I am in search for a Low F whistle (after my A whistle the next step towards the ‘Lows’).
Would you like to share some of your experiences with your Low Fs?
I am undecided yet what whistle to get. At the moment I cannot afford a Goldie, Chieftain or MK etc., but would like to hear about them all the same. Also about Shaw’s, Alba’s, Dixon’s …
Maybe, perhaps … somebody might like to send a rarely played specimen to a new home ?? (Though I don’t expect it - too nice a key )
I own two low F whistles. One is a Brass Chieftain and the other an Aluminum by Domnahl (Daniel) Na Gruen of Scotland. Both are good whistles but very different sounding. The Chieftain is heavier, louder and slightly quicker to respond. When Daniel’s whistle is fully warmed up though, it reminds you of what low whistles are about. It has a slightly breathy and hauntingly rich sound. I like them both but reach for Daniel’s whistle more often since I tend to play airs with it and the tone seems more appropriate. If I were going to play in a loud session or was working on Jigs/Reels I would play the Chieftain. It’s not that either of them couldn’t do the whole job. They are both great, not good but great, whistles.
I’ve owned Dixon’s and Susato’s. The Dixon’s were quiet but stable and clear. The Susato’s are loud. I’ve heard they are good whistles so maybe it’s me and not the whistle ( ) but these just don’t have nearly as much character so I traded them away.
Years ago, I was given a Burke aluminum F, as a gift, by a good friend in Bar Harbor, Maine. I play a number of Burkes, and this is simply one of my favorites. It has an unbelievably solid, yet musical bottom end, and the top end is full, and has no harsh qualities of any kind. Of all my whistles, this Burke F sounds the most like a really good flute, especially in the low end. In most of the keys I use, I have more than one whistle. I have never felt the need for a second F.
I’ve had a handful of low F whistles, though I admittedly don’t play low whistle much. I had a cocobolo Grinter, which was a spectacular instrument, one that I wish I had kept, in fact. I have 2 O’Riordans, one is smaller diameter than the other, both are very nice but very different in timbre. I also had a Burke, which is an excellent one as you might expect, too.
Another vote for the Burke. As amazingly consistent and even as Burkes are across the range, still they vary a tiny bit from key to key, and the Low F and Low D are my two favourites. There’s something “just right” about Low F whistles in general.
I haven’t played an MK Low F, but I would guess, based on how MK Low D’s play, that they are superb.
Mmmmm, that sounds all very good.
Each whistle has got it’s own character - as well as the ones who play them.
I wish I could try out some of those grand names.
(Purse doesn’t allow it right now.)
Has anybody got experience with a Shaw Low F?
The sound must be special, and the shape and hole size would suit my smallish hands, I guess. But I’m a little afraid of the breath requirements. (On the other hand I’m coming along with my Alba A fairly well, so my body might learn what is necessary.)
Thank you all for your notes so far,
keep them coming .
I’ll put in a good word for my Ian Lambe F. I find it to be very expressive, with more chiff than a Burke and a reasonable air requirement. It’s not perhaps a great choice for the small of hand, though. The holes are far from petite. I use a conventional grip on the left hand and a piper’s grip on the right. As I said in a post a while back, it makes me smile every time I play it.
I’ve got a Shaw low F, and while the sound is sweet, there are times when I have to put it down because I’m out of breath. But then there are times when playing it is easy. I think the more you play it, the easier it gets.
I’ve just ordered an Alba Low F - I’ll tell you what it’s like when I get it.
I have an Alba Low D Standard which I love lots.
I have a Susato Low F which isn’t very good at all. Maybe the most inconsistent whistle I own (competing with a Dixon Plastic Low D) . I have to be very soft to get the first octave, it takes quite a bit of air despite this and jumps to the second octave too easily. I’d sell them both if they weren’t so bad!
Thanks a lot again for all the interesting input !!!
Burke’s, Grinter’s, Lambe’s, MK’s, O’Riordan’s, Chieftain’s, Goldie’s, Domnahl Na Gruen’s, Shaw’s, Dixon’s … wow.
