Looking for a decent whistle

Whistle
1

Hello,

I have been whistling for a while on my Generation D whistle which, while lovely to play on my own, is, quite frankly, terrible within our group. I am in search of a new whistle, preferrably something quite high end (I am also a classical musician and have therefore developed a bit of a spasmed twitch whenever something sounds out of tune, or is hard to play around with musically. I appreciate that some people like the “traditional” whistle, but…in moderation, I think. You can have a traditional sound with a well-tuned whistle). I tried out a friend’s brass Copeland whistle and was blown away by how beautiful it sounded and how easy it was to play. My main frustration is that I am not really in a situation where I am at leisure to try out a bunch of different makers, materials, hole spacings, etc, as these whistles are not widely available here. I am looking for something with a tuning slide, good intonation, a clear sound that can be heard within a group but that still blends reasonably well, room for musical expression, and preferrably within the $300 range.

Also being somewhat new to the world of higher-end whistles, I have a few questions: what do the different metals sound like? What about wooden ones (I’m not too keen on these as I also play Irish flute, which lends more than enough wooden breathiness, but I didn’t even know until recently that wooden tin whistles existed. Seems to defeat the “tin” part)? Conical versus cylindrical? Hole size? Other things I’m not even aware of?

Like I said, the only high-end whistle I’ve been able to try was a Copeland brass. I have been told that Copelands are not necessarily as good as they once were, and that Howards (I think) are a pretty decent choice, but I’d like to get as many opinions as I can.

Thank you!

Meaghan

2

Not trying to be insulting but that was a bit all over the place and is asking for a treatise on whistles plus a copy of the whistle encyclopedia; so, here’s the short version.

I take it you’re looking for a soprano (high) D whistle, making the use of Howard and Copeland in the same sentence, well not quite on point. Howard is known mostly for low D whistles, upon which opinions vary (I love the tone of the older version but the holes were a bit big for me); he did make a soprano D, but I never played one and don’t know anyone who has.

Copeland draws more contradictions than any whistle on the planet in large part because of its relatively (to other whistles) high cost; but you’ve already tried one and loved it apparently. That bit about them not being as good these days; well, I don’t know but they have always varied a might from whistle to whistle within key over the years. IMO, the high D probably varies least and chances are you’d still get a really wonderful whistle these days. Copeland carries well in a group as well. Some complain about tuning, but IMO that’s a bit overdone (has a tuning slide and I’ve had problems with two of them out of about 15 over the last 15 or so years, and neither a high D.

That said, there are other choices. Burke makes a less expensive whistle that is eerily consistent within type (brass, aluminum, composite) and key, but does not quite IMO reach the tonal quality of a Copeland; although it is a fine whistle.

Sindt makes wonderful whistle as well - generally brass with delrin fipple and as the others tuneable with a purported current wait of 6 months. I like both the Sindt and the Burke. Sindt a bit closer to so-called trad tonal qualities and perhaps a tad quieter than Burke which is again quieter than Copeland. Both really easy whistles to play with good balance between octaves.

Abell makes both wood (mostly blackwood) and delrin whistles; therein lies another source of great debate. I have both and consider my Abell delrin one of the finest whistles I’ve played. The blackwoods I have tend to be a bit softer in volume and tone and a bit more air throughout; but again, Abells can vary.

Busman also makes both wood and delrin whistles, one of which I travel with all the time.

Then there are a whole slew of others, including the thick walled aluminum types like Overton, Chieftain and Alba - I may have just started a flame war simply by including them all in the same sentence.

See? Really kinda subjective. This man’s opinion - I love best Copeland, Abell, Sindt and Burke. (Also O’Riordan, but they are not currently available other than second hand).

If you’re miked up. you could probably use a good cheapie too (Gen, Walton, Faedog).

Hey, want a real flame war, mention Susato - it’s high volume generally and pure sound; many express disdain for them, but I’ve seen pros do magic with them (that’s the real answer) and I like them as well.

Have fun; I’m running for shelter.

