looked-can’t find one anywhere so here I go. I am in a position to purchase a high end whiste. Now, what I am saying is…this will be the ONLY time in my life when I will be in this position…so this is it. One chance only-get the drift (so I don’t want to screw this up)? Well, I guess when I think of high end whistles I think of Copeland and Abell. So my question, assuming they are the “best” (feel free to dispute this)—uhhh…whose should I buy D-whistle I am talkin. I play mostly aires and slower stuff, play in sessions (but use a microphone). My favored whistle thus far is a Clark, though I have not played many-have never even heard a Copeland or Abell in person. Just love the sound of the Clark and how I can control it (on the lower end at least). Can’t tune my Clark and it is a tad unreliable (why I am lookin now). So 2 questions…what is going to be the difference between my 8$ Clark and a 350$ Copeland or Abell? AND question #2, which would you buy
OK..2 more, but they are good ones…does anyone have ANY idea of the longevity of these whistles? I mean, what is the lifespan of an Abell and Copeland (metal vs wood)-does anyone know yet since they have not been on the market 20 years? AND lastly, what does “care” for a wood whistle really mean-am I going to spend more time oiling it than playing it-is my wife going to accuse me of caring for the whistle more than her?
If anyone takes a shot at helpin me out, Thanks a million.
-Whistlekin
PS Thanks to the two folks who gave me some food for thought on this yesterday (Alias: Superman and Springchicken )
First of all, both are loud. Very loud. This was something I wasn’t entirely prepared for, even though I’d read it. But it’s not a bad thing.
Now, about care. Obviously, the Copeland is going to be less maintenance, and it’s not going to crack or anything like a wood whistle might. But wooden whistles really don’t require too much care. Just a nice rub-down inside and out with almond oil every few weeks. And blackwood is less fussy about this than most woods, I believe. But either will provide you with several lifetimes of play with just a little bit of care on your part.
I’d also like to point out that Wanderer has nicereviews of each of these whistles.
The Copeland will sound more like your Clark (they’re both conical), and should last a lifetime if you take even marginal care of it. However, based on the use you mention below (slow stuff and sessions with a mic) it probably isn’t the best fit…neither is the Abell especially.
If you’re certain that your use isn’t going to change drastically, you can probably get by with a much cheaper whistle. However, if you want to spend that much I’d probably suggest a Rose.
For half that, or less, you could try a Burke narrow bore brass or composite whistle (the aluminum doesn’t have quite as much character). Humphrey whistles are nice too.
I have both a Rose and a Burke narrow-bore aluminum, and I will say that both are SOLID whistles. The Rose is spectacular, but I don’t feel like it will play just any tune. Some don’t work on it, in my experience (which isn’t much).
I have played or owned all of the whistles mentioned so far: Clark, Rose, Copeland, Lon Dubh. I have also owned and tried a bunch of others.
Of those mentioned I would (and currently) grab the Rose first.
One other thing to throw into the mix (and you will find this is guaranteed to happen in this sort of thread) is that of the whistles I own my Bleazey or Overton probably best fit the Clark profile. I have heard from others that they have “pure” sounding Bleazey’s though. Mine is loud and solid with just enough character to make it unique and special. The Overton is classic and should need need no other explaination than that.
I have a Bleazey Bb, and it sounds exactly how I think a whistle should sound. Especially the ornaments. Not nearly as loud as the Copeland or Abell, which would work nicely for your mic’ed session. It’s something to consider.
The only problem I have with my Bleazey is the cross-fingered Cn. I have to play it oxxxxo.
Okay, what do you think of when you think Clarke? A mellow, breathy, quiet sounding whistle. None of the whistles mentioned is quiet, so let’s just ignore that. Both Abells and Copelands vary quite a bit in sound, and both makers will deliver you a whistle with a little or a lot of breathiness if you request it. Beyond that, the main differences between Copelands and Abells are these as I see it. The Copeland is louder and requires a lot more air, especially in the upper octave. Also, there’s somethng about a Copeland that no other whistle has – the sound almost jumps out of it, like it’s remotely projected or something. Lastly, as has been pointed out, a Copeland, especially a nickel one, is just about indestructible. The Abell, on the other hand, is about the easiest to play whistle I’ve ever owned (along with Burkes and a Busman). The octave transitions are really easy, and the upper end, while it really cuts through, isn’t terribly out of balance. It’s wood, too, so does require some care, but there’s no reason that it shouldn’t last a lifetime unless it has an accident.
