Greetings, All -
About a month or so ago I posted some fine comments about Hobgoblin Music in Minnesota, where I mentioned that I had just purchased a triple set of Chieftain Lows (D, Eb, E) from them, and that a review would follow. Here we go…
After much debating, borrowing, and C & F research, I purchased the triple set of Chieftain Lows - D, Eb, & E - with one headjoint/mouthpiece/blower (call it what you will…). These are the “NR” versions of the Chieftain Lows that Phil Hardy makes, NOT the V3 or whatever they are called. All alloy, and tuneable (a must if you gig with piano/organ, choir, etc.).
I waited a month to post this, as I wanted to put these things through a good test drive before prematurely pledging allegiance, so to speak. I have used them on five gigs the past three weeks, with audiences ranging from 75 folks to about 500 or so, and have played them as a soloist acapella, with a vocalist in a duet setting, with a full choir, with a flute (concert, not Irish) in a duet setting, and with organ & piano.
Thoughts:
Playability - Impressive, right out of the box. It took little to no time to acclimate to the way that these Chieftain Lows play. And the sound was right where I wanted it to be - not an alto flute (i.e. “too” pure), and not pure “whiffy chiffy”, either. It is a nice mix of haunting and delicate, with power as needed.
Pitch is quite good. I head to “pull out” (to use flute speak) about 1/4 of an inch to get the pitch to A = 440, and true to any good wind instrument, they play with a “fatter”, more resonant sound when adjusted to find the sweet spot in terms of pitch. I have been to many a trad jam session where pitch was the last thing that some folks seem to worry about, and it just makes me cringe, not only with how out of tune things are, but how brittle the sound can be, esp. when passed around a room of 5 to 15 people! Keep your whistle in tune where it ought to be, and the color and timbre of the sound will always be more pleasant. But I digress…
Consistency - Of course, the Low D is getting the bulk of the workout. That said, I find all three - D, Eb, and E - to be very similar and consistent in all ways listed above. The sound quality between the D and the Eb is almost identical. The Eb has just a BIT more clarity to the sound (perhaps 5%, if that), but that is to be expected, as the tube is just a bit shorter. And, as one would expect, the E is just a BIT clearer in sound (again, single digits) than the Eb, due to yet a still shorter tube. Those considerations aside, all three maintain the trademark Low Whistle sound. My problem with the Low F and the Low G whistles is that they take on more of a lighter shade of voice, due of course to their shorter tubes and higher tonal centers. I have seen the “Low Whistle Family” presented in the following form more than a few times:
Low Alto Whistles - G & F
Low Tenor Whistles - E, Eb, & D
Low Baritone Whistles - C, B, & Bb
Low Bass Whistles - A & G
and I would agree with that. I think the “tenor” voices/keys listed above are the trademark Low Whistle sound(s), although I will be the first to admit that a Low (alto) G is a VERY handy thing to have for session playing. On an unrelated note, my other “issue” with the Low G & F (altos) is that I find it difficult to maintain my Piper’s Grip when they start getting that small. But that is just me…
Before owning the Chieftain Lows, I had the following horses in my stable:
Michael Burke Low alloy (alto) G that was very, very good. The sound was “beyond pure”…
Silkstone Low D (alloy & tuneable) that I truly loved playing, but found too “pretty” for what I needed.
Overton Low D (non-tuneable) that I found good, but not great.
Reviol Low (baritone) alloy C that I did not care for very much at all, due to the small bore and odd hole placement.
Overton Low (baritone & bass) alloy B & A whistles that were just stupidly large - I could barely handle the B in terms of grip, and the A was just really impossible, even with stretching my piper’s grip as far as I possibly could. More to the point, they were really “one trick ponies” - unless you were playing an Air or something rather slow a la “Hearts O’ Space” in the Major Tonic or minor Supertonic keys, they mostly gathered dust. Not to mention the fact that they were impossible to find cases for. 
I know there is an Overton Low (bass) G model lurking out there (almost bought one a few years back…), but I can’t even fathom how to play that w/o the addition of keys or medically stretching my fingers to NBA proportions.
I relay the above information to say that in the “Wars of the Lows” - which had been documented ad nauseum in the C & F archives - I have owned and performed on a lot of the “big names”, and my thought is this:
To each their own. I think when you reach the point of paying in the neighborhood of $300 (USD) for a freakin’ whistle, then it damn better be good, no matter what brand is stamped on it. Apples and oranges. They are ALL “good enough”, but each brand of high-end pro whistle offers unique playing qualities that will appeal to different types of people and applications.
After going through all of the above names, I have landed on the Chieftain Lows, and I find they work the best for me for the professional applications that I use them for. That said, your mileage may vary. But if you are shopping for a professional level alloy Low Whistle, you should definitely put the Chieftain “NR” line on your short list.
The End.
Now, two somewhat related questions…
-
Doc Jones has had an alloy Chieftain Low C on his used whistle for sale page for a while. I am moderately tempted to have it come live at my house. Anyone know anything about it?
-
I hope I don’t insert my foot into my mouth with the following inquiry… Paul Hayward, maker of Silkstone Whistles, quit making whistles a while back due to what seemed like bad health problems (see his website). Does anyone know of Paul’s current “status”? I found him to be a first rate gentleman and a fine whistle craftsman, and I sincerely hope he is doing better these days. If you know, please pass on the info. PM me if you want to keep it private.
There it is.
Happy Holidays to All!
LW70