Philo

3

My favorite mezzo soprano D whistle is a blackwood Thin Weasel. It would be difficult to find any one willing to sell one especially for only $300. Paul Busman worked closely with Glen Schultz, the maker of the Thin Weasel, and I understand Paul makes a very fine whistle in wood and delrin. I also like my brass Copeland and have no intonation problems. I understand the nickel version has a brighter tone than the brass. I also like the Overton which has a somewhat reedy tone with an edge and sells for about $210. Good vendors will let you return a whistle you don’t like; but, you will probably be out on shipping. Good luck.

4

While having never played a Sindt…I’ve heard them played and loved them. But there is about a 6 month wait to get one.

If you’re looking for a “traditional sounding” whistle with better intonation and better volume in a group you should look into getting a Reyburn Session D. The volume is great and the tone is somewhat traditional. They are tuneable and the tuning is nearly dead on from the bottom to the top. Reyburns also have decent backpressure and can take more air if you want to push it.

My S.Z.B.E. is also a fine whistle. The tuning and volume are great and it’s sound leans toward traditional as well. I think there might be a wait for them though since Ken, the maker, has been working on uilleann pipes for some time now.

I can’t offer you much advice in the materials dept. I have fabulous whistles in various materials…and I love and use them in different settings based on their different qualities.

Stay with brass if you want to keep a more traditional sound.

5

I’ll second what Flogging has to say about the Reyburns. His Session d is wonderful… has a full rich tone, perfectly in tune all the way to the top and is as loud as a Copeland (I’ve heard them played side by side). I also think his waiting list is fairly short and the price is very reasonable.

Constance

6

I got a D/C Session Set for $140 plus shipping…it’s only $110 I think for just the D. I only had to wait about a week and a half.

7

On Tinwhistler’s site he reports that the C natural on his Reyburn was very sharp. Not what this lady is looking for.
I’d recommend an Abell. Very in tune. Great tone. I play with a teen group where I’m often the only melody player. This is the whistle for that. Every time I play it with that group I’m impressed by the great tone.

8

Whitmores, I’m pretty sure the whistle that was reviewed on the Tin whistler site you are referring to is an older version which used the thin wall tube, as his session model (thicker wall) plays a perfect Cnat with OXX OOO fingering.

constance

9

I have a Susato. It’s a decent whistle.

I have a Generation D in brass, and nickle, they’re great whistles.

:slight_smile:

10

My experience has been that people coming from “classical” music often like the tone of Susato whistles. You might want to try a Susato high D. The voice is clear and the whistle should be quite in tune. And the price is quite reasonable.
I have played a Burke aluminum high D narrow-bore model which was perfectly in tune and had a great clear tone. It has the quick response needed for the most athletic Irish tunes. I have a Burke aluminum high D wide-bore on order (his “session” model) so that I can compare the two. Usually with whistles a bigger bore gives more volume in the low notes while a narrower bore gives more sweetness in the highest notes, and more agile response.
But you don’t have to pay a lot to have a whistle which is perfectly in tune. I have a Feadog high D which has a sweet voice, nimble action, and perfect intonation, but I have carved out a couple of the holes to correct the scale and packed the head with wax to raise the pitch of the upper register.
Lastly, in passing, I have to say that I reject the notion that only someone coming from a “classical” background can tell when things are in tune. I play Highland pipes and take particular delight in demonstrating that the pipes can be as in tune, or at times more in tune, than the “classical” players at the same gig. Typical example is being backstage waiting for my cue, hearing the out-ot-tune string quartet on stage, and on cue processing in playing pipes blazing in pefect tune. (There are so many horrid bagpipers running around reinforcing the idea that pipes are inherently out of tune, that the pipers who can play in tune have the duty to correct that idea wherever and whenever possible.)

11

I also come from a classical music background. I do not have experience with very many whistle makes, and play mainly Burkes and Hoovers. I did a fair amount of research here before purchasing. (I also have lots of Susatos, which were available locally. These rarely get played away from home any more, having been mostly supplanted by those mentioned previously.)

If in a situation where intonation is a prime consideration, the Burke does very well. I understand that particular attention was paid to intonation in their creation, and, as already mentioned, they are quite consistent in quality. (Although certainly not identical.)

