and really really really want another whistle (or maybe more than one?)
Right now I own a don’t-know-which-brand-that-has-a-green-mouthpiece D whistle, a Clarke and a (Clarke) Sweetone in D, a Susato in D (non-tunable), a Generation Nickel C, a Generation that-other-metal Bb, a wooden Eb I bought at some fair, a Generation F and various self made whistles in other keys (a PVC low A, a PVC low G, a PVC D, an aluminum D and a PVC C).
I like all my whistles except for the Bb one which has an impure sound. The Susato is probably my favourite one, but I think it’s a little too loud to practice with and requires too much breath for my taste. I love the key of D, but am unsure if I should try some “real” whistles in other keys (like G or A); should I get a tunable whistle? should I try a low D? should I keep my money and practice more before buying anything? should I check the board more before asking questions you have already answered to?
Thanks, I love you guys (I don’t post much but I read a lot)
Wow. So many questions. I am sure everyone will grab one or two and run with them.
I’ll give you two quick suggestions.
First, the serious one. You have enough whistles for experimenting. Focus on the music you want to play and on how to improve your skills.
Second, the fun one. Sure, if you have the money, buy something new. It keeps you interested and at this stage you are just having fun sampling what’s out there. If you are starting out, unless you have a teacher or mentor, you really don’t know if you have a poor whistle or if your playing skills are the problem. I think the best answer is to have at least one D whistle that you trust to be of good quality. It does not have to be all that expensive. Here in the US, I would point you to Jerry Freeman or to Mack Hoover or to a Dixon Trad for best value. I’m not sure who would be best to contact in your location. Taking another look at your post, I see you do have a Susato, so you probably do have a solid player. Either the Trad or one of Mack Hoover’s custom heads would give you less volume, more complex sound and use less air.
As you can see, I have mixed ideas about this. There is truth in both answers. 
I’d second the suggestion to pick up a reliable high D, so you have a reference whistle you know is as it should be. If you’re in spending Euros, you’re local-est whistle mega-depot is likely Big Whistle in the UK. What’s special about them (to me) is that they carry Cillian O’Briain tweaked whistles – I have one of those and it is awesome. They also sell Freeman-tweaked whistles, which are similarly excellent, and Dixon Trads, which are fine whistles too, and none of them will break the bank.
If you have money left over burning a hole in your pocket, how about buying some whistle recordings? I know the lure of WhOA is very strong when you’re starting out, but in the end, I found that buying and listening to recordings of excellent whistlers has done far more for my playing than succumbing to WhOA ever did… well, with one exception. Getting my Freeman-tweaked Blackbird was the mystical WhOA-fullfillment event of my whistling career. It happens to match my whistle preferences perfectly. But that’s another story…
After all I have heard about Blackbirds, I hope to have a real life listen sometime to see what all the excitement is about. I have wonderful Hoover Blacktops and Whitecaps that seem to fall into the same general part of the sound spectrum – purely based on description – so I can’t really convince myself to buy yet another D whistle. But it is tempting even if only to see what kind of magic Jerry has worked this time.
While I can clearly imagine whistle-tastes that would find the Blackbird quite frustrating, it suits me perfectly. I like a whistle with a sweet and easy high end, and don’t mind a whistle that requires some breath control on the lower notes. I’d agree that the Blackbird has some similarities to a Hoover, but the sound isn’t as pure. The Blackbird has a bit more of a chiffy trad sound, to put an edge on it’s purity.