Looking for a nice toned whistle that is rather durable

Whistle
1

Hi everyone! I’m new here, and I’ve been reading all over the site trying to find a good whistle that suits my needs. I have no experience in playing tin whistles-my background is in the Oboe and F Horn with some dabbling in the Ocarina. I really love the outdoors and the tin whistle appeals to me as a great travel instrument, as it’s rather small (imagine trying to hike with a french horn :stuck_out_tongue:). From looking at Dale’s “Guide to Inexpensive Whistles,” I’ve found that the one-piece metal whistles strongly appeal to me because of their more classic look, but I don’t know if that’s where I should start.

What would y’all suggest?

2

Nice tone is a matter of taste.
Durability is a little easier.
Susatos make a good whistle, rugged too.
http://www.susato.com/konakart/SelectCat.do?catId=138&prodsFound=-1&category=Pennywhistles
Parks whistle are good too;
http://www.parkswhistles.com/EveryWhistle.html
Guido Gonzato makes very nice PVC whistles too;
http://www.ggwhistles.com/
Carbony whistles are carbon fiber, pricey, never owned one though;
http://www.carbony.com/Products.htm

Who did I miss?

3

Wow, maki, thanks for the quick reply! I heard that this forum was active, but that was much faster than I anticipated; I barely had time to make my coffee. I’ll go check out those links you posted

EDIT: I just finished looking over the sites you listed and I must say, they certainly do seem to meet my durability standards-thank you for that. I especially liked the Parks “walkaround” model, because it’s compact and claims to be near indestructible. Of course, that’s a $60 whistle, and not one I think I should start out on, perhaps a later purchase.
Many of the whistles on those sites are rather pricy, and so it leads me to ask what I’m paying for at those price ranges? I mean, how much better is a $50 whistle than a $10 one? is it quality, or the name associated with it?
–I’m now checking out youtube videos to try and discover what sort of tone these whistles can produce. is there a better way to do this?

4

Thats by no means a comprensive list.
I own and enjoy every whistle but the Carbony, btw.
I suspect you also own a Mountain Ocarina?

5

Jantodec, Welcome to C&F! :slight_smile:

Jerry Freeman’s whistles (tweaked) very reasonable, Bluebird is a nice starter whistle.

Oak Whistle for $11.00 is also nice starter whistle.

Generation Whistles $8.00-$12.00 are good starter whistles.
http://elderly.com/new_instruments/items/GTW4.htm

The important thing is to get a whistle in your hand and start having some fun, then you can upgrade all the way up! :thumbsup:

6

Welcome, Jantodec. :slight_smile:

Apart from maki’s somewhat idiosyncratic ( :poke: ) list … Not exactly sure what you mean by “one piece”, but don’t over-think what to get. Pick up a standard D Generation, Feadóg, Oak, Waltons, Clarke, Clare, for $10 or so, and start playing. All of these are used “professionally” by some of the finest players in the world. They’re all tunable by moving the head. And they’re all perfectly rugged unless you sit on them.

My favorite whistle is an old Generation D which cost me $3.

Worry about anything fancier later, if and when you have more whistle experience and a particular reason.

The principal hornist with the San Diego Symphony trades his horn for a set of uilleann pipes when he plays sessions. Obviously, he never figured out that portability thing. :laughing: But seriously, I’m pretty sure he chooses a Generation or Feadóg when he plays whistle.

7

I second the Parks recommendations, it’s a great whistle that can handle just about any environment. It also has a little bit of plastic that regulates the volume, which is really nice as a beginner. But a Generation will probably serve you well too. Even Tweaked Gen one is still pretty inexpensive at around $25-$40 depending on the key.

I don’t really consider the Parks that expensive at all. Of the ten or so whistles I own, it has the nicest shaped mouthpiece, it’s very comfortable, and it has a really nice clear tone. I feel it’s worth the money.

8

I figure it’s time to reply before I really get behind. Most of you seem to recommend that I start out on something less expensive, so I will oblige. I really do like that parks walkabout whistle, and if and when i decide to get a second whistle, I’m sure that will be it, but that is tomorrow’s task.
For clarification, when I said “one-piece” I suppose what I meant was non-tunable. I like the look of Clarke’s wood plug whistles. although I supposed the downside to non-tunable whistles is rather straightforward.

