If there’s one thing I HATE, it’s returning a whistle! I like to keep people happy with me–even the people I buy from. I am about to return a custom whistle (to a seller that handles several makes) because I can’t live with it, and I have limited choices for exchange. I am looking at a Dixon whistle in non tunable PVC or aluminum bodies. I have never had a Dixon.
Can anyone give me information? Are Dixons loud, or medium volume? Are the black PVC whistles painted, and can the paint come off? Are they tuned well? The Dixon with the aluminum body interests me. Do they go smoothly into th upper octave?
Above all, do they buzz? (FIGHT THE BUZZ!)
I would not have the courage to return a whistle again–and I don’t have money for the really expensive whistles. Can you HELP me??
I own an all-plastic Dixon Low G; it’s on the quite side, doesn’t require much air, no buzz that I recall but I tend to stay mainly in the lower register.
Tuning is true to itself from at least lower C up; the bottom G is a bit flat. Might be me…
Not sure that the body is PVC, but it’s definately not painted.
Overall, it’s a good starter and practise whistle for that key. For sessions and gigs, I need something louder and plan to order a Mack Hoover PVC low G soon (missed out on the eBay ThinWeasel, drat!)
I have several Dixon PVC whistles, but I’ve no experience with the aluminum-bodied models.
The black PVC whistles are not painted. They come with a “gold band” at the end of the barrel that appears to be a decal rather than paint. (I’d be just as happy without it, frankly).
Medium volume, fairly pure, mine have been pretty well in tune and easy to play. No really objectionable habits. Fairly pure tone. My Dixon D and Bb whistles usually travel with me on business trips. Good whistles for the money.
What you wanted?
I have just posted a PRO-FILE on Dixon at UNowhere.
Phil.
What whistle did you get and why can’t you live with it?
WTA
I think we have to be careful when we talk about what constitutes a “whistle we can’t live with.”
Everyone develops a certain group of characteristics we prefer in a whistle. To make it more confusing, the preferences change over time and with experience.
For example; a year ago I would have found the backpressure in my newly acquired Overton Low D nearly intolerable as it’s quite a challenge to play. But now I appreciate the flexibility of pitch and volume that (I believe) is a side effect of the element of design that in part creates the backpressure.
After playing the Overton a couple weeks I decided to try out a Serpent high D that has CONSIDERABLE backpressure which I have had about a year. One year ago I thought the Serpent was a whistle I couldn’t live with, now it’s a decent whistle with a ton of backpressure.
Your experience with O’Briens for example would mean you prefer a whistle with low breath requirement and nearly zero back pressure (unless you bought the low airway style). If I handed you a tight high D Overton you would wonder how anyone played it. This is not meant as an indictment of your level of experience, but is meant to illustrate how preferences for characteristics are established - and can change over time. 
Two years ago I wrote a glowing review of a Burke High D Narrow Bore (my first “high price” whistle). This review was similar in spirit to your review of your O’Brien Whistle Set. The Burke DAN is an excellent whistle, yet I sold it because I have developed a preference for whistles with different characteristics. I have a few other Ds, among them a three year old, well broken in, slightly battered, and patina enhanced Burke Brass Session Bore. 
To understand a whistle, it’s nice to get objective feedback for several characteristics. I use the following to thoroughly review a whistle (listed in reverse order of importance):
Visual Aesthetics:
Mechanics:
Playability:
Tuning:
Voice:
Then a reviewer may take into account their personal preferences as a Subjective Summary of their experience. This is helpful as readers can gain understanding of how your preferences differ from their’s.
With less time lately, I have just posted pictures and sound clips for the last few whistle reviews I have written. I haven’t yet had time to do anything except play my newest instruments - a brand new High D Copeland in nickel silver, and an enchanting natural bamboo flute a friend brought back from Saigon (in an unusual B major western scale).
I get nearly as much fun from the bamboo flute as I do from the Copeland, even though the Copeland was nearly 50 times the cost. Yet I do get nearly 50 times the challenge from the flute - but that’s just because someone crippled my lower lip in a fight many years ago so a flute embouchure is a real struggle for me. 
Now to put this all in perspective, let me introduce you to the Automatic Flute Review Generator:
Which proves that Flute players do have a sense of humor, regardless of what impression you may get from reading the Flute Forum.
And the post where it was introduced by Gary Kelly:
Too bad he didn’t make an Automatic Whistle Review Generator.
Peace,
I like the dixon all-plastic low D… a surprisingly mellow sound. I would suggest pitching in a bit of extra cash to get a tuneable model though (especially if you play with other people)
I hesitate to name a whistle I am not happy with, only the ones I am happy with! This whistle is ALMOST keepable; but I just can’t make it work for me. It is one of those whistles where, if you kept it, it would spend most of it’s time in a drawer. I just can’t afford that.
You’re a good man. I’m of the same mind. If it’s a decent whistle - just not suited to my taste - there’s probably a good home for it somewhere.
