When at all possible I try to check out an instrument before I buy it. It gives me a much higher sense of satisfaction with the purchase and allows me the option of getting just the “right one” for my tastes. Not to mention, you always get to meet some fine folks and make new friends in the music community.
Friday before last I had the good fortune of visiting our friends at the Whistle and Drum live and in person. (just about an hour or so north of where I live)
I went there to buy a bodhran (no throwing of vegetables, please) and was particularly impressed with the space they are renovating. It is going to be quite a nice shop and I foresee many more trips to Greeley in the future. Blaine, if you see this, good on ya! You have left the shop in capable hands while away for your studies. Gabby was incredibly helpful and a fine ambassador for your business.
As their name implies, they also happen to sell… Whistles! (go figure)
I got to try some really impressive instruments there. Here are some quick impressions.
Among the lot were:
Lon Dubh Delrin - Very nice! Much slighter (smaller) than I thought they would be. Pictures always made the bulby, recorder-like head seem … well, the size of a recorder. This was much smaller. Super tiny windway easily only half as wide and tall as my Copeland Nickel D. Sweet, pure sound. Hardly any chiff. Beautifully crafted. Chic, industrial look to the ferrules, (aluminum or steel? I forget… probably aluminum) against the jet black turned delrin. Easy to hold from the milling and polishing.
Lon Dubh Blackwood- Just as nice (of course) and beautifully made as the delrin model. Maybe just a little sweeter tone, not shrill at all even up to the 3rd octave. Made me wonder “How’d they do that?!” Ever-so-slightly scalloped finger holes. Same attention to detail and general craftsmanship. This whistle however, had a luxuriousness to it that was unparalleled in any of the other whistles I tried that day. (or ever have for that matter) It was less like a using a tool and more like a playing a work of art. It felt right in my hands and made me want to keep holding it. Truly impressive.
Silkstone Ace D+ (Delrin model) Easily the most even whistle I played that day. The pressure differences for jumping octaves was imperceptible… not because there were no differences, but because it was exactly what I intuitively would expect the pressure to be. Because of this there were no surprises in playing that instrument. Playing isn’t really the right word though, More like intending the instrument. It was more of a conceptual operation than physical manipulation because it’s design simply worked… perfectly. The whistle became a natural extension of my hands and mouth and to achieve any pitch was more like moving looking around the room than working an instrument. You simply want to look at a single point any your eyes go there. With this you want an F#… you get an F#. You want a high B, you get a high B. If you want Pineapple, you can have pinea… wait… that’s something else. Weird thing about this whistle is that I probably would not want one. It is so “right” that it would become THE go-to whistle. I would feel compelled to get rid of all of the other whistles that I have. Right now I still love all the others too much to do that. 
But I will remember this taste of excellence and will most likely work my way around to it again. 
Copeland Nickel D– I didn’t actually play it ‘cause I already have one… It was interesting to see how the design has evolved since I got mine back in '99 though!
MK Low D anodized Green head with a Chromed Body(or at least really polished) and a fully anodized red one(head and body). What beauties! Absolute attention to detail, fit and finish. Easy (enough) finger span – about like a Copeland Low D. Unique shape to the milled fipple makes for a very comfortable mouth-fit. Nice heft but not so heavy that I felt I would drop it. What impressed me most about these were the backpressure! Never played a low whistle with so much. Really expressive. Really liked that green one. So did my wife, Lori. hmm maybe someday
Susato C - Great C whistle! Now I know why it always makes the “favorite C whistles” lists that hit the board from time to time. In tune, strong, poppy nice tone colors, bit of chiff. Ownership of this whistle is in my near future.
Mellow-dog by Jerry Freeman—if you are looking for that Great Cheap Whistle sound, this may be your best bet. The tweaks Jerry puts into these whistles are extensive and (having owned a mellow-D at one time) well worth it. This whistle is far superior to either of its progenitors. Darwin would be proud.
Jerry Freeman Tweaked Sweetone (Jerry-tone)-- I have had a D and a C of these (untweaked Sweetones) for about 7 years and always thought they were swell little whistles (with a bit of tape on the bell of the C to flatten it into tune) but the tweaks that Jerry puts on these (the D) make them really a fine little instrument. Every thing that is good about them out of the box is amplified on the tweaked models. Much more poppy, increased backpressure and expressiveness. You really can lean into this whistle! Best dollar value in a low-end whistle there is in my opinion. We left with one of these… oh, and a very nice mystic-wood 37x16cm Christian Hedwitschak bodhran that will have me thumping away for many many years.