You might consider whether you’ll be playing in multiple key signatures. While it is possible to play all keys on a D whistle via half-holing, I certainly don’t want to put in the time required to do so. When looking at a stable of whistles rather than just one, the cost begins to mount. Burke whistles are fairly affordable, and come in any key you could want. (As long as you’re playing within traditional Western scales.)

Edit: Note to self: read date of original post before replying.

12

Hi Meaghan,

I would like to recommend the Burke whistle. I have Michael’s Soprano D, brass, session, Pro. Brass has a warm sound where Aluminum has a bright sound. This whistle has a sweet, pure sound, perfect intonation, is solid in the low notes, sweet, not shrill, in the high notes, goes smoothly from one octave to the other. It as good volume with plenty of leeway between how softly you can play to how loudly you can play. The person I bought this whistle from, said to me, “you may like this Burke so much, you may never feel the need to look for another whistle”. …he was right. I believe this whistle is still $170.US. which is more than reasonable compared to some of the others out there. Good luck in your quest.

Regards,
Lyn

13

If you don’t care for the idea of wood (sniffle :sniffle: ) I don’t think that you’ll care for a Delrin whistle either (but thanks, Philo). For a given maker, a wood and Delrin whistle will sound pretty much the same.

For a really nice brass whistle that will appeal to a classical musician as well as a trad one, check out the Hudson Winds D. It’s a conical bore instrument like the Copeland. It’s quite a bit lighter in weight, but not at all flimsy feeling. Peter Bonesteel is a fussy son of a gun and puts a lot of care and craftsmanship into these beautiful whistles. For $165, they definitely deserve to be better known. The sound is very clean and pure, with little or no chiff. These whistles play very crisply- ornaments in fast tunes come out beautifully, and slow tunes can be played very expressively. I can’t recommend them highly enough.

http://hudsonwinds.com/

14

Listen to the band Flook on their website or YouTube. You’ll find Brian Finnigan playing Goldie’s Overton. Most beautiful sound of a whistle I’ve ever heard (I know, I know, it’s a matter of taste, but then again…). Colin Goldie is the kind of guy who will make a whistle adjusted to you personally. By the way, they are made of aluminium.

15

I just wanted to heap a bit more praise on the Burke low D “Pro Viper” whistle I have. I have low Ds from Overton (a 1970’s original), Kerry, Howard, Copeland, and Susato, and the Burke has the best intonation and an amazing buttery smoothness over it’s compass. It’s the loudest of the lot but not at all shrill. We are lucky to be living in the “Golden Age of Whistle Making”- there are far more different whistles being made now than ever, and the quality of today’s whistles is the best ever. So there a many great choices, but I would give a Burke a try just to see how you like it.

16

[quote=“Flogging Jason”]If you’re looking for a “traditional sounding” whistle with better intonation and better volume in a group you should look into getting a Reyburn Session D. The volume is great and the tone is somewhat traditional. They are tuneable and the tuning is nearly dead on from the bottom to the top. Reyburns also have decent backpressure and can take more air if you want to push it.

i would recommend the Reyburn Narrow-Bore D. A fantastic whistle in my (obviously subjective) view.

17

I can sincerely recommend Colin Goldie´s Overton.
I played most of cheap whistles and from more expensive ones - Copeland, Chieftain/Kerry, Dixon and Burke.

Not only Colin will make it truly as you want it (it´s truly your custom whistle). The whistle is really loud with good volume control - and with (for me) perfect sound. If you want sort of mellow sound, I´d go with Copeland, probably (although Colin does variety of whistles too). Overtons have very distinctive sound (well, my Overton does :slight_smile:), and a pleasant one too!

It´s perfectly responding, wonderful sound, looks nice and the backpressure is the best thing since women were created…Overtons are good.

18

Yes, my Reyburn review was an older secondhand model. I haven’t had a chance to look at a newer Reyburn, unfortunately.

19

I have heard great things about the Thin Weasel whistles. Unfortunately the maker (Glenn Schultz) passed away making them extremely difficult to find for sale. The best high whistle that I’ve ever used is my good ol’ Clarke Sweetone and the best low whistle I’ve used is my Kerry Low D.


~Jordan