Hey guys, I’m just wondering if anyone knows of an inexpensive (high) A whistle. Does such a thing exist or would I have to get a higher end one?
Jerry Freeman to the rescue – again.
His A based on a tweaked Bb Generation head is a great value. Quickly became one of my favorites. I think you may still need to contact him directly to order. Jerry?
I believe the OP is asking about an A whistle above a standard high D - i.e., one step above the Generation G.
If he really means the A above high D I have never heard of one. I can’t imagine how you’d play it. I can’t finger anything above F. If he means alto A, I agree with the Freeman choice.
good luck
ecohawk
I recently purchased a Freeman A and I like it. It’s very mellow and has a nice windy quality to it. Very breathy with lots of “wiggle room” for expression; that is, you can vary your volume/tone without altering the pitch too much. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s perfect for us psuedo-low whistlers who like the feel of a low whistle but not the size and price.
I have a tommy dion A that is quite expressive and in tune. Highly recommended.
Haha, no, sorry. I meant the one just above the low G.
Thanks for the suggestions guys, I’ll check them out.
You can make your own.
The instructions for the construction are found here :http://www.ggwhistles.com/howto/index.html
Feadoggie
Ah, OK. Yes, the designation of the A whistle as low or high is tricky. Partly because the Generation range more or less defines the “high” range, and there’s no A. “Alto A” is sometimes used by analogy with the recorder ranges, otherwise usually just plain old “A”.
I do have a “high high F” whistle - one octave above the Generation F. It’s audible only by bats, and playable only by leprechauns. 
I’ve thought about it but I have a feeling the mouthpiece might be tricky. Thanks for the link though, I’ll take a look.
Yeah, sorry about that, should have been clearer. I can’t even imagine playing a whistle that high XD
I’d also suggest one of Jerry F’s. The only downside with the one I have (and it’s a small downside) is that I find I need to dip the mouthpiece in washing-up liquid from time to time to prevent clogging. Nice sounding whistle, though. Jerry’s a genius!
m.d.
I had an Ethnic wind high (above high D) F, G and A set. The a was microscopic and very hard to play, but it did, and in tune.
But yes, for a mezzo A, Freeman was $40ish, right? Dr. G has them too I believe.
Last Friday Jerry Freeman wrote in an email to me:
"Key of A tweaked brass Generation = $44.50
The key of A whistlehead doesn’t fit a Bb tube. The A tube is slightly wider bore and the tweaking scheme is also slightly different."
I have one on the way, which should be helpful because a third of the tunes I play with the local fiddlers are in A.
For an inexpensive A, I’d have to agree, Jerry’s A whistle is a good choice. Heck, it is good choice even if you are not worried about the expense. I would also look at the pricier Dixons. I can attest that all are good whistles.
Will
I certainly agree that the Freeman is going to be good. No one’s mentioned Susato. They are not terrible. I’m just suggesting another option.
As to an A whistle and Fiddlers: I’d think an E whistle would give you a better range… YMMV.
I’ve got a Dixon polymer tunable A. I like it just fine, especially for Ashoakan Farewell.