How many times better is my favorite D, a Burke DBSBT, than my nickle Feadog? The Feadog costs $5 in the the UK and the Burke cost me $170. This means the Burke costs 34 time the cost of the Feadog but is the Burke really 34 times better?
That is a question only you can answer.
I might not say that mine is that many times betters, but it is certainly enough better that I don’t for a moment regret my investment.
You can probably recoup 75% of your Burke investment, if you should choose to sell it. So…$30 or so lets you play it for a few years. Not a huge extravagence, IMHO.
Maybe 5% to 15% “better” if the Feadog is a decent example, maybe much more if the Feadog is a lousy one.
Incremental pricing is similar in many other areas. Take bicycles for example, a Walmart branded bike might be $99. A mid-level racing bike for an amateur club bicyclist is often 20 to 50 times more money or $2000 to $5000 or more. Whether it is worth it, depends on the person, their income, how often they play (or ride the bike), and whether they sense any difference.
To me, Burke’s are not worth the money. They get a lot of hype, and are excellent whistles, especially for beginners, however, my experience has been that they are average whistles, nothing special. I have a Burke D composite, and a Burke Viper Low D. Neither is near the top of the list when it comes time to pick a whistle for a live performance.
Buy 34 Feadogs and see for yourself.
What about differences you can’t sense? Or those you sense, but can’t put your finger on?
I think economics is about the weirdest thing there is.
One way I’ve looked at it is, how much more do you play because you have this whistle? When I got a Water Weasel, I certainly played a lot more than I played my initial whistle (a Clarke). That, of course, made me a better player, and getting other whistles made me want to play more, which made me a better player. I’ve sold most of them now, and, to be perfectly honest, I probably play a Clare more than any other whistle I own. But the expensive whistles served a purpose, which was to make me interested in playing. I still love my Weasels, Burkes, and Grinters.
How “good” a whistle is is a highly subjective thing that can’t be measured in dollars and cents. The feeling that you get when you look at, handle and play any whistle is what gives it value. If you feel that the Burke gives you enough satisfaction to justify the expense, then it was worth the price. I’ve seen cheap whistles that I loved, and I’ve seen some high priced ones that I simply didn’t care for. At that moment.
Let me say that I came to Burkes after over a decade of playing whistles. The Burke high d main advantage is that it is even over both octaves, however for the tunes I write, this isn’t worth much. The Hoover whitecap on a Walton body is sweeter in the upper range and would be my choice over the Burke. For most other stuff, I prefer a Susato high D. It has more oomph, and a sharper edge to the sound.
The Pepsi challenge has been playing in front of audiences. When I play the Burkes the response has always been polite. If the audience can’t tell the difference, it wasn’t worth the money in my book. After this try out period, now, when I choose which instrument to play, the Burkes are no where near the top of the list.
I bought Burkes because of the many glowing reviews here. Compared to the sizzle, the steak has been rather lean and tough. Others of course, will have a difference experience to report.
You stole my line! I want to see Adrian play 34 Feadogs! Or start a Greek whistle orchestra. 
Indeed.
I have had burke, as soon as I have a Clarke, but never have heard that the great defect of whistles expensive is that they are too good, too sweet, that is to say, do not go absolutely well to touch to Irish folk, since it is a pop music and traditional.
in spanish:
yo creo que las burkers deben ser bastante buenas, aun que no las he tocado, pero he oido que las whistles caras y artesanales son demasiado buenas, demasiado perfectas, para una musica campirana y tradicional como el Irish folk.
bueno, eso creo.
saludos!!
Good thing you weren’t given the Feadog for free, otherwise the Burke would have to be infinitely better. OTOH, if you take the reciprocal (i.e., 0/170), that would make them equals. The mind boggles.
i think that the Burke is 100 times better than feadog, i really dont like that brand too much.
This thread has got me thinking..
A Lambourghini Murcielago has about 5 and a half times the horsepower of my Chevrolet Aveo (103 vs 580). Why then does the Lambourghini cost thirty times more ($9450 vs $280,000)?
I can feed the entire family for about $2 if I make up two 97-cent frozen pizzas from Walmart. Is the Buffalo sirlion steak dinner (topped with grilled onions and herbed Double Devon Cream butter, fresh steamed cauliflower and skillet potatoes on the side) I made tonight really really 30 times better?
A Yamaha baroque plastic recorder goes for $15.00 on Amazon.com. Is a Mollenhauer Ebony recorder really about a hundred times better?
A student violin can be had on ebay for about $20.00 + S&H. Without getting into the “collectibles” like the multi-million dollar Stradivarius violins, are these violins really a hundred times better?
I think you may be on to something here. 
On a serious note, I see this come up every now and then..“is this whistle really X times better than a cheapie?” It’s a nonsensical question. The answer depends on the value an individual person places on all kinds of criteria, such as certain tones, crafstmanship, playing characteristics, etc. What does “34 times better” mean, anyway? Is there some quantifyable math here we can use to judge?
I think if a whistle has all of the features that someone wants, and they are willing to pay the price that is asked for it, then clearly, the whistle is worth the price.
I think you answered your own question. Yes folks, it is indeed worth 34 times the price to the person who buys both. How can it not be?
Hmmm … I don’t like ‘straight out of the box’ Feadogs ($7.50), yet my Feadog C tweaked by Tommy ($12) is very nice. It gets a 100 times more play than a regular Feadog, because I will not pick up one of those to play voluntarily. So, I guess maybe Tommy underpriced his whistle … 
My very cool, green Mahan Stonehenge is getting 25 times more play time than the Tommy-tweaked Feadog. Does that make Wanderer’s whistle worth $300? To me, yep (while being very happy that Greg doesn’t charge that much!). I play it more than my Copeland. Other people’s opinions will vary. One of the neatest things about whistles, they come in all costs, different tones – basically something for everyone.
… and trying each and every one of them is soooooo much fun! 
My first Low D was a Susato. Probably $70. Was satisfired.
Coupla years later, got a Burke Composite Low D. About $200. Was more satisfied…left the Susato to gather dust.
Over more years, like a grinning politician going through ever-more-pleasing wives, I’ve gotten a Burke Viper, a Copeland Low D, and now a gleaming MK Low D. All, way more money than that ol’ Susato. And all, way more pleasing, to me.
Don’t know about the math, or economics…but life’s short, so find whistles you love to play and play 'em.
[translation]
I think that Burkes must be quite good although I haven’t played one, but I’ve heard that expensive, handcrafted whistles are too good, too perfect for ‘campirana’ and traditional music such as Irish folk.
Well that’s what I think.
Regards
Interesting replies.
It think my Burke is NOT 34 time better but more like 3 or 4 times better. Do I think that warrants spending 34 time the Feadog price on the DBSBT? For me the answer is definitely a LOUD YES. That whistle it so good IMO.
BTW, here in Greece last weekend someone offered me €20 on the spot for the Feadog. That would have been 300% profit!
It is interesting to hear Burke whistles referred to as ‘handcrafted’. it may be worth looking up Mike’s own description of the production process. These whistles are ‘hand’ checked and if necessary, finished but apart from that things are quite industrial at Burke whistles.
[fixed a few typos]
Wow!!!
The idea that high-end, and/or hand-crafted whistles are “too good, too perfect” (and, therefore unsuitable) for playing various types of folk music…is just WILD! Wildly incorrect. Wrong.
Copeland, Burke, Overton, MK…are these kinds of whistles. I play various styles of folk music, and these whisltes are GREAT!!!
I’m NOT saying that cheap mass-produced whistles are inferior for this music. But, hot diggity…these “high-enders” are excellent!
Rant over. I go whistle now.