In the Low-D section of the C&F website, Dale says that the K-pro and the Overton are “two virtually identical and OUTSTANDING instruments,” and that side by side you would be hard pressed to find any differences.
My question is do other people who have played both these whistles have a similar assessment? Is there really no difference in sound, tone, volume, etc. between these whistles. Does the K-pro have the same haunting, cosmic drain-pipe characteristics as the Overton?
The maker of Kerry Pros was at one point taught and licensed by Bernard Overton to make Overton whistles. The license was then revoked by Bernard Overton. But the maker of Kerry Pros continued to make Overton whistles, and simply called them “Kerry Pros.” He also added new ranges of whistles he designed himself (like the Kerrys and Chieftains).
I have a 9 or 10-year old Kerry Pro Low D…which has a quiet, cosmic, mellow first octave…but which goes discouragingly too flat in the second. (Trust me…it’d take a stick of dynamite to get it there…)
In more recent times, I"ve acquired a B. Overton nontunable Low Eb. It sings like a dream, and handles like a sports car. A superior whistle in every way.
This is an old topic, but I’m bumping this. I need to know more here. Anyone have experience with NEW Kerry Pro’s vs. NEW Goldie-Overtons (now simply Goldie). I’m a college student, so the much lower price of the tunable Kerry Pro is VERY attractive to me, but if the Goldie is really superior, then I want to do the wise thing and save up for a whistle I won’t have to replace. The tone and volume will undoubtedly be similar–just look at those headpieces. I think the real question is the quality of the tuning joint (cork material on K-Pro’s vs. tape on Overtons) and intonation. Who can offer a word here?
Kerry and Chieftain are from the same makers and NOT handmade. Goldie whistles are the new names for Overton whistles, and they ARE handmade. I know the very precise work that’s done with every Goldie whistle (Colin told me it took him 14 hours per whistle). Colin finetunes every hole from the inside and smoothens them from the outside. I prefer this craftmanship in a whistle, it gives it ‘soul’, and if I had the money…
I can see why there would be some confusion on this but the Kerry Pro low D and the Kerry low D whistle are two different animals. And again not at all like the Chieftain designs either. The first picture being the “Kerry Pro” and the second being the “Kerry”.
The Kerry Pro is said to be handmade by Phil Hardy and they are fairly uncommon. I am not a good source for a comparison on the Kerry Pro vs the Goldie as I have never owned a Kerry Pro (although I have played one). Since it’s been such a long time since I had an Overton low D to compare it to I’d not feel comfortable giving a comparison.
Hm, I thought the Kerry Pro is no longer being made. And the few places (e.g. Hobgoblin) that still list it for sale have it at 236 Euros - which is actually more than the Goldie tunable low D at 216 Euros (before VAT).
Well, that’s true in part. I think I saw an announcement on the news page at Phil’s site about a new batch recently completed. So Phil is apparently still making the Pro model in small numbers. I played one about a year back that was brand spanking new at that time. I had thought they were not available any more as well. Again, I am not trying to present an opinion on the whistles in question.
You’re not going to get the answer you’re looking for. There is actually a distinct range of variability within each of these whistles. Not all Goldie low Ds sound exactly alike and likewise neither do the KerryPros. Both are exceptionally fine whistles and either will work well for you. That said, I’ve had both and preferred the one KerryPro I had because it spoke quicker than the Overton (Goldie). Don’t over think it. Just play the one you get a lot and everything will work out just fine. Oh yeah, the sound between the two is similar, probably more so than any two other whistles.
