I’ve been playing high whistles and low-D flute (home made cylindrical bore) on and off for several years- mainly playing my own compositions with just a little bit of trad folk stuff.
I have had occasional goes on a few low-D whistles- just a few minutes when I’ve encountered someone who has one.
To be honest, I’ve always been a bit surprised at how much more tricky they seem to play, compared to a low-D flute.
I guess that it shouldn’t be a surprise that note production is tricky, given that I’ve spent so long on the flute and hardly ever on low-whistles.
And, from what I’ve read on threads here, the fingering difficulty is a genuine one, with the low-D spacing being harder to finger on a vertical instrument (whistle) than a side-blown one (flute).
So, to now I’ve not been massively inspired to spend the kind of cash that a low-D whistle entails.
However, recently, I’ve been very impressed by the look, in terms of quality of finish, of some of the newer low-Ds, particularly the Albas and new Chieftains/songbirds- they really are objects of beauty.
Of course, where musical instruments are concerned, looks are far from the main factor, but, having read several reviews and various C&F threads, it sounds like they’re also high-quality players.
Having recently got a cheap Generation Bb, I decided to try out the ‘Pipers fingering’ method- previously I’ve never found it that nice, but, now I can see the point of it.
So, I’m actually thinking seriously about getting a low-D, to the point where I’ve spent a lot of time searching C&F threads, looking at reviews and visiting makers sites.
The ones that are standing out, in terms of looks, recomendations and price range, are the Alba and the newer Chieftains and Songbirds.
I’ve recently got a little confused about the Songbirds mouthpiece, having seen photos of a metal one and a plastic- there seems to be two versions?
Personally, for the, the visual appeal lies with the metal mouthpieces (this is what first caught my eye with the Ablas), plus, I like the idea of the permanence of the all-metal instrument, rather than having a plastic end which could crack.
(Would I be right though, in thinking that the slight negative comment I’ve seen in some reviews, that these whistles require a fair bit of warming up prior to them playing at their best; would be less of a problem with a plastic mouthpiece?).
My main question is-
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Can anyone offer a direct comparison (from experience, or, if they know of any links to direct comparisons) between the Alba and the, similar looking/similar priced, Songbird- are there any particular reasons to choose one over the other, or, is it a case of either one being a winner?
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The issue of whether to get tunable or non-tunable options. For example, I understand that for session use, generally a tunable instrument is a substantial plus, yet, from what I’ve read, low-Ds are generally too quiet for session use anyway.
I also read one post which put forward the opinion that they preferred the tone of the non-tunable option? Anyone else feel that, or disagree with it?
- The MKs have got outstanding reviews and they also look very good- I get the impression that they’re a big step up in price from the Alba/Songbird.
Unfortunately, despite all my recent surfing, I’ve yet to get an idea of their actual price relative to Albas etc, the only site I’ve seen with any price was an Australian one. can anyone tell me how they compare inprice to Abla/songbirds, or give a link to a UK supplier of the MK?
- Lastly, one review of the Kerry Songbird mentioned a weakness in the low D and E notes (the review was otherwise very complimentary). Is this a known issue, or is it just a thing about low-D whistles in general? I was a little surprised that the reviewer just kind of stated it and didn’t really seem to think it a big deal; personally, weak low notes, to me, would seem to be a fairly big drawback.
Any other thoughts/experiences on these low-whistles, would be most appreciated, as would suggestions for other options (preferably all-metal models that are easy to obtain in the UK).