I’d just like to hear from someone who owns either or both of the more expensive Dixon high D whistles (DX 206 and/or 204, I believe), who can compare them to the lower-priced Dixon Trad. Is there anything about them that makes them worth the higher price? I haven’t found that much written about them on C&F.
No replies, so maybe this will be helpful to someone.
I noticed that 8th Street Music, formerly in Philadelphia but now just over the bridge in New Jersey, had some of these whistles in stock. I drove over and bought the alloy whistle, on impulse. I’ve had it for a few days and played it at a session last night. Here are some observations, in case anyone else is looking at these.
- The alloy whistle is fairly light; the solid brass is heavy.
- The whistle (alloy) is louder than the Dixon Trad.
- It has an internal tuning slide.
- The second octave is easy to play, but not as effortless as on the Trad.
- There is a touch of chiff in the attack, which isn’t there on the Trad.
- Related to observation 4, the low octave is stronger than on the Trad, so overall the octaves are a bit more balanced. The Trad definitely favors the second octave.
- There are working fingerings for Bb (XOXXOO) and G# (XXOXXX), if you need them. These don’t work on the Trad.
- Cnat OXXOOO is spot on, so C# is a tad flat.
That’s all for now.
thank you ! i have not played any of the Dixon’s but last session someone had the more expensive one with the O-ring on the body, it was in Aluminium and really sounded great, seemed pretty effortless (airwise).
i looked and think the new model is the same but in brass?
The DX204 and DX206 are both more recent than the Dixon trad, though not all that new. I didn’t get to try the solid brass model, because it was in a sealed case. Also, I wasn’t interested in spending almost $100. At about $65, the alloy model was expensive enough.
As far as I know, the O-rings are only on the low D whistles, not these high D ones.
The mouthpiece is similar in design to the trad, but a bit longer overall. The most noticeable difference in construction between both the alloy and the solid brass and the Dixon trad is the thickness of the walls of the tube. And of course the tuning slide. I find I need to pull the mouthpiece out about an eighth of an inch to be in tune.
I thought it sounded pretty good in the session, a bit more audible than the Hermit Hill high D that I recently bought.
i take that the alloy is aluminium ? the guy pulled the body and at the end there were two O-rings about 1/2" from each other. like i said, it sounding really nice and clean. so much so that i have been watching it on ebay, but $100 is a bit much for another whistle right now.
Yes, the alloy of the DX206 is some kind of aluminum. Which eBay listing are you looking at?
It does have a nice clean sound. A lot of people don’t like the Dixon trad, but I’ve always liked it. My only complaint about it has been that it’s on the quiet side, especially in the low notes. The DX206 is definitely a notch up in terms of volume.
It’s very close to the Parks Ghost in bore, wall thickness, volume, and general playability and feel. The Ghost also has working fingerings for Bb and G#. The unvented middle D on the Ghost is flat, however, but not on the Dixon 206. What distinguishes the two, however, is the sound. The DX206 has that slight ring that tells you it’s metallic, and that tiny chirp on the attack. The Ghost’s clear plastic tubing has a more neutral sound that’s very clear but less “whistle-like”, to my way of thinking.
I know very well that all these subtleties are lost on just about any listener, especially in a session context.
I’ve got one of those heavy as heck brass Dixon’s, and I’ve had two trads in the past. I like them all, and think of the trad in the save vein as an improved Gen/Feadog. However, I think the trad lacks a bit of warmth…but that may just be me.
The brass heavy Dixon is a bit of a tune cannon - louder, great tuning, heavy…just a nice whistle overall. I have nothing bad to say about it, but it’s volume is high enough that I don’t always reach for it these days (the Killarney is what I’m playing most often these days, with the Dixon right behind it).
Just my $.02 worth…never played the aluminum one.
Eric
I think that’s a fair description.
The brass heavy Dixon is a bit of a tune cannon - louder, great tuning, heavy…just a nice whistle overall. I have nothing bad to say about it, but it’s volume is high enough that I don’t always reach for it these days (the Killarney is what I’m playing most often these days, with the Dixon right behind it).
Just my $.02 worth…never played the aluminum one.
Eric
Brass tends to sound warmer, but not having played the solid brass DX204 I can’t say how striking the difference is. The two whistles differ only in material, as far as I can tell.
That slight chirp on the attack is what I think of as “chiff” but the word seems to mean different things to different people. In any case, I like it; it’s the mark of what I think of as an ideal whistle sound. My Walton Mellow D has it, but the second octave is very rough on that whistle. My other whistles don’t have it, at least not at the level that I like. This aluminum Dixon has it, and maybe the solid brass does too. Other players may not hear it or care about it.
I like that chirp, too. I’d say the Killarney has more of it, but the brass Dixon definitely has it as well.
I’d assume the aluminum and brass sound the same since Tony appears to have very tight tolerances in his whistles and I think design matters more than material.
The one think I really like about brass over nickel (just as an example) is that I find it less slippery, and that’s a good thing. Unless polished highly, I’d assume aluminum is also less slippery.
Eric
here is the link:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/390334921766?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649
it was very clear, open and loud. i really want to find a Swayne whistle or i’d get on of these Dixons.
The aluminum alloy of the DX206 has a brushed/matte kind of finish; not especially slippery.
@eilam, that eBay listing is for the solid brass Dixon that preceded the current DX204 model. Maybe that’s the reason for the O-rings.
There are no O-rings on the DX203. I’ve got two DX203Ds and two DX203Cs, none of which I’d described as ‘loud’ or ‘cannons’ but more as medium-volume and refined. The DX204 and equivalent alloy model (which I’ve also tried as a C) have shorter, Trad-style (I think actually stock Trad) heads because DX203 heads were apparently getting broken through carelessness (getting sat on etc.) and it’s a much simpler/cheaper part to replace without the integral inner slide.
Yes, the DX204/206 heads are very similar, but not identical to, the stock Trad heads. Both heads fit on both bodies, but there is a difference in sound. The 204/206 head is louder and clearer. It sounds very nice on the Trad body, too. I’m going to look into getting more of those heads for my two Trad bodies.