Seconded.
Sometimes it’s worth getting some advice on the best way to approach a whistle, and then to persevere with it. Initially I couldn’t really get the hang of my Jerry Freeman Mellowdog, but the prob was with my inexperience, not Jerry’s whistle. It’s now a firm favourite.
Alu bodied Dixons are not the most in tune whistles I’ve played. On my C and D aluminiums I find C nat a bit touchy no matter how I finger it. On the other hand, they feel lovely and have a very nice tone. I do like them very much, and play them quite a bit.
I wonder if any of the minor intonation probs are down to the thickness of the tube wall… it’s pretty hefty.
I’d rate Tony Dixon’s whistles as quietish and sweet.
The plastic ones are not painted and the finish doesn’t wear off. The gold stripe around the barrel is indeed a decal, and I always peel mine off!
I find the black plastic non-tunable to have more reliable intonation and tuning than the alu body model.
But if everybody who’s not happy with a whistle doesn’t say anything, how can we tell which whistles are no good? When a whistle’s out of tune, buzzes, whatever, I will point that out. When I just don’t like a whistle for my own reasons, I will point that out and point out the reasons and that they may only apply to me. I think it’s just as important to find out negative things about whistles as it is to find out positive things.
Depending on your definition of negative, I can’t think of a whistle that negative things haven’t been said about. I personally have criticised Generations, Dixons, Oaks, Weltmeister, Overtons, Roses, Albas off the top of my head. I have never called any of them “bad”, but they all have characteristics that I’ve not been crazy about. Also, when I heap praises on a whistle, I make sure to point out characteristics that might not appeal to everybody.
Yes, you can read something into fewer good things being said about some brands. But that’s not the same thing as reading, say a recommendation, where one can be damned by faint praise. You’re necessarily gonna hear more about, say, Gens, Feadogs, or Burkes, which are plentiful, and less about Harpers or Swaynes, which are not. I wonder if some of the lesser-known brands suffer on the C&F because of the community’s hesitance to criticise whistles – that maybe because there isn’t the praise in great numbers, some people think that that equates to people holding their tongues on their criticism. Note that I’m not saying this is the case, I do think that the board would benefit from a little more openness in people’s experiences, though.
And, yes, I do realize that sometimes when a whistle is criticised, it does touch off some bad stuff – I also think that this shouldn’t be the case.
Honesty works in everyone’s favor, as long as it’s done with diplomacy and tact. Potential buyers want their questions answered, and makers want feedback about their products. That’s how things improve and evolve.
I also would never say a whistle is “bad”, even if I privately felt that way. But I’d try to point out features that do and don’t work for my way of playing. And, of course, end with a disclaimer such as ‘YMMV’.
Two things, remember everythig said here is just advice. That was one the next is this.
How can a maker improve if nobody says the bad things also? That is an important thing to remember, but there is a place where the line has to be drawn, remember the Coke Pepsi example.
BTW, I have sold many great Whistles, like a Burke DASBT, I like more back pressure. My Old Sindt D had a small sound and I could overblow it too easily, other people may like it so I let it go. I have a Sindt C which I love to death, but it clogs easily. See what we mean, none of these are bad Whsitles I just prefer different things.
I agree with what you guys are saying, but perhaps I could add one more thing.
Criticism of a whistle is always indirect–the maker might not even be reading this forum! It would be much more constructive to tell the maker himself–if you feel the need to say something. Say it in a nice way, and then he could work on the flaws.
I would hate to be some poor sucker trying to build a popular whistle and then read about how many ways it sucked on this forum.
I’m a preacher, and I’m sensitive to what criticism can do now.
I always try to take reviews with a grain of salt. Mainly because of what has already been said. One persons most disliked whistle is the next persons most beloved whistle. Often for the same reasons 
One persons flaws are another persons most cherished characteristics. But with that being said reviews do help but I found they helped me more once I had been playing a bit actually had a little experience with what they were talking about hehe.
I have an aluminium Dixon (high D) and it’s my favorite whistle thus far.
The sound is bright and pure with only a little chiff. It transitions very well into the second octive, and very quickly too. I have heard no buzzing out of mine.
And at about $50, you get an awsome whistle at an awsome value!
Agreed.
And I would also say that I haven’t met a whistle I didn’t like for one reason or another. Lucky I guess.
I did get #4 of Mr. O’Brien’s maple whistles that was a little iffy. Now he explained that the first releases were priced low, beta versions, and he wanted feedback. He incorporated a lot of feedback from me and others and now makes a charming maple whistle. On top of that he replaced the beta version with a new one with all the improvements at no cost to me. That’s the way it’s supposed to work.
If I actually purchased a real dog - bad in every way with no redeeming quality - I would return it to the maker with my feedback. If the maker could not satisfy me with an explanation or refund I would let people know I guess. We’ll see when (or if) it happens.