Looking at Generations, isn’t there some sort of saying around here about 1/100?

9

just get one and start playing

which whistles you will like depends on your taste of sound, look, feeling, …

get a “cheapy” now, a clarke if you like the look or another one of which you like the sound
best one with a look and sound that you like :wink:
and than just wait and see, if you like whistling, you soon will have a collection :wink:

anyway, welcome in the world of whistlers :wink:

10

You mean that 1 out of 100 people who play Generation whistles actually know how to play Generation whistles properly? Yes, something like that. :slight_smile:

Well, tuning is usually not an issue, since Clarkes are well in tune at A440. It’s more the breathy tone, relatively high air requirement, and conical bore which make them a different sort of animal. The wood block may also require some fuss. But most dedicated whistlers probably own a Clarke original in their kit.

11

point taken. buying whistle.
EDIT: for the curious, I got a black Feadóg in D

12

As a newbie I’ve been practicing whistle daily as I wanna be a one per$enter. :smiley:

13

That should suit your needs nicely.

Predictions

  1. If you keep at it you’ll have at least 2 “back-up” whistles if and when one meets its doom.
  2. When it does meet its demise make and model will have done little to save it from being crushed/melted/lost.
  3. It will be your favorite/most cherished/best whistle (unless it is tweaked to death).
14

A lot of people (who probably have far more experience than me), seem to suggest starting with one of the cheap ones. Which is really sensible advice, however, I will say this- A person will be more drawn back to an instrument which they really like the sound of. Of course, buying a $200+ whistle isn’t good advice , either.. however, there is a good comprimise.

I would recommend getting a nice tweaked or midranged whistle as a first one. I played whistle for quite some time on clarkes, feadog, generation, etc, and practiced somewhat regularly. However, it wasn’t until I got one that was a bit nicer that I felt drawn back to it, and started practising much more frequently on a daily basis again and again. Really, you can do so without getting something so expensive, too.

It’s good to play on a cheapo for a bit of time, learn the basics, etc. However, I highly recommend getting one of Jerry Freeman’s whistles, or a susato, after a bit of time. They really aren’t so much more money. Some of Jerry’s whistles (when I bought them) , were not even 30$. Even though I own much more pricey whistles now, I still always go back to my freeman bluebird. It’s just a good whistle. A person is going to want to play more frequently on a whistle that they enjoy. Maybe you’ll enjoy the feadog and see no need for anything more, but, I think one of these mid range whistles that sounds good, and plays well, is a good idea for a first whistle. YMMV

It could just be my playing, but I got one of those green feadogs as my 2nd whistle, and it is definitely the worst I own, in my own experience. Perhaps I’m just not giving the whistle what it wants, and the problem is with the player , rather than the whistle. However, it seems to sound rattly no matter how I blow it. It sounds more like a carnival noisemaker toy than a musical instrument, to me. That’s why it’s my car whistle. I won’t be so heartbroken if anything happens to it :stuck_out_tongue: .


If you decide you want to stick with whistle, definitely try out a nice tweaked whistle, or a susato as your next one. They may not be top of the line, but they have given me no issues, and I still return to play them frequently after buying many “better” ones .


On the other hand, starting on one of the 5-15$ whistles certainly does make you appreciate it so much more when you move on to one of the whistles I mentioned! You really can notice some huge differences in playability. In my personal opinion, one that costs barely more might bring a lot more satisfaction from playing. It’s worth the slightly higher investment.


Edit: - I didn’t say much about the susato. It costs a bit more than the freeman whistles, if you just plan on buying one key. However, if you plan on getting whistles in different keys, it’s a good choice because you can buy seperate bodeis for it, for not so much. Also, it was the first thing thta came to mind when you said durable. It’s really strong plastic. With the whistles that have the little plastic head, if you were to accidentally lean on it wrong when it’s in your pocket, the head could crack or something. It would take a lot more pressure to hurt a susato. Also, it’s resistant to climate change, and does not clog. It’s a great outdoor whistle. Their M series is not so good though, in my opinion. But the S and V and L series ones are good value, and really seem to cover what you are looking for, oher than one peice, and natural materials. They come in brown, and black.


