Can anyone out in whistle land personally recommend the Dixon Bb? I really dislike my Generation brass Bb (a bad job, despite repeated attempts at tweaking) and am considering a nickel Gen or a Dixon (I love my Dixon soprano D, it’s my all-time favorite). Smallish holes and playability are my main consderations. My family is begging me to get something more mellow, they’re getting really annoyed listening to the high D’s, so I guess Bb is the way to go for now. Gracias anticipadas.
I have never played a Dixon Bb, but I have heard a dixon low D, i was impressed. If it is between a nickel generation and the Dixon I would say go for the Dixon. Either that or buy a dozen generation Bbs and maybe you’ll get a good one, it would be much safer with the dixon, you’ll know what you’re getting. Good luck, Bb is a kick-ass key!
I have both the Gen Bb and the Dixon Bb. I rarely play the Gen, play the Bb more often .BUT, I play the A much more than either of the above or the Low D. For me, the A is just easier to play, holes fit my fingers better, and the tone is more pleasing to my ear.
Therefore, I’d suggest that you try the A instead, unless you really need a whistle in the key of Bb.
I bought a Dixon Bb ‘cos I loved my Sop’ D tunable.
I already had a Gen Bb - my first ever whistle (1985) 
- and wanted
a better Bb tone.
The Dixon was a better tone, but sadly lacked in volume, so I reverted to the Gen, and swapped the Bb for a brass slide Dixon D.
(ramble mode)
I did find another Gen Bb in some rubbish, and tweaked it and made it tunable, and was content for a while, but recently bough an Alba Bb.
Loud and good tone, more wind needed than the Dixon, but my kind of whistle. (/ramble mode)
IMO to get a better Bb than the Gen’s you have to move up into the much more expensive whistles.
I can personally recommend the Dixon Bb, or an A, or a G. I find the stretch on all these very comfortable, easier than the Gen Bb. On the Gen the bottom hole is much larger and removed from the rest, not so on a Dixon.
Easily is right, they are a bit quieter than Gens, and that’s another thing in their favour.
I have both the Generation and the Dixon. I use both depending on the session. My Dixon isn’t very loud but has a nicer tone. The Generation sounds brassy but I tend to play that in the group I go to, that has tubas, cornets, trumpets and a Euphonian, as you can hear it better than the Dixon.