I need (OK, OK, want) a couple whistles in lower keys like E, B and A. Does anyone have any thoughts on Tony Dixon’s polymer whistles, either the altos or the tenors? I have an older Dixon aluminum low D that I like very much and Tony’s prices are reasonable but I’d like some first hand reports before I plunk down the money on a polymer whistle. As a point of reference, my other whistles are mostly Freeman-tweaked whistles in several keys and a couple Susatos.
Edited to add: I just found Ian’s post on the Dixon G polymer from a few days ago. Those who responded to that thread need not respond to this one unless you have something more to add. BTW, did ya’ll know there is this really cool “Search” thingie on this forum…
I have a Dixon Polymer Low E. I was my introduction to low whistles before buying a Burke Viper Low D.
The Dixon is very well in tune, has comfortable finger spacing (relatively small holes) and is easy to play (although I had to get used to the low air requirements of the bell note).
The reason I bought the Burke Low D is that I found that the Dixon did not encourage me to explore the sound. I found it a bit one dimensional. This in contrast to the Burke where I feel I can really play around and explore.
Then again, the better I get, the more I appreciate the Dixon Low E.
I have a Dixon Low D (Non Tuneable) that I find variable in tone. It very much depends on where I am and the climatic conditions. If it is too cold then my fingers refuse to move expescially on the bottom three holes. This is me I very much suspect as I am new to whistles. Saying that I find that breath control is no a problem and volume (Medium) although not great is consistant and all notes throughout the lower and upper octave can be bent and held as long as required.
For lower price end low whistle (£43.00 stirling plus postage £5.00) I concider this good value for money. By the way my other Dixon is an Alto G (Tuneable) with polymer head and aluminium body. This is a completely different beasty, loud, plays in tune on all notes and fingering is not a problem (Pipers grip, but very easy) I would recommend this for sessions.
i have a polymer high d whistle that also does not have a strong bell note; it plays the high octave well though so i am thinking to go get some poster putter and try to fill in the space under the windway to see if that improves it.
i ordered an alto g from Nick (ethicwind) about 2 weeks ago; he said he’s backlogged about 2-3 weeks, so i’m hoping to get it in the next week or so–i can let you know how it plays when i get it. but he’s got good reviews here (he’s a c&f-er himself and his copper tunable alto g is $70, just a little bit more than the dixon.
i’ve seen people here say they don’t like copper, but i thought i’d give it a try; i can’t say i like plastic very much…
I have a dixon in A and find it is my main practice whistle while at home. I do find the holes to be too small for my liking, but when your other go to whistle is a Goldie Low D it sort of explains a few things there. I find the dixon to be low on air requirements, loud enough to annoy the neighbours at 11pm even though there is a decent sized yard between me and them, perhaps as someone else said earlier ‘a little one dimensional’ sound wise and it’s only since I read that that I’ve given it some thought…It’s what is missing from the overall sound. I love the sound of the A all the same. I also like the whistle well enough and the very affordable prices, to have recently placed an order for a dixon two piece tunable flute (crooked whistles, are they a step up, back or…just sideways?! ). Well that’s my two bobs worth for ya and that better than 2 cents by a whole nother 18 cents . Whatever you get, I hope you enjoy it.
I found a Dixon tuneable polymer E on ebay at an attractive buy-it-now price. (The same seller had a tuneable polymer A for an equally nice price so I got that one too - oh, the joys of WhOA!) I’ll soon (tommorrow?) have one to try and I’ll post a short review on this thread after the whistles arrive. Thanks for the help.
OK, I got the Dixon polymer E and A and have had a few days to play with them. I’m an intermediate player and I mostly play Freeman-tweaked Feadogs and Gens. My fingers are medium-long (yes, that’s important - see below).
I like the A very much. I also have a Susato A which is loud but nicely in tune and with a clear tone. The Dixon A is quieter also nicely in tune with a clear tone. The Dixon is a little better balanced across the octaves in terms of breath requirements - when you go up an octave on the Susato, it takes a healthy increase in air to hit the note in tune, the Dixon doesn’t take as much. The Susato takes a bit more air overall as well. The main difference in playability between the two is the Susato’s lower three holes are just far enough apart that I need to use a piper’s grip on the lower hand. The Dixon’s lower three holes are just enough closer together that I can comfortably use normal grip on both hands. Overall, I like the Dixon polymer A. It seems easier to play the the Susato A and would be my recomendation for a first “alto” whistle. I can hear the “one dimensional” quality of the Dixon mentioned by several posters above. The Susato seems like it has more room to be expressive, although I’m still exploring that aspect of both whistles.
I don’t have another E to compare with the Dixon polymer E. It requires a piper’s grip as you would expect - it’s only about in inch shorter than a low D. I can actually use a normal grip on the upper three holes but it is a little awkward. The tone is not as pure as the A but it’s not a Gen either. The E needs warming up, more so than most whistles I’ve played. Maybe it just takes longer to warm up because it is larger, but you can really tell the difference as the whistle warms. Cold, I really have to close down the embrochure and increase the air speed to hit the notes in the second octave. Warm, the second octave is easier to hit but still takes a bit of pushing. The E seems to take a little more work to get the notes all in tune than the Dixon A; as you go up the scale, notes need a little push here and little less there where on the A they all just seem to fall into place. The bell note does take a bit less air than the notes just above it but I fixed that with a small lump of poster putty in the bell end.
I like both whistles. The Dixon A will be my choice for now over the Susato A mostly because of the volume. My control of the E is improving as I practice the piper’s grip. I have a Dixon aluminum low D that I really like (nice tone, well balanced across the octaves, notes play in tune seemingly with out effort) but I haven’t played it much because I haven’t gotten used to the grip. The polymer E is much lighter than the aluminum low D and the piper’s grip is coming together much quicker with the E.
and his copper tunable alto g is $70, just a little bit more than the dixon.
). Well that’s my two bobs worth for ya and that better than 2 cents by a whole nother 18 cents