Looking for the next step up

Whistle
1

Hey guys!

I’ve been lurking around here for a few years, and I have a good little collection of low end whistles. I have a couple Susatos, a Clarke, a Williamsburg tourist special, and many low end (~10 bucks) that I tried mods out on.

At this point, I don’t think I’ve spent more than 45.00 on an instrument, and that was a Susato, a few years back.

I’m getting pretty good, and I’d like to take the next step up in terms of instrument quality. The last time I looked into this there seemed to be a dearth of whistles available between the price of like 75.00 and 800.00 :slight_smile:

I thought I’d check back in here first and see if there are any recommendations for the next step for me.

Thanks!
Charlie

2

The last time I looked into this there seemed to be a dearth of whistles available between the price of like 75.00 and 800.00

Well, I’m sure you are aware that there are quite a few great whistles available in the $75 - $800 range, but I assume you mean the $75-$80 range. :poke: There I think you are going to have some trouble finding a significant improvement from your Susantos, though the Hoover whistles are well thought of (http://www.mackhooverwhistles.com/ordering.html) as are the Parks http://www.parkswhistles.com/Whistles/EveryWalkabout/Default.aspx.

If you are willing to step up a little further into the <$200 range you will find a lot more possiblilities (including Milligan, Reyburn, Sweet…).

Good luck in any case

3

i could definitely go up to 250, that’s about the top of my budget.

i will examine those makers that you mentioned.

thanks!

4

I’ve been waiting for someone else to make a comment, but since no one has, I’ll venture in …

You might consider making your choice based on the quality of the whistle and not on the amount of money involved. By framing your question with a starting price of $75.00, you’ve forced the responses into conformity with your own preconception of what a high quality whistle must cost.

Best wishes,
Jerry

5

that’s true; Mr. Freeman certainly sells quality whistles, and at much less than $75. i have his mellow dog d; i can recommend it, and i think it goes for about $40. :slight_smile:

that being said, i’ve been hunting around for a “quality” whistle myself. i don’t know what that means really, and i think you’ll also find that “quality” has nothing to do with the price.

what you want to do is find out what kind of whistle you’re looking for: do you like chiff or a pure sound? a woody resonate tone, reedy, do you like backpressure or not? do you want to be able to “lean into” a whistle or would you prefer an easy blower? is volume a consideration?

if you have an idea like that, people can give you more helpful suggestions.

then… all that being said, i’ve asked a lot of people on this board what whistle they play and they all give the same answers: Burke, Copeland, Abell, Sindt.

Burkes cost $200 for a new whistle, Copeland’s are harder to get and seem to go for around $350, Abell’s cost $450; Sindts only cost $130 but currently there’s a 6 month wait list to get one new (i’m on it myself :slight_smile:.

i can also recommend Reyburn; i just got one myself a c/d set used for $120 but new the d whistle is $170 (you might consider the c/d set; it’s $200).

if you would prefer to only spend $75 or so, since you don’t know what you want yet, there are a few available in that range… notably Black Diamond and Syn whistles. i think the black diamond d goes for around $80 and the Syn aluminum is $55 or so. i’ve heard (haven’t tried one yet myself) that the Syn’s breath requirements are tricky, but people seem to love them (search this board when you have time). Also, there’s Dixon, but i haven’t myself had a good exp with them (nice high octave, weak bottom end–but most people seem to love the trad, and it’s only about $25). Ethicwinds (Nick) makes aluminum and copper whistles in the $50-65 range that people seem to enjoy; i’ve ordered a g whistle from him that i’m hoping to try out soon. :slight_smile:

if you can spend $200, get yourself a Burke session bore brass d whistle. then if you don’t like it, you can trade it on this board for something else (i’ll trade you something for it myself :slight_smile:. i’ve traded a lot of whistles with people on this board, and it’s a nice way to try out whistles without shelling out a lot of money up front. (actually, i traded one high end whistle (a goldie) i traded a burke composite whistle for as part of a deal to get a flute :slight_smile:.

oh, also, if you decide you want to try a whistle made out of wood (for that woody resonate tone :slight_smile: then gene milligan makes a mean whistle for only $185. (you can read about them on the thread on this board.)

good luck. :slight_smile:

eric

6

Thanks for the comments guys.

I suppose that “quality” really wasn’t the right word I’m looking for… I guess I just want to try out something a little higher end than what I have? see what all the fuss is about? :slight_smile:

I think that my whistles, currently, are all quality (except for a few i’ve messed up with tweaking, those sound like dying birds). And I meant no offense in my estimation.

And I know that if you’re a good player, you can make anything functional sound good. I’m certainly familiar with that as far as pianos go, as I’ve been playing those my whole life.

However, as with any instrument, there are obviously reasons that higher end products exist.

I guess I erred in my price estimates, I remember the high end whistles costing much more, but I suppose that is because I’m looking at it from behind a different annual income than 4 years ago.

I appreciate the feedback. I’m going to look into the milligans and the burkes. I will let you all know what my returns are. :thumbsup: i am ALSO going to check out mr. freeman’s products. always looking to add to the stable. haha.

7

Used whistles are often a good value. There are always a couple being offered for sale on the forum.

You might get further by talking about what kind of sound(s) you are looking for. Are you looking for a sweeter purer sound? A chiffier more traditional sound? More volume? More control in the upper register?

Do you play mostly solo? Or in session? Or in a non-Irish group of musicians? Amplified? Or acoustic? Indoors or outdoors? Answer some or all of those questions and folks will be better able to offer suggestions as to brands based on their own experiences.

8

i play mostly solo, acoustic, pretty toss up between indoors and outdoors. i hope to play with others soon, but as i’m already a professional singer, working more rehearsals into my schedule is pretty much impossible at this point.

i’m not sure how to describe the sounds i have now. i know the susato is almost “piercing”… it’s actually my least favorite of all of them. The clarke is probably my favorite.

i ordered a mellow dog off of ebay, though. excited to receive it.

9

If it’s piercing you want to get away from, the first thing to do is pick up a C or Bb whistle, (doesn’t matter what brand). I rarely play a D unless I’m at a session.

Your ears, friends and family will all thank you. :laughing:

10

A different material such as wood might be an interesting way to go. If nothing else, it will have a different feel, and a different tonal quality than the metal and plastic. Unfortunately, some of high end wood whistles cost ~$300 new. The old Sweetheart brand whistles might fit the bill, if you can find a used one.

I have whistles from Burke, Chieftain, Clarke, Elfsong, Hoover, Sweetheart, Susato, Walton. The Susato is one of my favorites, so I may not be the best person to ask.

If playing solo, some high cost whistles may be a disappointment. It was that way for me. I play solo and most of the time my audiences prefer the less expensive whistle(s) over the pricier models.

11

i just realized my susato had the F body on it. no wonder it was piercing. d’oh!

thanks for the tips guys!

12

What are your musical goals as far as whistle playing goes? What kind of music do you play? Never forget that the “next step up” comes 95% from within you and maybe 5% from the instrument so don’t get too hung up on price, aesthetics, or how green the grass is on the other side of the order form. Contentment is wealth brother. I’ve owned and tried nearly every whistle mentioned (some okay, some good) but have been content for a number of years between a modded Feadog and a Sindt.