I would still classify myself as a beginner, too. (been one for quite some time now :stuck_out_tongue: ) . So, this is by no means expert advice, but is just what I have found to be true in my experience playing several makes of whistle.

15

Hmmm, I kind of disagree with Sirchronique. Of course, the day will come to go for a bit more expensive whistle; but those < 10$ whistles have their very own charm, and in my opinion it’s perfect (not only!) to start with one of those. As Sirchronique also said, you’ll appreciate the quality of a fancier whistle much more then. But I bet you’ll still be playing the cheap ones, as they just have that certain uncouth rowdy sound which many folks even prefer.

However, you already got a feadóg, so what am I talking about?

Feadógs are good ones, I like them. Oh, and concerning the “rattly” sound mentioned: I guess this may sometimes be caused by the very high responsiveness of them, so the slightest lack of breathing control for a millisecond may cause overtones and interferences, especially in the lower register. This is something you just have to get used to; though, of course, there’s always the possibility of unluckily getting a bad one. But that said, in my experience the sound of the black one is noticeably stronger and less fragile that of the natural ones, maybe due to the extra layer of the finish.

Sirchronique, I hope I didn’t misunderstand your point. I just would first get a cheap whistle, and anything else later (maybe… certainly…).

16

If I’m going to play outside, by the sea or in the rain I reckon the susato is hard to beat.

Being plastic it really doesn’t mind what you put it though and although not cheapy cheap cheap its a reasonable price.

Also it’s a commonly found whistle and easily replaced with another exactly the same, unlike something that you have lovingly tweaked or waited 6 weeks for.

I keep a Susato by the computer to use when I’m learning something online. When I’m not sitting there the kids will happily use it to beat time, or chuck it on the floor and roll it with their feet ect so I don’t dare leave something precious there.

17

Well, my tip is to go for the Freeman Mellow dog. That’s a whistle that works at home or at a session and you will never outgrow.
In spite of MrGuru’s stone tablet rules/beliefs, all Generation whistles aren’t created equal. I have brilliant ones, people has actually asked me if they can buy my old Bb for example, but i have come across specimens that were nigh on unplayable regardless if you’re Jesus H. Christ..
Regarding the Clarke - if my unpainted C and diamond pattern D are in the ballpark, i would be disconcerted as a newbie, believing i had a lung issue.
Oh well, horses for courses i guess :slight_smile:

18

It may well be that as you are already a musician you will recognize that a particular low-cost whistle is (or is not) enabling you to sound how you would like to.

Not being a musician I found, eventually, that buying a whistle that someone who knew what they were doing (tweaker or maker-by-hand) had decided was OK to sell meant I could settle down safe in the knowledge that it would work. That major problems were me rather than the whistle. It would work if I put the time in.

I have a drawer full of Generations, Waltons, Clarkes, Shaws, Feadogs etc that I went through before I bought one that the person who made it had played tunes on to his own satisfaction. Suddenly things got simpler. Some of those whistles may work, I don’t know. They may appear sometime as a job lot, ‘as is’, on ebay. (The Feadog Mk1 I will hang on to though, along with the brass Generation tube that seems to work well with that head.)

19

Susato whistles are nice but cost a bit more. A good choice I think is a pair of C and D Ferris brand whistles from Ireland. They are similar in appearance to Susatos but lighter yet with a pleasant enough tone. The C is a lovely rich resonant instrument. The D is what you need to play in a session but the C is good when you play for yourself.

20

Susato whistles are nice but cost a bit more. A good choice I think is a pair of C and D Ferris brand whistles from Ireland. They are similar in appearance to Susatos but lighter yet with a pleasant enough tone. The C is a lovely rich resonant instrument. The D is what you need to play in a session but the C is good when you play for yourself. The pair will cost you about $20 through eBay including postage.