I’ve never posted a sale notice here without putting the whistle on Ebay first, and feel kind of akward doing so. However, I really do think I should give you guys first crack at the instrument.
First off, let me say that I think this instrument is far superior to my Chieftain low D in terms of emotional expresiveness. I’ve seen a few discussions how flutes have more tonal control than whistles, because the flutist can change their embouchure. The Copeland responds to a wide range of breath pressures to allow for a great deal of expressiveness in the instrument.
That said, the instrument is more touchy about breath control than my Chieftain low D. I’ve spent a few years with my Chieftain now, and gotten to know her inside and out. I’m afraid I’m just stuck with her. When I’m nervous or uncertain about a tune, I find myself falling back into the Chieftain breathing requirements, and they don’t play well on the Copeland at all.
I’ve been wrestling with this decision for nearly a month now, and I had to remind myself that instruments like to be played. Therefore, it is in that spirit that I offer the instrument up for sale.
I’d be willing to take $400.00 even for it, $9.00 cheaper than new. You’ll be saved the wait time of who-knows-how-long. I’ll be happy to ship it and insure in whatever manner you’re willing to pay for.
If you have any questions, or want to snatch up the whistle, please write me at
I don’t know if these are the sort
of things one parts with without
self-recriminations later. Maybe
you should think it over. You’re
a young man, with your whole life
ahead of you. If you just play
the thing and keep playing it,
you’ll get it for sure.
Sorry to intrude. It was well meant,
just had to get it off my chest.
I will probably be opening a can of worms with this question, but could it just be that Copelands aren’t the whistle they used to be? Of course, the only ones who could really reply to this are people who have played old Copelands as well as new Copelands. JP
On 2001-10-19 01:10, JohnPalmer wrote:
I will probably be opening a can of worms with this question, but could it just be that Copelands aren’t the whistle they used to be? Of course, the only ones who could really reply to this are people who have played old Copelands as well as new Copelands. JP
I don’t mean to give the impression that the instrument isn’t great…because it is. Anyone who’s read my posts comparing low whistles would note that I’ve consistently given this whistle high marks since I bought it (about a year ago). When i’m calm, and collected, and know a tune well, I can really jam it on the Copeland…but it’s breath requirements are very different than that of my chieftain (Which has a windway so narrow that I can’t even push a coffee stirrer into it). Thus, whenever I’m nervous, or don’t know a song well, I usually fall back to my accustomed breathing habits, which don’t cut it on the Copeland. This has caused me to squawk the whistle a few times in public, and thus makes me hesitant to grab it and play it when I’m out. This makes for a viscious cycle of me not playing the instrument because I’m not as good with it, but I don’t get better because I don’t play it. Since I have my Cheiftain, which I know intimately, I fall back to it and it becomes my workhorse whistle, so I don’t have a lot of incentive to work hard at re-training my breathing.
On 2001-10-19 01:10, JohnPalmer wrote:
I will probably be opening a can of worms with this question, but could it just be that Copelands aren’t the whistle they used to be? Of course, the only ones who could really reply to this are people who have played old Copelands as well as new Copelands. JP
This summer, a professional musician that plays an old Copeland Low D(5-7 years old, I believe) played my new Copeland Low D. He liked my new one better than his old standard. Mine is a bit louder with less chiff (more efficient?). I’m sure there is less variation between individual Copeland whistles now with their new shop machinery.
I don’t think old Copelands are better than the new ones. My personal taste is for the old ones. I like chiff. Chiff is the essence of whistle.
Hi Greg,have you considered having your copeland re-voiced to suit your playing style?It seems to me an adjustment to enable more back pressure might suit you more,particularly if you like to play hard.On the other hand,Overtons are less finicky about breath control and would be a worthy substitute for your Copeland.Cheers,Mike.
I’d like to think that I’m the kind of guy who can admit when he was wrong.
I’ve regretted selling my Copeland low D for some time now. So, I broke down and got one on Ebay a couple weeks ago at a fairly good price (even if someone did try to snipe it at the last minute).
Since it’s been 3 and a half years since I sold the first one, and I’ve gotten considerably better at low whistles (and whistling in general), I find that it’s everything I’d hoped it would be.
i don’t think it would make this a hard to play whistle.
i’m still waiting for my sterling silver low D, and ordered plenty back pressure(as much as is possible on a copeland…)
that would lower the breath requirements in the second octave+give it a more sollid bell-note.
wouldn’t this make the whistle easyer to play?
i am inclined to aggree with the lads on this one your comparing a cheiftan with a copeland ( as far as i am concerned chieftans ar low market whistles) i my self use a overton but i am sure you can do alot more with the copeland than you know. thats my 2 cents
I think in this context, Mike meant “play hard” as to mean “blow hard into the thing”.
At the time I wrote the original message in 2001, heavy backpressure would have indeed been my preferred choice. Since then, however, I’ve grown a little bit in my whistle playing, and have since come to decide that I like a lot less back pressure that the old style Chieftain had.
I definitely think the tonal quality of the Copeland is superior to a Chieftain (or an Overton for that matter), but that’s a matter of personal taste–I’m quite sure that there are folks out there who would disagree. At the time I sold the whistle, it wasn’t the tonal quality, but the ability to play that led to the choice. And, at the time, a Copeland low was simply too much instrument for me..I just couldn’t make it sing, and I could a Chieftain. Since I was selling whistles as a matter of economics, I sold the one I couldn’t play.
I’m glad that I have grown a bit since then and can make music on the Copeland now…it’s a wonderful instrument.
