Hi,
The soloist on this vid of “Concerning Hobbits” appears to be playing a Burke D session.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1cTuUwZILg
Is that recorded sound the straight Burke sound or has it been modified in some way?
Thanks
HS
PS This is my first post, just started to learn Tin whistle 3 weeks ago at the age of 51!
Sounds like a Burke, unenhanced. Miked, of course.
And welcome to the Chiffboard!
It looks like a narrow bore brass Burke to me, and based on the sound I could easily believe that is what it is.
I have an Burke session D in aluminum. If you click on the “hear me play” link below you can hear what that sounds like in the hands of a relative beginner, as opposed to a professional (as with most musical instruments, the sound tends to be very heavily influenced by the skill of the player!). I really enjoy playing my Burke whistle.
Jon
The reason I was asking is because if that is what a Burke D can sound like, I need to get one and learn how to make it sound like that.
If you compare it with the Abell that James Gallway is playing here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZIDzoTAh8I
You may see what I mean, I know it’s all a matter of personal taste but either the soloist on the link in my first post is able to extract a much richer sound from his whistle than Sir J. G. or the Burke has a richer sound than the Abell. Perhaps it is because James Galway is more of a flautist than a whistler.
Thanks for the link Jon, lovely piece and very useful to hear another Burke recording.
Best wishes
HS
Both are flautists, I reckon. The Burke player has much better acoustics. Also the
Burke is a super whistle. I prefer the Abell, personally.
Nice video clips! I do think it is a matter of taste. Both the Abell and the Burke are fine whistles (as are those other from a number of other makers). The sound of the Abell seems to have changed over time. Earlier examples sounded more crisp than more recent examples. And the sound of Mike Burke’s early design sounded different from today’s Burke whistle. Some like the old ones - and some the new ones.
Don’t leave the player out of the overall tone equation either. Joanie Madden sounds like Joanie Madden on every whistle I have heard her play. Sir Jimmy sounds like Sir Jimmy on a Generation too. And maybe familiarity with the flute counts more than we may expect, as you have noted.
Here’s an example of an aluminum E flat Burke with plenty of character from Joanie Madden:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAyENIYI328
Feadoggie
Feadoggie wrote:
Don’t leave the player out of the overall tone equation either.
This is very true. I have a Burke brass session D and a Burke narrow bore aluminum D and
an Abell D; and to be honest; I can’t make any of them sound nearly as good as those
clips. (Obviously not the whistle’s fault.)
The Brass Burke I have now sounds differently than one I used to own so it may not
be a certainty that you’re going to get the sound you heard from any whistle you buy.
Not for a goodly number of years anyway. 
That being said, it doesn’t keep me from buying and trying. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFG5fG-y2S0
An Abell in C. Not played by J. Madden, unfortunately.
I like the woody, reedy sound.
Oh, how I wish I could make mine sound like that. The potential is there.
And yet, not all Abells sound reedy.
Here’s a D that sounds quite clear.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uLDuiAzajU
Go figure.
That really does sound processed. People playing Abells on Youtube don’t seem to be
playing much ITM. Perhaps inspired by Sir James.
Here’s an exception–the Abell D, played once again by someone other than J. Madden.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4cuf4trLLU&feature=related
Concerning the Burke–these have a lovely purity which some (only some) people
find not so interesting, finally. The Abell doesn’t sound quite traditional,
on the other hand. Personal taste, obviously.
Thanks to every one who has contributed to this thread.
I guess there’s a few schools of thought on getting a pro whistle.
Wait till you can play like a pro then get one.
Buy one early it will inspire you to play better.
Don’t waste your money you’ll become disillusioned and give up in a few months.
Buy one anyway to help the economy and keep brilliant craftsmen in work.
I think I may leave it for a few months but I’m a bit disillusioned with the whistles I have.
I started with a Generation “D” brass but it kind of squawks occasionally and it does not give me positive feedback. I’ve since bought a Dixon ( the all polymer un-tuneable one) and a Clarke Sweetone both in “D”. The Clarke I just don’t really like the feel of, the ridge on the back and the small holes don’t really suit me. It doesn’t squawk but I don’t like the sound at all. The Dixon I can’t really put my finger on why I don’t really like it but I don’t. I think I should have bought Dixon trad rather than his cheapest polymer whistle.
Having spent very little but been disappointed I’m now thinking should I try a Dixon Trad or a Freeman tweaked Mellow Dog or spend £100(ish) more on something I will not be disappointed with. Hence why I was thinking Burke or Sindt. Neither are horrendously expensive but I think I would get a Burke sooner than I’d get a Sindt because of the waiting list.
Mind you if I ordered a Sindt and practices as obsessively as I am at the moment until it came I might then be able to do it justice.
