Okay, so someboady is going to tell me that it isn’t fair to compare a $300 whistle with one costing a third as much, but I am. I have seriously been thinking about purchasing a couple Burke whistles (Brass Pro Session D and Composite low G) but have been occaisionally awed by more expensive, more “craftly” whistles (ie: Abell).
The problem is, every recording I hear of an Abell sounds chirpy and thin, not unlike many cheap (wooden) recorders I have played in the high register, and not at all with the resonance or relative smoothness of the Burke. Does the Abell just not record well, or is there something I am missing?
My Goodness, Man, purchase the Burke’s!!!
The Brass pro rocks!
And after you see for yourself, you can easily sell it if you find it doesn’t suit you! I seriously doubt you’d have anything to lose ~ then you could just go ahead and get the Abell if you still want it! Song of the Sea usually has Mike’s whistles in stock, and they are very personable and quick.
Mary
A higher cost doesn’t always mean better. I think Burkes are gorgeous sounding and certainly wouldn’t part with mine. I think it’s a very good whistle for the money.
What I think it really comes down to, however, is what suits you. If you think a Burke suits you, you ought to get one. (I gather Abells don’t suit you if you characterize them as “chirpy and thin.”)
You’re comparing apples and oranges…I have both in D, and wouldn’t trade in either. They both have robust sound and are trustworthy to do what you want, but one is wood and the other metal, and they sound and behave differently.
I tend to believe that the ‘thin’ sound you’ve mentioned is an artifact of the recording, not the instrument and probably not the player.
If the cost of an Abell gives you pause, you will not regret going with Burke(s). If you’ve never played a wooden whistle you may be disappointed. Either way, if you don’t like them, you’ll be able to resell them easily.
The biggest question is: Have you got a thing for wood? If you don’t love wood, if it doesn’t speak to you, maybe you should stick with metal until you feel like you need to go to the next level.
I agree to some extent with the other posters: Mike Burke makes some of the finest whistles out there – I think the wide-bore brass plays as well as a lot of the finest wooden whistles. Also, Abells are not thin sounding by any stretch of the imagination. OTOH, Abells do vary quite a bit in sound – I have one that’s somewhat breathy, others are much purer sounding. They all have lightning fast response. I think the mouthpiece is also very uncomfortable, YMMV.
Wood does speak to me, and I wonder why you’re considering an Abell specifically. What about a Busman, Grinter, Swayne, or Bleazey, all of which are quite a bit less than Abells? Or a Thin Weasel or Rose, which are a little less? Depending on what you’re looking for in a whistle, any of these might fit your needs as well as or better than an Abell.
Thanks for the input… I was considering an Abell based on reuptation, craftsmanship, and that I have a “thing” for silver on wood. Most likely, will get the Burkes… based on what I have heard here, I won’t be dissappointed.
Thought I’d weigh in as an Abell and Burke owner. I agree with Tyghress as to apples and oranges and it depends on your pocket and your tonal preferences - they are quite different. That said, I have an Abell soprano D in delrin that I’d enter in the “best whistle in the universe contest,” and an Abell Bflat/A set in blackwood that I’d put in the same contest (at least the Bflat portion). Materials don’t seem to matter as much as a lot of other stuff in the making, because the delrin and blackwood Abells sound pretty much the same and require close scrutiny to distinguish physically as well. I just happen to prefer the tonal qualities of my Abells, and they are anything but “thin.” Enjoy.
