I have been trying to contact Mike Burke for the last 6 months. I am interested in his composite whistles. I have sent email and left voicemail messages but have not received any replies.
Does anyone know if Mike still makes the composite whistle or even makes whisles?
welcome,
if mike wasn’t making any more composites 
i’d buy 2 more extra low D’s, low G’s and high D composite sessions 
he’s making over 1000 whistles a year, just send him a private message on this board http://chiffboard.mati.ca/profile.php?mode=viewprofile&u=325
Mike is still making whistles, but he pretty much doesn’t answer emails or phone calls, in my experience. Last summer I ordered a Bb from him. A few days later I emailed him to ask when it would be sent out but never got a reply. I waited a couple of weeks and needed a Bb quickly, so I ordered the Silkstone (that I just sold here on the boards). Naturally as soon as the Silkstone arrived, so did the Burke Bb, but still never any word from Mike. I wasted the money on the Silkstone because of Mike not answering my email. I had a similar problem the year before, trying to cancel an order on a low D. I sent an email and called twice and left messages saying I needed to cancel, but the low D got sent out to me anyway. It was quite a hassle. I thought he’d be better about email after that, but it hasn’t happened.
He still makes fantastic whistles, though. I love my brass D and Bb. Wouldn’t trade them for anything.
maybe communication will improve when he’s retired from his day job, wich won’t be long.
I just experienced the same thing. I just ordered a D brass with the thumbhole. I tried leaving a message and emailed twice to say that the shipping type was incorrect and to add it to my visa. I didn’t get any response. It showed up just after a week (usually takes at least a month to ship from the states) Wrong shipping type, but god that was fast. I am very pleased with the whistle, and I will buy another one someday from him regardless of the lack of communication, as the whistle is worth it and it was really fast getting here. 
I emailed him maybe six times over the past few months with questions about his whistles, and he answered every one in a fairly prompt fashion.
I wonder how much of Mike’s email issues may be a result of a spamblocking program.
He seems to be one of the few makers who has a bad reputation for communication, but still maintains a fanatically happy customer base.
I own a web based business and I know how difficult it is to keep up on replies, that is why I wasn’t too concerened with my lack of response. Plus with all the spam I get, sometimes emails get missed. They usually email me back wanting to know why I never replied, but your only human.
Still I love the whistle I got .
Hi Everyone,
I want to apologize to anyone if I have not answered your email . I admit this has happened at times, usually caused by a problem with the email, and it has happened when I was out of town and not able to check emails.
If you write and ask a question, I always answer those emails unless I am either sick or did not get the email. I get about 60 emails a day and 40-50 of those are dedicated to the subject of making a better man or at least more of a man, or some pictures that I stopped looking at after my teen years 
. It is possible that a letter may get lost in that disgusting shuffle, but I usually preview all the ones that are not blatantly offensive in the title line.
I may not answer if you send me an instruction like my good customer from the UK experienced. I think that I should answer those too, although we automatically fix those kinds of details when the order is printed. I apologize for not doing that before.
I am not sure who the person that started this thread is by their regular name and they don’t seem to have an email address on file with the forum, but I am sorry that we have not gotten together. I do love to sell whistles and never turn away a prospective customer. I just had an operation in December and am still recovering and actually have the flu this week, so I am a bit slow witted right now, but I have already answered several emails from customers about questions or inquiries..
Without getting too close to a commercial announcement, let me say that I now have the newly redesigned narrow bore composites done and in stock. Some people have been waiting 6 months for them, but boy way until you try one of these babies!! SWEEEET…Woops, better stop before I get into trouble for advertising. 
Seriously, I do apologize for my failures to communicate sometimes I am very busy and get between 10 and 20 customer inquiries a day. I take time to answer each and every one of them at length, so it takes some time. But I think it is important to take care of you folks. You pay the bills, you know, and I do appreciate you all very much.
All the best
Mike
PS: My email address is mdburke@midwest.net for the benefit of anyone that has not gotten a response from me. Please give me another chance, and I promise to answer your email.
PPS: I almost forgot…(senile~~~). Thanks for the person who gave me the heads up on this thread. I do appreciate you so much. I have so many good friends that help keep me going in the right direction. Your the best!!
Mike’s always answered my emails promptly.
Carol
take it easy michael, it sometimes takes a long time before you’re fully recovered on every level after an operation.
Hey, best wishes to Mike for a full recovery
I just wanted to add that I emailed Mike about a whistle a couple of months ago, got a prompt reply, prompt order processing, and prompt delivery. I love my wide bore (Session) composite regular-D, it has a home right next to my quieter narrow bore composit regular-d.
Thanks mike and I hope with all these demands you get some time to …
Hey Lee, or anyone else, how would you rate the responsiveness of composite soprano D’s to the brass narrow bore? That’s what I have and I’ve been thinking about a bigger bore.
That’s 'cause you’re one of the nicest people on the planet.
Hear, hear!
Absolutely!
Burke Narrow VS Session Bore
Both of my Burkes are composites, a narrow bore D and session bore D, both are very responsive, clear tone whistles. The narrow bore is quieter and has smaller finger holes, so I can play tunes easier, but partial holing (slides or half holing) is harder with the narrow bore.
The narrow bore is also quieter. The session bore is louder, still responsive, but with larger finger holes its easier for me to slide from one note to the other.
Since I love slow tunes, airs, waltzes and the like, the large holes let me enhance the sound and timber. For example on the large hole I can play a B (x00000) and lower my finger to just above the hole on the 3rd hole to waver/bend the note (X0*000). Really nice effect when the held B is a pivot point in the melody, kind of like me turning corner when I’ve had more than two Irish coffees, a little sway but short of a stagger.
I like having the narrow bore because it’s lower volume, is less daunting in group settings or at home. However the clearity of tone, means it still carries clearly in small to medium sessions. A couple of month ago I brought it (the narrow bore) out on a fast tune at Royal Mile Pub Session. There were about 15 people there and the leader at the other end of the group heard me clearly. He was about 12-15 foot away with 9-10 solid musicians between us. Clear tone especially in the upper octave tends to carry well. I noticed the same with a Thin Weasle, that Wandering Whistler played in session in Houston. It was noticibly quieter than his other whistles, but actually easier to hear because of the clarity of tone.
Thanks, Tony, blackhawk, and Lee. What a lovely surprise to see this!
And best wishes, Mike, for a quick and full recovery.
Carol
Carol, I’ve been meaning to ask if your Avatar is Amelia Whistlehart?
Lee, thanks for the very full response. e