Mahanpots, thank you very much for your lovely soundclip! That gives me a better idea of the Shaw (which is perhaps not quite my cup of tea after all, though nice …).
Technowhistle, will you send word when your Alba Low F has come? I’d very much like to know how it sounds and feels. (I myself just LOVE my Alba A.)
I’ve got an Alba Low F, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. You’ve already got an Alba A. Go for the Low F. You won’t be sorry. Honestly, a friend sold me an Alba Low G (back when he had an online shop). It was on back order, so he sent me an Alba Low F to play with while I waited. Sheeesh, what a low trick. I fell in love with the Low F. I had to send it back, because I didn’t have the money to buy both, but I remained obsessed with saving up for the Alba Low F.
I now own the very one he sent me, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
Very responsive, slightly easier blower than my Alba Low D standard, maybe slightly more air required though. Having said that, it not as much as some whistles!
I will upload a sound clip of it later.
Edited: insert pictures and correct typing errors.
This is just me playing around - as you can tell I am no serious whistler but I intend to practise more in the future… (note the mistakes at the end where I forget what note comes next and mess it up anyway!)
Edit: there are pictures and descriptions on the previous page.
Thanks a lot, technowhistle and Little John, for your encouraging reports !!!
I wouldn’t really mind to fall victim to such a ‘Low trick’ as you described, Little John …
Technowhistle, the pictures and your sound clip are very helpful !!!
It will be another stretch for my smallish hands (and my lungs) to the Low F, I can see, but surely worth the try.
And I like the Alba sound.
(I too intend always to ‘practise more in the future’ , but since I own my Alba A this comes much easier.
Let’s see what happens when a Low F joins the family , probably Alba again.)
Any more experiences with different Low Fs out there ???
All the best,
and thank you again for all the interesting posts.
This is a great forum !!!
Hello,
I have an Overton (goldie) non-tunable F. I have small hands and I find that the hole spacing and hole size are not too big to cover. It has a beautiful tone and it is not hard to play. It has some back pressure but the air requirements and not bad, even in the upper register. With Alba low whistles it seems that the intonation doesn’t lock in but varies more as your breath pressure goes up and down. Also, Alba whistles are much harder to play in the upper 3-4 notes and you really have to blow hard in that range. It seems from the pictures of the Alba F that it is a hefty whistle with a large bore.
I don’t have anything to compare it to though because I haven’t played any other makers low F.
I have enjoyed owning this whistle but if I had to spend the money over again I don’t think I would spend that much on any low F. I think that Goldie’s whistles are worth the asking price but I find that I rarely play it. I don’t think I have ever come accross recorded music that I could play it with. I have a Burke aluminum low E that I enjoy playing and I enjoy the tone. With a low E you can play in E of course but also F#m and A.
With that being said, if you don’t want to spend a lot of money then buy a Dixon F. As time goes on if you play it a lot and you really like that key then save up for an Overton, MK, or Burke. Personally I would not buy an Alba unless I got to try one first.
The outer diameter of my Alba Low F is around 22mm and the inner diameter is around 19mm.
With Alba low whistles it seems that the intonation doesn’t lock in but varies more as your breath pressure goes up and down.
I think that’s a good thing, helps me (as a beginner) put expression into tunes.
Having said that I haven’t checked if my Alba Low F is in tune yet, but I’ll have the results back to you soon!
Also, Alba whistles are much harder to play in the upper 3-4 notes and you really have to blow hard in that range
I don’t think I need to blow considerably harder to get the higher notes on my Low F but the whistle lets you if me if I want, thanks to the intonation not ‘locking in’. Also, I don’t think that makes it ‘harder to play’.
Tuning of the Alba is just about exact for equal temp give or take a few cents. I was blowing too hard/sharp on the higher notes and if anything backing off the notes a little gave correct tuning.
?? (Though I don’t expect it - too nice a key 
)
) but these just don’t have nearly as much character so I traded them away.
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