Well, I am looking for some more first-person whistle advice. I am looking for a whistle that’s a good player, as in it plays good and is comfortable to play. Currently I am mainly playing a Chieftains D and Humphrey Narrow Bore D. I am looking for a whistle that more matches my situation. The Chieftains D is what I have played one from the beginning and it is a fun whistle to play because it is expressive, but it is just too loud for the setting I usually play in. And, in Ireland it isn’t appreciated. At Willie Week one of my teachers had me play my feadog instead. I like the Humphrey whistle a lot, but the Narrow Bore is a little too quiet for my purposes.
I would like to get a whistle that is medium - to - fairly loud for sessions, but not too loud. Whistles I have been looking at are the Burkes, Humphrey Wide Bores, etc. I would go for a wood whistle, like Bleazey or Busman, but it would be nice to keep the expenses down for now since I am a college student. Any advice?
If you like your Humphrey narrow bore, maybe his wide bore would do the trick. You could keep the narrow for playing in quieter settings, or sell it if the wide bore fills all your needs.
I’ll have to agree with the others. If you like Gary’s narrow bore , but find it not loud enough , give his wide bore a try. When I did a review on his Stealth models , a while back , I really couldn’t understand why people seemed to prefer his narrow bore D. The wide bore is a lovely whistle with good tone and volume. It should be just the thing , for any session. IMO Myself , I’ve also just ordered one of Paul Busman’s black acetal whistles for the very same purpose! Of course , I tend to suffer from a very advanced case of WHoa !! Please , Don’t Worry !! I’ll be fine !!!
You might also look at the newer Black Diamond whistles. There have been several threads here and over on Gaelic Crossings. Very similar in playing to the Humphrey whistles, but a friendly exchange rate makes it 20 - 25 dollars less expensive.
I was also going to suggest a Black Diamond. Also the Humphery Wide Bore but I have never played a Humphery so take this with a grain of salt. As for Wooden Whistles avoid the Bleazey it is very very very loud.
For a cheapie with very similar volume (compared to the Humphrey wide-bore D), you might want to look at the Walton’s Mello D. It’s the only inexpensive wide-bore D I know of - uses the same head as the Walton’s C whistle.
Though your session must be pretty loud if you’re not cutting through with your Humprey narrow-bore D; it’s not a screamer, but it’s at least as loud as a Feadog or Generation.
If they’re still available (not sure if Erle Bartlett is still making them now that he’s introduced the Black Diamond line), a Syn D might be another good choice at a reasonable price.
Thanks everyone for the pointers; it’s much appreciated!
I just e-mailed Gary for one of his Wide Bore D whistles, because I like the style of the Narrow Bore I have now. In the future I will look into the Silkstone whistles and maybe Syns and eventually I will jump for a nice wooden whistle.
-Casey
It turns out Gary has a long waiting list, and I would kind of like to get a nice session whistle sooner rather than later, so I am looking for other options. I am looking for some more ideas!
On the plate of consideration: Black Diamond, Syn, and Silkstone.
I am interested in other whistles too: Burke, Sweethart, etc. It would be nice to find a good playing whistle (tone, tunning, expressiveness, etc) that is noticeably louder than my Humphrey, but not as loud as my Chieftain.
Any other whistle ideas? I would really rather play a whistle that doesn’t have a metal mouthpiece. In reality, I know there is no problem with metal, but I prefer to play a plastic/other material mouthpiece than a metal one. Also, it would be nice to find a whistle that is around $100 or less or even a tad bit more, but I will probably eventually order a wood whistle; I need to save up a little first though. Thanks in advance to anyone who posts!
-Casey
I just listened to a clip of a Black Diamond on Clips & Snips, and it sounded really good. It actually surprised me how full the sound was; it has a fuller sound than the cheapies, at least it seems. That was one thing that worried me about that look of whistle. I think BD may be a good choice, and other people advised it.
You may want to take a look at the Reyburn whistles. It isn’t too far from you, well same state anyway. I believe he will work with you if you call or write to him to make you a whistle that meets your needs. I enjoy my Reyburn whistles very much. There are some clips on Clips and Snips of his high and low D. http://www.reyburnlowwhistles.com/index.html
If Gary’s list is too long you may want to try the Black Diamond. It has a very similar sound and plays very much the same. I believe you can get one at Gaelic Crossings with no waiting.
Yea I am pretty sure you can get one from GC with no wait but it is taking forever for the one I ordered direct as I got a special price for being on tour.
Also, it would be nice to find a whistle that is around $100 or less or even a tad bit more, but I will probably eventually order a wood whistle; I need to save up a little first though. Thanks in advance to anyone who posts!