Hello!
I’ve been looking around on the elfsong website and thinking about getting one of those beautiful little things.. but I’m a bit confused about the two different types, copper tone and sassy brass. What are the main differences? I’ve only ever played a clarke original, sweetone and a regular Waltons D… Can anybody try to educate me please? 
Thanks in advance, all the best
Illi
It looks like the sassy brass line is keyed in high E and up, while the copper elfsongs are in D and C.
Hi Illi,
I had a copper c/d combo elfsong. The first difference you’ll notice between the brands you have and the elfsong is the weight. It is made of copper tubing and is hefty compared to the clarkes, etc… not uncomfortable just a different feeling. The tone of the Elfsong is much purer… a clear, sweet sound. The first time I played the Elfsong, it gave me the impression of liquid sound flowing from it. I highly recommend them with the caveat that it is completely different from what you are used to. Do a search on this site and you will get a lot of positive reviews on the Elfsongs.
I have a copper Elfsong D. I love it to bits. Couldn’t be happier with it.
Hi Illi,
Welcome to Chiff & Fipple.
I asked Sandy at West Coast Whistle Company some of those same questions before ordering a copper C/D Combo with an oak fipple plug. As I recall, she said that the copper would be more mellow compared to the brass, which would be “brighter.” I think she also said that the oak fipple plug would be quieter than the Delrin plug. She hasn’t updated her web site for awhile, but I’m pretty sure that she offers all her whistles in brass or copper.
I suggest that you contact Sandy directly with your questions. You’ll find her very friendly and helpful.
I haven’t received my combo yet, but I’m expecting an e-mail from her any day now telling me that she’s ready to post my whistles. 
I have an Elfsong Sassy Brass C/D combo. Before that I started with a Clarke original, a Walton’s and a Susato. I can’t speak on the difference between brass and copper as I only have brass. I can write about the differences between the Clarke, the Walton and the Elfsong.
One of the first things I noticed was that the upper register was much easier to reach and control on the Elfsong. The sound seems quieter to the ear but a decibel meter indicates otherwise. When recording, the Elfsong sounds so much cleaner than the other whistles. This is not so apparent when playing live. Other things about the Elfsong are the thicker metal, the heavier weight. It is a different feel and takes some getting used to. THe thick metal means that changes in temperature and warming the whistle are more of an issue than the lightweights.
The Clarke remains my first choice because of the length of time I spent playing it (10 years before buying a second whistle). The Elfsong produces much clearer recordings than the other whistles. The all plastic Susato is the choice for volume and durability for stuffing in a pack. The Walton is in the dog house at this point as people do not seem to like it as much as the others and tell me so.
Just don’t forget that Chiff is a board where you just get hammered when you dare post a bad review of a whistle, so positive reviews really don’t mean anything, there might be as many people out there who don’t like the whistle but you’ll never know about it.
That’s the reason why I think the only real way to buy a whistle is to try it first, or order one and return it if you don’t like it.
I wish I could try one of those whistles but I’ve never seen one.
While I agree generally with Azalin, I have seen a few comments about the Elfsong which struck me as negative. I.e., I get the impression that it is not the whistle for me, although it may be perfect for someone else. There was a lot of hype when they were first ‘discovered,’ as there is about every decent ‘newly discovered’ whistle. Later, when one begins seeing them for sale, the realization sets in that perhaps their virtues had been exaggerated, since few people would be stupid enough to part with the greatest whistle in the world (unless, of course, they are just sick of whistles in general). As beautiful a whistle as it undoubtably is, I’ll pass on the Elfsong.
I have a D/E combo. The E is the only one I have in that key and will do me just fine. I have loads of D whistles and I would have to admit that the Elfsong isn’t one of my favourites. In roughly that price range, my favourite is the Sindt.
Or other reasons: I recently parted with some of the greatest whistles in the world, notably a perfect blackwood Rose. Posibly THE perfection IMHO.
Maybe I’m one of the “happy” few you mention 
Now you’re certainly right about letting the fads decant a while–then we see.
On the other hand, I’ve read very few mentions of Parkhurst whistles recently after being faddy here in 2002, and I think it’s a pity of an overlook.
The interesting exception to this are the Serpents, not many of which have shown up second hand. The reason for that, I think, is that people will hesitate to ask money for them. But then again, the owners I’ve spoken to and Serpent whistles I’ve played may have been unfortunate and unrepresentative deviations. Of course, the current “flatness” of the whistle market may be a related phenomenon.
Bloomfield, I’ve got 3 Serpents on hand, and a couple more on order, so they are very much to my taste. Not the One True Whistle (does it even exist?) but pretty nice whistles. And I don’t recall any particular unhappiness with any of the recent (last year or so) Serpent metal whistles.
But I suspect that the Serpent Polly whistles tend to polarize people’s views, especially since they’ve evolved quite noticably since their introduction.