I’ve also toyed with the idea of a bike trip up to Scotland visiting Alba Whistles and come back via Merlin on Easdale Island. I want to go back to Easdale anyway. From there you can take a trip on a fast RIB to the Gulf of Corryvreckan, between the islands of Jura and Scarba. At certain states of the tide there is a huge whirlpool here and they sit the boat in it, cut the engines and you are taken around in ever decreasing circles.
Anyway any further suggestions would be very much appreciated.
Cheers
HS
Jerry F’s tweaked whistles are just fine. I like his tweaked Gen a great deal.
The burke whistles can be resold at a good deal of the original price.
And we know lots of pros play them.
So you get to choose.
The Sindts are great and there is a wait, as you know.
I have a Dixon Trad brass. I can’t recommend it enough for the money. It’s an excellent step up from a basic Gen or Feadog.
I also have the Mellow Dog combi (C & D) which I would also highly recommend. Lovely mellow sound but louder than the Dixon which is useful if you intend to play at a session.
Personally I don’t see the point in spending huge amounts of dosh on a pro whistle until you can actually play one, and even then I’d personally have serious reservations about spending that sort of money unless I was performing regularly. I’m more than satisfied with my current whistles. Just my opinion.
You could have a chat with Phil at Big Whistle who I have found to be very helpful.
Or have you tried tweaking your own whistles. Have a look at the Chiff and Fipple Tweak page
HERE. It’s cheap, fun, and makes a difference.
A few years back I for one found my Burke whistle
uninteresting to the point of selling the thing,
but now having played a D narrow bore brass exclusively for the last month
(first time for a bit of whistle manogamy for me)
I’m beginning to warm to its character.
I still prefer a Sindt but the Burke certainly has its place.
If you’ve got a 100quid to spend on a whistle
take it from someone who is coming across from the dark side,
I don’t think you’ll be disapointed.
For 15quid the dixon trad has a lot of fans.
Nick
To take this thread further off on a tangent.
Is the whistle Pat Tierney is playing on this a Susato Kildare?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-pLklK-GCc
Cheers
HS
One thing I will add to my post above is that it’s very difficult to make the Dixon squeak but it doesn’t take much breath to play it. The Mellow Dog needs more puff and better breath control, especially in the upper octave or else it’ll squeak like buggery.
Yup. You can almost read the name
in one of the closeups (around 1:07).
Great playing, but still sounds a little
plastic-y to me.
I think you have another option and you hit on it in your original post. Spend time looking for and listening to good music and good players, on CD, MP3, YouTube or whatever. Listen to the music. Play the music. Go to a workshop or two. Emulate what you hear from the good players. It will come to you in time. We all offered clip examples based on the whistles you mentioned first. There are plenty of great clips of people playing Generations, Feadogs, etc. It’s no accident that these players sound the way they do. They put in the hard hours in the woodshed practicing and developing their sound. It’s really not the whistle although it is a contributor to the final sound.
I’ve owned hundreds of whistles and I make my own now. There are a lot of very good whistles available out there but what distinguishes one from another is all judged according to personal tastes and preferences. It took me years to define my personal tastes and preferences in whistles. It can be great fun buying new whistles. Still it’s probably best to start with one whistle that works well (for you) and spend as much time playing it as you can. Which whistle you go forward with is up to you. If you like a traditional sound and dynamics, the Gen is fine (I like Feadogs too). If you want a more open sound, the Dixon polymer is a very capable whistle too.
Dixon, Burke, Sindt, Abell, Alba, Susato (yes, Tierney is playing a Susato) are all capable whistles. Pick one and play, play, play! You’ll get there. It’s just a long but pleasant journey you are embarking on.
Feadoggie
Hello, HS!
Congratulations on starting on a new adventure with the Irish whistle. I began playing Irish whistle only two years ago, taking it up on a whim following a trip to Ireland as a chaperon on a high school band trip. I had recently turned 50 and I wanted celebrate the event by learning something new. Being married to a professional musician (cello) and having two very talented teenagers capable of playing multiple instruments very well (piano, violin, trumpet, drums, guitar, French horn), I knew the quality of the sound produced by my new instrument was important if I was to ever play in the house. The tone and in-tune quality of the original Walton whistle I bought in Ireland was, well, rather rough on the ears. So, after spending quite a bit of time on C&F reading opinions from long-time players, I decided to purchase a Burke D.
My view, which based on living for many years in a house full of music and musicians, is that if you want to learn a new instrument, you will do well to learn on one that is well-made. Doing so more fully allows one to work on notation, phrasing, ornamentation, and so on without having to fight the instrument for every cut, strike, crann, and roll. I have been extremely happy with my Burke D Brass Session whistle.
A couple further suggestions:
Best regards,
RDC