Okay, so soon I will close escrow and have the mortgage from hell. Before I become so encumbered, I want to get a low Burke and have been pondering a G or A.
For those of you who play a lot of IRTRAD and have both, which do you play more?
My specific intent is to play those tunes that go below D on the whistle rather than jumping up to accomodate the notes.
And if I bail on the price of a Burke so I can get both, is the Dixon the cheap one I want?? I have a Chieftains low A but I don’t play it really because of its air requirements.
And if you have such experience, can you compare Burke brass and al in the LOW models? I have the high D and find the alpro more temperamental to weather etc. But I realize that the Brass is heavier and wonder how that translates with the lower models.
Comments??
[ This Message was edited by: The Weekenders on 2002-07-31 16:33 ]
My only experience with those keys are with Susato and Dixon.
I have a Susato low A which sounds, well, okey in terms of air requeriment, spacing, etc… though the sound it´s very “Susatoesque”, meaning that kind of “empty” plastic sound.
On the other hand my Dixon low G is quite good, sounds “full” and it´s nice to see and touch.
So, if you go for the non expensive option I would go for Dixon, probably also in the Low D area.
Both keys are very useful–of course the
A gives one an alternative fingering for
tunes in D. I play my G whistle more
often, however–but that’s because I’m
often playing in C with guitars or
banjos. Also I have a superduper G…
If you already have a Chieftain A, I’d put a little bit of effort into it. I know the air requirements can seem prohibitive at first with a whistle like that. In my experience, you really get used to it and hardly feel it as a problem after a while.
As for A or G, I find that A’s are great to play dance tunes on, and that I use the G mostly play along with singers. If a tune is in G and goes below the D, I usually prefer transposing the offending notes up and octave (say in Home Ruler or Kitty’s Wedding.)
Thanks. You guys are really helping by validation. I had seen a local Celtic Trio (Golden Bough) and they do mostly vocals and the gal used a G a lot and I did have that thought that its a good parallel with the C Burke I have . So that verifies the idea that the A would be more dance tunes and the G all-around.
I don’t know about the Chieftains, though, Bloomfield. I have tried and tried with it. I have to completely change the way I phrase to play it. Its all percussive so very little slurring. Sure gives me lungs for the regular whistles tho’. If I didn’t have to change the phrasing so much, i would use it for all practicing just to get that extra air. That is what I hope to do with a different make of whistle.
And Jim, what make is your superduper G?
[ This Message was edited by: The Weekenders on 2002-07-31 18:01 ]
I’m thinkin. But I gave away my hand, didn’t I? I figure its worth about $75, right, because its non-tuneable? Paid $115 at LITM in SF back in the days when I was still in the first octave ('99?), where it still sounds like a million bucks.
…
Now you know why I’m not rich. And not Loren ( :
I think you oughta save for the Burke G (and maybe give more time to the Chieftain A). I played a Burke AlPro low-G at SOTS a month ago. It was one of the finest whistles I’ve ever played. Plus, Mike has done an interesting and aesthetically pleasing thing by extending the delrin 1/4" or so beyond the Al, so there’s this little strip of black on the end of the beak. The only reason I didn’t buy it was that I had a couple of Sindts on the way.
I’ve never played Burke brass low whistles – I know he doesn’t make brass whistles below some key, presumably due to the weight issue. I have both C and D lows in Al and an E in composite. Love 'em all.
Thanks Charlie. The high E Burke I have does have the delrin fipple overlap as well. I have no idea what it does but what it does not do is ever clog while the alpro D and brass D do get goofy after about 30 minutes of intense playing. That was the experience in the High Sierra on my vacation, the E never failed but the Ds became unplayable and wispy.
Maybe, its the interface of delrin and metal as a block that doesn’t always work with expansion/contraction. The surround delrin feature might eliminate that???
I was curious about your decision to go with the G or A. I have a new Sindt A that I would be prepared to part with it. It is a beautiful, beautiful whistle, and have nothing against it (I have several other of his whistles and love them all). It’s just that for the purposes of our band’s repertoire, a G would suit my purposes better. You can send me a private message if interested.
Thanks Matteo. That is an answer in itself to my question though I am curious about the Sindt and will proceed privately if interested.
Need to tryr (before buying) a Dixon just to see if it would do…I’m huntin.
I have a Burke Al-Pro Low G, and it’s my favorite Burke whistle: good, pure tone, easy octave shifts, etc. I like it more than the Burke low and high D whistles I have (though I like those, too.) The second octave is quite nice – it doesn’t go all shrill and wincingly loud like some whistles I’ve played. In fact, it’s the whistle that accompanied me on my commute today, for playing at stop lights as I drove down 19th Ave from the Golden Gate Bridge.
I also have a Water Weasel Low A which was (relatively) affordable and sounds very good. Big holes, which some people don’t like, but which I like for the ease of bending notes, half-holing, slurs, etc. Got mine at Andy’s Front Hall a couple months back, so maybe they still have 'em.
(My favorite whistle of all, if anyone cares, is an Overton Low F. Not at all like the very pure Burke sound, but gorgeous, rich, full – not that the Burkes aren’t, but a very different beast.)
Sorry, haven’t played a Dixon, so don’t know if I can help you decide whether to save up for the pricier ones or go straight for the instant gratification the price of the Dixon’s would afford you. . .
Thanks Aaron. It does help because you have the experience of multiple brands in the low fashion. I only have ever [played the Chieftains Low A…I figured the Burke would be great and you confirmed it. I have wondered how his design fares in different keys because I find my high E and two high Ds to be kind of different and they’re close.
If the Dixon G/A are anything like the Dixon F, the major difference I would want to be aware of is the volume. My Dixon is QUIET; the Burkes are uniformly louder (A and G in al). The cost difference is considerable between the two makers. I’m not sure about the true scratchability quotient, but I am far less concerned about the Dixon getting marred, dropped, scratched than I am about the Burkes.
I play my A frequently in session, but the G comes into play more often when someone is singing.
I have a Water Weasel in Low G if you’re interested. I generally use a low-D to play in the key of G and I’m funding a new aquisition. Let me know if you’re interested. It’s a very nice whistle.
I have a Water Weasel in Low G if you’re interested. I generally use a low-D to play in the key of G and I’m funding a new aquisition. Let me know if you’re interested. It’s a very nice whistle.
On 2002-07-31 18:22, The Weekenders wrote:
I’m thinkin. But I gave away my hand, didn’t I? I figure its worth about $75, right, because its non-tuneable? Paid $115 at LITM in SF back in the days when I was still in the first octave ('99?), where it still sounds like a million bucks.
…
Now you know why I’m not rich. And not Loren ( :
