Just seen someone on Facebook playing a plastic Dixon Low F, maybe tapered bore. I didn’t think Dixon’s made a Low F. Can anyone enlighten me further and point me to where I can buy one? The last time I looked I couldn’t see one in the Dixon catalogue but now their web-site is down for upgrading. I seem to remember asking this question of Tony before but never had a reply to my e-mail(s).
Discontinued years ago, why I don’t know? This site still has one listed and you can see it has the old style tuning slide where the head goes into the body, rather than the newer style where the head goes over the body.
http://www.celtic-chords.co.uk/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=2437
As for the non response to your email, that’s unusual I’ve always found Dixon’s second to none when it comes to customer service, I’ve sent them numerous emails in the past and usually received a very prompt and helpful response from them, sure it was just an oversight or may be an issue with the website being updated.
(May be an idea to drop them another line before posting negative vibes about them?)
Thanks for your reply. I had no intention of criticising Dixon, at all. But it wasn’t an isolated case. I actually sent them several e-mails about the Low F over a period of weeks and didn’t receive a reply. There could have been any number of reasons, but I certainly don’t hold it against them. They produce marvellous whistles.
Hi Mike
Tony discontinued to create the Low C, Low Eb, Low E and Low F.
Here is an excerpt of my email with Lesley Dixon-Chatfield last July 2, 2013 when I inquired about Low E-F-F#.
“Firstly we no longer produce E or F (never have produced F#) bodies in aluminium or plastic tenors.
Tony was not entirely happy with the recent production of these with regards to tuning.
And that is in both ali and plastic. Over time the suppliers of the materials sometimes change their spec at their end and that can make a massive difference to the tuning. So, rather than have inferior instruments being sold,
Tony made the difficult decision to withdraw these keys (we used to make Eb too).”
In my experience with Polymer Low D, Low E and Low F is really flat on the second octave (note that this is cylindrical and not tapered, as they have not made a tapered one on these keys AFAICR, except D)
After discovering the Fajardo Wedge, I installed one on the the Flute head and Whistle head. It made significant improvement on the tuning off both configuration.
Thanks for that Angel. I wonder why Dixon’s have never produced an alloy bodied low F?