Just a public thank you to Colin Goldie of Goldie whisltes and Phil at Big Whistle.
The whistle is a march 2011 High D tunable Goldie medium blower; It is my first Goldie or Overton.
Once warmed up it’s fantastic. But when playing straight from the postman’s hands I thought it might be faulty, but it was just cold. (I do this with every aluminium whistle; that is, think it’s faulty at first! Silly me!)
Being a medium blower it requires some moderate push and each note seems to have space to play soft or hard. Which makes the dynamics good and the volume quite loud.
But I’ll let others more knowledgeable talk about how and why the whistle plays how it does.
Also, if Jerry Freeman happens to happens to read this, I bought one of his A whistles from big whistle. Plays + sounds like the perfect Gen (but obviously lower in tone). Witchcraft!
I’ve got 4 Overton whistles made by Colin (Low Bb, Low C, Low D and Low Eb), and they’re all great with no exception. I had to sell a low F which was fantastic too.
I just ordered a low C sharp (tunable), I can’t wait!
I now have 3 Goldies = high D, high F, and alto G. The D and F whistles are 2 of my absolute favorites, and they will definitely maintain permanent places in my collection. I am now looking forward to a fourth (low D) that I recently traded for, and I plan to order a low F from Colin later this year when things settle down for him a little. He has become my first choice in whistle makers in the past year.
By the by, if anyone has a high Eb Goldie they aren’t playing, I’d be interested in obtaining it…
I cherish my Goldie A. It’s one of the whistles I play every day and the only one my wife asks for me to play. I really want a plain D. Don’t even need it to be tunable. Someday…maybe someone on C&F will get tired of theirs and offer it up. Hint..hint..
Awww, get the tunable version - it’s only like $50 more . Mine became my go-to high D within a month of receiving it. I generally don’t care that much whether a whistle is tunable or not… I think some people get a little obsessed with “options” - as if they were fashion accessories to their own personalities - “status,” and such… But this is one case where I am glad to have gotten a tunable version, because this is the D whistle I play anywhere and everywhere now.
… quite ironic, considering how much I detest aluminum as a general rule…
I’ve just recently become a fan. I lucked onto a high D non-tunable Overton on eBay. I usually wouldn’t be that interested in non-tunable, but I just had to go for it. Much to my surprise, it’s capable of being played perfectly in pitch when warm, at A=440, and yes you do indeed have more flexibility in pitch in both registers. Which is good but demands that much more attention!
I love it. Less shrill in the high notes and indefinable, lovely tone. Works wonderfully through a good mic and sound system. I thought I was in remission, but now WhOA is creeping back. It must be a virus that goes dormant for years, then suddenly you’ve got shingles, or whistles.
On my Goldie high D, there seems to be a gap of breath pressure needed to go between the octaves - compared with other whistles. This caught me out at first because I was so used to playing other whistles but now I wouldn’t have anything else. I’m probably unqualified to talk about this but what-the-hey!
Goldie:
c# |
b |
a |
g |
f# |
e |
d |
|
|----Gap
|
C# |
B |
A |
G |
F# |
E |
D |
Some other whistles:
c# |
b |
a |
g |
f# |
e |
d |
C# |----No gap/possible overlap.
B |
A |
G |
F# |
E |
D |
Also I must add; the amount of notes I can get out on this medium blower whistle with one breath is amazing compared with some other whistles!
I’ve ended up having 4 Goldie high D’s as well as other keys and I wouldn’t part with any of them. Goldie whistles can be brought up to the best temperature in seconds simply by covering the sound hole and blowing hard with a dry mouth. 10 or 20 seconds does it and then whether tuneable or not they’ll play perfectly in concert pitch. Like most good hand made instruments you have to learn to play them individually to get the best of them. They never stop surprising.
. Mine became my go-to high D within a month of receiving it. I generally don’t care that much whether a whistle is tunable or not… I think some people get a little obsessed with “options” - as if they were fashion accessories to their own personalities - “status,” and such… But this is one case where I am glad to have gotten a tunable version, because this is the D whistle I play anywhere and everywhere now.