Yes, I’ve seen that video. Good pick. It really makes a convincing case for the Kerry Pro, or at least for the whole Overton class of whistle, since its all so similar. I think my biggest reservation with the Kerry Pro is the hole spacing. I am afraid the closer hole spacing would mess me up when it comes to the standard hole spacing of all other whistles. For me, that is a big consideration, since I want to get different low whistles in different low keys. I might get a howard Low C, for instance, a Reviol E, a Burke Eb… so on. The fact that the Kerry Pro has a different fingering is a bit bothersome to me. However, I think the Kerry Pro has a superior tuning slide, and it is also considerably cheaper than the Overton/Goldie. However, I sympathize more with Colin and what he stands for as someone who has honed in on crafting one instrument to perfection. Phil has horizontally integrated, industrialized, and spread his efforts to a range of very good whistles. That is fine too, but I tend to sympathize more with Colin. A tough situation. I want to support Colin’s work. I like what he stands for. But at the time, my wallet can’t do that! And it will be that way as long as my income holds at a whopping $0/month. Make that $-1000/month, since I’m paying for college classes. It’s for that reason that I strongly consider the Kerry Pro. It is more accessible: temporally, financially. But alas, my heart is with the Goldies. Och, aye. What a fix, eh?
I play every Goldie/Overton I encounter - and every Kerry/Chieftain.
Having played a good number of each…
Quick answer for the commercially available new Kerry vs. Overton (Goldie) whistles.
Kerry = easy blowing, low backpressure, limited flexibility within a single note.
Goldie/Overton = Needs diaphragm pressure and control, palpable backpressure, much expression available within a single note.
Kerry = Some “in tune” challenges through 2 octaves. Personally I’ve never met a well tuned Kerry of any key or “style” (maybe it’s my bad luck).
Goldie/Overton = rarely out of tune across 2.5 octaves. Blow the note as you expect it should be blown, and you’re damn near on it.
Kerry = Sold all three I’ve bought.
Overton = Bought several, kept them all except an old-school, Bernard made, non-tunable Low-D with an amazing voice - but too challenging (in reach and playability) for this novice.
If you’re going to buy new stock, I’d say send Colin Goldie an email and let him know your preferences. You will not be disappointed.
Understand that I don’t have anything against Phil or his instruments. He and his instruments have their niche - and their following of satisfied players - like most other makers.
But by my preference and experience - Colin Goldie will never disappoint. Well, Colin Goldie and Ronaldo Reyburn - though I haven’t the skills to make a Reyburn low D blow like I feel it can.
Many seems to think this is a Kerry vs. Overton topic. It is actually a KERRY PRO VS. GOLDIE (OVERTON) topic! And that makes a HUGE difference. It should also be noted that we are talking about new Kerry Pro and new Overton (Goldie) whistles, since they have changed a bit over the years.
I haven’t played an Overton personally, but I have heard it being played in sessions and solo. And it resembles my Kerry pro more than any other whistle I have heard.
Either way, you can’t go wrong, as they are both magnificent whistles. You can order Kerry Pro whistles directly from Phil Hardy, and the price is now £185 if I am not mistaken. I bought my low F and low D not too long ago for quite a bargain price; £150 with shipping included.
As Abraxas said, you are thinking of the Kerry plastic headed whistle, and we are talking about the Kerry Pro. Nearly identical to the Overton in most respects, except for finger spacing, and the Kerry Pro can’t be custom ordered. I am pretty sure I’m looking to buy second hand. Both the Overton and the Kerry Pro I am looking at are second hand whistles. If I were going to go for a brand new whistle, ordered from the maker, I would certainly go with either an Overton or an MK. But since I’m looking at second hand, it is a tough call between the Kerry Pro and the Overton, for the reasons I stated in my last post. To review: The Kerry Pro has the closer finger spacing (negative in my book), better tuning slide IMHO (positive), and is cheaper (positive). The Overton has the standard finger spacing (positive), is backed up by Colin (huge positive, he’ll fix any problems), but it is much more expensive, even second-hand.
When you’re considering the two whistles second hand, the pros balance out with the cons.
I think I’ll end up going with whatever is cheaper now, since they are nearly identical whistles, and I can get the ideal whistle (custom Goldie) when I’ve got the money. Don’t you think?
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