Friends,
My new Reyburn aluminum Bb arrived today, within just a week of placing my order. Ronaldo Reyburm and I were in contact during the transaction, and he was very kind and attentive in helping me get the sound I was searching in the Bb.
So here is my reaction to the Reyburn aluminum Bb.
It is a sleek and beautiful whistle with attention to fine detail. The mouthpiece is buttery smooth- gentle in your mouth even during spirited playing. Its curved configuration resists clogging very well. It handles like a high D whistle in responsiveness. It has a low/medium back pressure that allows me to lean into it if I wanted to, but it also allows me to back off when needed. It is medium loud, which makes it a versatile whistle, suitable for many settings. It certainly is a beautiful instrument with the distinctive Reyburn sound…hard to describe, but many of you know what I mean. When I play the Generation Bb, I have to use the piper’s grip for some reason, but the Reyburn lets me use the standard grip.
I also have a Reyburn high d coming next week. I can’t wait.
I don’t know how he does it, but Reyburns have a unique tone, in my opinion the most interesting tone of any whistle out there.
I don’t play my Reyburn Low D as often as my Goldie, but when I want that magic tone there it is.
I’d like to add that the Reyburn high D aluminum arriving on Monday or Tuesday is a session D. I actually waffled for two days…simply could not decide whether to get the narrow bore or the session. Both sound clips on Ronaldo’s site are first rate. So, I first decided on the narrow bore, and Ronaldo had it all ready to ship on Friday, when I contacted him by email several times, changing the order. I finally called him up and told him to please ship the session D. He was very helpful and patient during the entire process, a whole lot more patient than I am with my students. (I teach middle/upper school history and government.)
Anyway, it turns out the session high D aluminum is Ronaldo’s favorite whistle, and that’s saying something.
Regarding the Reyburn sound… I may be off the mark and if I am, feel free to fire broadside, but here is my interpretation:
If a first rate Clarke original married an old school Generation and had a child, he/she would sing like a Reyburn.
I think the Reyburn tone is more like the offspring of an Overton and a Native American Flute.
“NAF in a fog” is what I call it.