As mentioned by a couple of others, a Bleazey might be the best fit. I find it sort of halfway between the Abell and Copeland in many ways, air requirements and playability mostly. The sound is mellower than either, which you might like given your affection for the Clarke. Swayne (or Lon Dubh) and Busman are a couple of others that might be good choices. They both take less air than all of the above and are extremely easy to play, but don’t have the breathy sound that you’re probably after. And given what you’ve said, I’d not recommend a Rose, which is the purest and sweetest of all.
Of course, if you have $760, you can always get a Thin Weasel.
Fantastic! Your opinions and reviews are exactly what I am looking for. Very helpful indeed. I would love to see this thread get “reallly” long Thanks so much to all who have replied so far. If you are thinking about posting, please do!
-Whistlekin
Never played an Abel, but I can compare a few high ends other than that.
First, I’ve had a Burke WBB for quite some time (few years now) and I can firmly say now that it’s more of a mid-end instrument these days. My O’Brien whistles actually play easier and have a more pure sound than my Burke. Sad to say, it’s the least played whistle I own currently.
I owned a Blackwood Thin Weasel that was a pleasure to play (Mr. Obrien is the current owner of it) but sold it due to a wood allergy. I have to say that it was the easiest to play whistle I’d ever owned. Moving octaves was simple and it didn’t want to change on its own. Every note seemed solid (though it had a slight buzz when I played it, it wasn’t detractive of the sound but additive).
I can firmly say that I’m in love with my Copeland D. It’s by far the most played D whistle I own. It takes a LOT of air compared to most others, and has no backpressure. The tone is clear (no buzz at all) and notes just fly off of it. You have to be confident when playing a Copeland though. If you aren’t, you will drop octaves. It took a couple days to get used to it. It’s also the loudest whistle I’ve ever played.
The Burke WBB isn’t supposed to have a pure sound. It’s designed to have a traditional tin whistle sound, which has overtones, a little air sound, etc. Every time I pick mine up my wife marvels at the wonderful sound of it, which she can recognize immediately. When Mike discontinued it to concentrate on purer sounding whistles, there was enough of an outcry that he began making them again.
Thanks again to all! I thought of something that might help when everyone is talking about the amount of air required to play an instrument. If possible and you can put your description in comparison to the amount of air required to play a Clark or Shaw D, that would help clarify a bit for me. I have heard the Clarks and Shaws require a good deal of air (which I like), and I can handle these two without difficulty. Thanks again very much to all!
WhistleK
PS In the end I will let you know what I decide on
I’v only seen Busman whistles mentioned in passing - how do they stand up against other high-end whistles and would they fit whistlekin’s playing style? Being cheap, ignorant, new and broke, I wouldn’t know. Busman whistles look cool, though most high-end whistles look cool to my untutored and envious eye .
Busman whistles are very well-respected on this board, and it’s all deserved. I’ve had a Busman in my possession for a bit (it’s on tour), and I must say, it’s a very well-behaved piece of equipment. It does exactly what I want. I think it’s got just a tad too much backpressure for my tastes, and the sound might be a tad too airy, but it is a joy to play.
There are certain whistles that IMO you just can’t go wrong with, including Copeland (especially in soprano D where the consistency is excellent), Abell (you’ll need to get used to a unique mouthpiece that’s, well, stubby, but noone I know has had real difficulty with that; blackwood is amazingly stable and Chris also makes them in delrin), Burke and Sindt.
BTW, my Burke WBB blacktip has character and is my daily go to whistle especially when learning new tunes - as Tom Dowling put it it is indeed my Subaru of whistles.
To answer your specific question, the biggest difference between the Clarke and the Copeland is $342.00. If you haven’t played it and haven’t even heard it up close and personal you could be buying a whistle you will love or making a $342.00 mistake.
Ahhh - but Chas makes the point that WhistleKin is used to Clarks and points out that Copelands are closer to Clarks in breath requirements. How are the Busman air requirements as compared to a Clark or Copeland? Would that fit WhistleKin better?
It would be pretty cool to own a Busman - you could go around saying that you had a whistle “custom made” for yourself like some sort of “Lord of the Whistles” or something !
You can say that about a number of high(er) end whistles.
Probably the best money to “holy cow that’s nice” value you can get in custom made would be a Reyburn.
Or if you want a custom made whistle off the beaten path, and something you could beat the path with, a Serpent Village Smithy is a rough little charmer.
D-whistle I am talkin. I play mostly aires and slower stuff, play in sessions (but use a microphone). My favored whistle thus far is a Clark, though I have not played many-have never even heard a Copeland or Abell in person. Just love the sound of the Clark and how I can control it (on the lower end at least). Can’t tune my Clark and it is a tad unreliable (why I am lookin now). So 2 questions…what is going to be the difference between my 8$ Clark and a 350$ Copeland or Abell? AND question #2, which would you buy 
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