The original Polly (no longer made) has a fair amount of backpressure and a very chiffy sound. Took me a while to warm to it (my tastes generally run towards purer whistles), but it is my favorite D whistle these days - responsive, well-balanced, moderate volume, easy to play.
The “Brassy” Polly was a whole 'nother experience. Similar sound, but quite a bit louder, and a very difference embouchure. Little backpressure, and it will accept a LOT of air, so at first it seems almost unplayable. Once I figured out the embouchure (more like how I play a Clarke than any other whistles I own), it’s actually a pretty easy whistle to play, though it does need more breath support than most of the cheapies. But the first week I had it I was wondering if I’d made a mistake (still in that mood at last fall’s SF Bay gathering - Tony or Alton may recall me mentioning it). These days, I play it nearly as much as the original Polly, though.
Bill has a new head design these days, the “Sweet Polly”, that is supposed to require less of an embouchure adjustment. Don’t know how it plays yet, but I’ve currently got a D/C set on order. (I was ordering a Sunsinger A and couldn’t resist adding on. WhOA, me?). I’ll post a review once I have a chance to try 'em out.
Summary: I think the Serpent metal whistles are pretty darn good. I think the Pollys are very good, especially for the money, but may not suit everyone’s taste.
I seem to remember peeplj liking his Serpents, too.
I have a Village Smithy and i think it’s a very good whistle. It’s not my usual kind of whistle, since i prefer my whistles to have no breathiness in them, but it’s one of my most played whistles nonetheless. But then maybe i’m weird: my other favourite whistles are Water Weasel and Silkstone alloy.
Back to the Elfsongs…I love mine (I have a C/D combo that I bought what…would it be a year and a half ago? Two years? Time sure flies!). They’re lovely whistles. You want to warm them up well, but the sound is absolutely yummy.
Redwolf
I do actually like my bloody elfsong and old serpent polly, Bloomfield, even though you may find that hard to believe.
I have an old-design copper Serpent whistle (one of the last non-tunable ones he made I believe, and it’s over a year old) that although it sounds quite beautiful is damn hard to play, and I will admit it fully. I haven’t touched one of the newer designs of either type so I won’t say squat about them.
I think that a lot of boils it down to taste. Not everyone is going to like Elfsongs or Serpents. There simply isn’t One True Whistle for everyone. Hell, I didn’t really like the brass Copeland high D that Tyghress lent to me last year that much. It sounded like a glorified sweetone to me, and I don’t particularly care for sweetones either.
You’re such a cynic, bloom. And coming from someone like me, that’s saying a lot.
There’s definitly something in the idea that opinions of whistles change over time. I think most of us have had something we didn’t like much at first but later warmed up to, or vice versa.
I had one of Serpent’s first CPVC Brassy Polly’s and I didn’t like it AT ALL. I neglected to return it in a timely fashion (life intervenes, you know) and thought I was stuck with it. But I finally contacted Bill after many months, who said he’d take it back in trade for his newly designed Sweet Polly. I didn’t have high hopes and when the Sweet Polly first came, I thought, “Oh no, not again.” But after just playing a little bit, I got the hang of it and it is now my MOST PLAYED WHISTLE. It’s just an all-around great sounding whistle and certainly my best high D.
My point is that I think our whistle opinions change over time, and the same whistle might get a good or bad review even from the same person, depending on how his/her preferences, experience, technical skill etc have changed with time.
I had wanted a Elfsong for a long time, but my WHOA is on hold since I started the violin. There’s nothing like a new instrument to stop you from buying whistles…
Of course, I’m just a newbie, with litlle justification for having an opinion at all, but I have a Serpent Village Smithy (Delrin fipple plug) that I like quite well, though I wouldn’t put it ahead of the Burke or the Busman in terms of tone. It’s very playable, pretty quiet, and less piercing in the upper A and B than many–a bit like the Whitecap Feadog, but with a different timbre. It’s probably more like my Burke C than any of my others.
Being fairly heavy steel, it does take a little warming up, but with 100-degree temperatures like we had yesterday in Salinas, this may not be a problem for a while. It’s pretty much indestructible, too.
Also, I went to Trigger Hill last week and got a gun bluing kit, and refinished it, in order to give it a more uniform color (the fingerholes, ends, and whistle blade were exposed, while the barrel had a dark finish), and it looks pretty cool, now.
Also, many reviews are from beginners, which can’t tell if the whistle is in tune with itself or not. How many good reviews did the McHaffie had until we all found out those whistles were out fo tune? For example, a “review” from Bloomy will have much more “weight” for me than many others, so I’d say it’s not only about taste, but also reviewer’s skills. Now, I’m not “talberting” and saying you need a CD to express an opinion, there’s just a middle ground I’d say.
Does anyone have sound clips of Elfsongs to post? Clips & Snips has a couple, but those, like the sample on the Elfsong website, are slower tunes. I’d like to hear how they sound on faster tunes, unless I’m way off base and you’re only supposed to use them for slow airs and such.