First let me say that I have done a search here already and haven’t quite found what I’m looking for, so if my question has already been dealt with in another thread, please feel free to point me in the right direction.
I am in need of a whistle with a bit more volume to play with our Morris troupe, as they will be getting their bells soon. I’d like to get something that is a bit louder (or “carrying”) than my O Briain “improved”, but not so loud that it sends even my mostly deaf dog into shudders when I practice. Basically, I’m looking for a happy medium between my Susato Dublin and my quieter whistles (Elfsong and O Briain “improved”). Is a Dixon what I’m looking for?
I should also mention that I’m not looking for something “high-end” at this time. I already have whistles that I love for their enchanting tones and playability, and this close to Christmas, I can’t justify buying another whistle based on that alone. With bells in my future, however, I can certainly justify buying something with that in mind, especially if it scores higher on the playability “index” than my Susato (which Dixons appear to, from the searches I’ve done here)…and the price of the Dixons makes them very attractive. What do you think…is this a worthwhile investment, or should I keep looking?
Wouldn’t a Sindt do the trick ? I don’t own one in D but my A/Bb seems close to what you describe. And pricewise as well as for looks it’s somewhere in-between the to-be-tweaked “penny” whistles and the fancy de-luxes.
Weren’t there a couple of them in D for sale here recently ?
I just read my last sentence. The more I write in English, the worse my syntax gets
[ This Message was edited by: Zubivka on 2002-12-30 11:14 ]
A Sindt is a bit more than I can afford right now, I’m afraid. One of the big attractions of the Dixon is the price…and even then, only if it’s what I’m looking for, y’know?
I don’t know the Dixon; I remember members, though, quoting them as quieter than Susatos while not rating them quiet for that matter.
But, since money is an issue (and when isn’t it ?) why don’t you just “mute” a bit your Susato, with tack or something similar to narrow the blade and/or windway ?
I once met a very charming french whistler He had a Susato and I had my tunable Dixon. We tried each other’s whistles and agreed that the Dixon is definitely better than the Susato. Easier to blow, nicer sound, not so loud, not so shrill. The Dixon is a very good whistle for the money, it’s actually my favourite session whistle. I can play this whistle in public, even in the high register, and nobody ever threw rotten tomatoes at me. So I would say it’s a very safe whistle.
Well, FWIW - (I assume we’re talking about soprano Ds) I don’t have any of the three whistles you’re using as search parameters.
Neither my old ears nor my wife’s not-so-old ears can tell any significant difference between either a tunable or a non-tunable Dixon and a Burke BPS or AlPro. They are noticably louder than a Susato VSB or a Walton LBW.
I would think the Dixon would come closest to what you’re looking for. The easy playing and sweet sounding higher notes do mean that the lower notes don’t have quite as much volume as you might need (still at least as loud as a cheaper whistle though), but it should be a good comprimise.
I also think the Dixon would do the trick. I think they may vary, volumewise, though. I’ve seen people here say their Dixons are very quiet. The Dixons I’ve played are definitely louder than my O’Briain and definitely quieter than the one Susato I’ve tried.
I’d go with the tuneable, since you’re playing with other people.
I can’t compare to the Susato, but as for my Dixon tunable High D, it’s the only whistle I have that I use the words “IT SINGS!” to describe the sound…
The Dixon would probably be what you’re looking for, Redwolf. I live near you…you could play mine if you want, to see if it’s what you’re looking for. Let me know.
I have a Sausato D VSB and I find it too loud to practice in small house-hold rooms, like my kitchen. I remember a few threads a while back that generally concluded the Dixon was a tad quieter and sweeter in the uppper end.
I did play the VSB in a hotel pool room once and it sounded angelic.
I got a Hoover brass D and I practice with that almost exclusively. My wife thanks me, mt kids thank me, my dogs thank me, and my noticeably deafening ears thank me.
Sorry to disagree, but the Dixon won’t work. I have one, and I love it. But it’s not loud, and it just doesn’t cut through noise. Since you will be outdoors it will get lost amongst the jangling bells.
I play for morris through a battery-operated Pignose (about $75) but I don’t think you want to spend that kind of money (so I won’t recommend the Silkstone, which is great for outdoor music).
Thus, I recommend a Generation F.
Second choice, a Yamaha soprano recorder. Yes.
Third choice, Susato. Sure, I know their tone sounds like a bell with a dead mouse for a clapper, but they carry quite well outdoors. I use them for outdoor Xmas music in the streets of St. Charles quite successfully.
–^======== (( whistle on & on …
[ This Message was edited by: ELLIOTT on 2002-12-30 22:49 ]
Thanks for the good advice, all! I’ve decided to take some of most of it
I’ve gone ahead and ordered a Dixon tunable (I’ve been thinking of getting one for some time anyway, and, in fact, very nearly got one in my Christmas stocking, but The Whistle Shop was out of them and my dh didn’t want to just give me an IOU). I will, however, keep the Susato VSB on tap as a second good possibility. I also think I will try to mute my Susato Dublin, or tweak it in some manner (if for no other reason than that I’d like to see if I can get that upper octave more stable without blowing my lungs out!).
I did try my Yamaha recorder at one Morris practice, but it didn’t seem to carry much better than the whistle, and I’m a bit off practice on the recorder. If I don’t find a whistle that works well for me in this context, I may go back to it…or perhaps try the wooden Consort…but I’d prefer to use a whistle if possible, whistles being my main focus at the moment.
Thanks for the offer, Blackhawk! By the time I saw your post, I’d already decided to order, but thanks anyway
He had a Susato and I had my tunable Dixon. We tried each other’s whistles and agreed that the Dixon is definitely better than the Susato. Easier to blow, nicer sound, not so loud, not so shrill. The Dixon is a very good whistle for the money, it’s actually my favourite session whistle. I can play this whistle in public, even in the high register, and nobody ever threw rotten tomatoes at me. So I would say it’s a very safe whistle.