perhaps i need more time and i still consider myself a beginner’s beginner, but i have been playing my chieftain soprano D non-stop since i received it two weeks ago. but honestly, i don’t think it sounds as good as my 10 dollar clarke. the chieftain is easier to play as far as fingering, but it sounds plain to me. does anyone have similar feelings? should i be tweaking it or something?
[ This Message was edited by: cramer on 2001-07-16 11:07 ]
[ This Message was edited by: cramer on 2001-07-16 11:30 ]
Yo may be as lucky as I have been. I have bought four Clarkes in my time, and one of them turned out to be truly perfect. Bargain of the century. I’m sure the Chieftain would display well on your wall…lol
cheers, Adrian
I have a Chieftain Soprano D, a couple of Clarkes (a Celtic and an Original), and a Walton’s LBD. Of these, the Clarke Celtic is the easiest for me to play and the Chieftain is the hardest. I’ve only been playing a few months (and IMO I’m not very good) so here is my two cents worth.
I find the Chieftain requires a lot of air for the second octave - I’m getting used to that now. I also find the fingering on the Chieftain harder because its toneholes (especially R1, R2, R3) are bigger than the Clarke - I have small hands so maybe thats a factor. And the Chieftain clogs easily
But, I LOVE the sound of the Chieftain for the few airs that I know so I keep practising and I’m getting better with it. I guess every instrument has its little quirks
I agree that the Clarke is much easier to play than the Chieftain. I recently bought a Chieftain whistle for one sole purpose - for playing in a freakin’ wind tunnel.
Chieftain’s are loud and they carry well. There tone is good, but nothing to write home about. But I feel they make a good outdoor whistle.
I still LOVE my Dixons, but I found them very difficult to play in winds above 10mph; which do occur at times when I go camping/hiking. The dixon is the only whistle I currently practice on, but I’m afraid the Chieftain has become my camping whistle. (Besides, the thing’s strong enough to be a tent spike! - just kidding)
Cramer,
Don’t give up on the Chieftain too soon. The high end whistles almost always take some getting used-to especially if you are used to playing a Clark or other cheapie. Most hand made whistles require more air than most cheapies and often also a different approach to playing. It often just takes time. Of course the problem is that we tend to play the easier instrument that we are used to. What is sometimes needed is to set aside the easy one for a few days or a couple of weeks and only play the new one. If it still is not good, maybe consider sending it back for revoicing or trying a different make. After all the expensive whistles I have tried, I still love a D Generation I have played for years. The thing is, different whistles play differently and depending on the situation or my mood, I may choose one whistle over another. Good Luck!
Sue
I own several high Ds (who doesn’t?). Clarke is my favorite, too. I like the others, but there is something about the Clarke that makes it the perfect balance between cheap, breathy, easy to play, and just plain pretty. I can’t really think of another whistle I like anywhere near as well.
I also urge you not to give up on the Chieftain just yet. But, don’t be ashamed if you always prefer the Clarke.
I’m a Clarke fan, myself. I have a Feadog and, now, a Susato that I play outside and with the band, as well as several others, but for sheer prettiness of sound, I think it’s pretty hard to beat a good Clarke.
Yeah, my Clarke original is so easy to play and I love it for it’s nice sound. Also I’m waiting for a “tweeked” Clarke from the Whistle Shop. But I think, comparing Clarkes and Chieftains (or Overtons) is like comparing apples and oranges - makes no sense for me. They are just too different. If you want a bigger sound, you’ve got to make a bigger effort, give more pressure, get better breath control etc … You can’t have it for free.
I only have to high D´s;
(had a walton but it rests in piece on a garbage mountain somewhere right now:-)
a Copeland Sterling and a clarke.
I can´t honestly say one is better than the other, they are very different and I love both. There is something special about the warm, soft tone from the clarke though!
The Copeland is much higher in volume and more easy to finger. I find it a little easier to control the tone/pitch of the clarke but the Copeland is winning in the long run as I get better at playing it.
well i posted this topic over a year ago, and since then i have practiced like a madman but ultimately felt that the chieftain sounded too lifeless for me so i sold it. since then, i have tried a few other whistles but the ones that i play regularly are my susato, my clarke, and some obscur handmade tin whistle that i found on eBay for really cheap.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, a million times over if need be! My favorite whistle is my tweeked clarke original! Nothing that i have sounds better or is more comfortable to play. Plus, it does the dishes and vaccuums when I’ve had a hard day and just want to relax in front of the game
Hi,
I have a chieftain high d, i always find in the higher second octave i have to shout on it, not very ellegant. On my sweetone i’ve always been playing wonderful, no hard blowing on the top notes, it was really my favourit, until this week, my thin weasel arrived, amazing, plays as easy as the sweetone, but with a much more mature sound. I guess i’ll have to change my nick to weasel or something now.
Anyways as far as i have experienced the clark sweetone is the best you can get for that price.
cheers
I have noticed that Chieftains are the most frequently re-sold whistle make based on the number of “for sale” posts here on the board. I’m not sure why that is. . .
It could be because there are more of them. Hmmm. I played my B natural during praise band practice last night. It worked just fine for what I needed it for.
On 2002-09-06 10:24, sweetone wrote:
forgot this : chieftain low d on the contrary is much nicer of sound and also easier to play compared to the high d
I agree here. I sold my Chieftain soprano D a while back when I was on a whistle selling spree. I also sold my Copeland low D, while keeping my Chieftain low D..I just liked the back pressure better. Been playing that low going on about 6 years now..I don’t expect I’ll be getting rid of it any time soon.
Just a quick word,the large bore Chieftain high D was designed to be played by people who play low whistles and have plenty of puff and want plenty of volume.This whistles,in the hands of a good player can sound fantastic with good breath control.
They are made to be very loud and powerful,the complete opposite to most pennywhistles.If you want a sweetoned whistle ,there are plenty on the market including the Kerry Songbird .Everybody has their own particular favourite ,I happen to like the Susato’s,others hate them,it’s all a matter of taste.So,don’t be swayed by other peoples opinions,get down to your local music shop and try some out and pick the one that suites you.
Enjoy your whistling.
Phil.
